Hydro energy has been getting a lot of attention as a solution to climate change and the energy crisis, but it’s also a great source of power for your home or business. Hydropower is clean, renewable, and sustainable—so you can feel good about powering your lights with it.
Hydro energy is one of the ancient means of generating energy as some of the discoveries regarding it were witnessed in China somewhere between 202 BC and 9 AD. For example, trip hammers powered by water wheels were used for making paper, breaking ore, and hulling grain.
In 1771, the first world factory run through hydropower was set up by Richard Arkwright to spin cotton. This innovation motivated the world to see hydropower as a more powerful tool. As time passed by, more hydro energy developments took place as a result hydro energy created a special place for itself in countries like China, Brazil, and India. Hence, due to the long trail of discoveries in hydropower and its multiple usages, the topic deserves a detailed piece of information including its harnessing process and the ways it has benefitted the countries, especially India.
Before knowing the advantages and initiatives of hydro energy, it is important to know how hydro energy is harnessed. Hence the details of the harnessing process of hydro energy are as follows:
Hydropower plants are installed near a water source like a dam or a river to convert kinetic energy into electricity. But the energy available depends on the volume of the water and the head also known as elevation. The relation between electricity generation and water volume and elevation is directly proportional. In other words, the more the elevation and water volume, the more electricity can be produced.
The next question is “how do these hydroelectricity-generating power plants work? First, water flows through the penstock and creates an effect by spinning the blade which in turn moves the generator and hence creates electricity. The electricity produced through hydropower is then supplied to power grids to provide current to businesses, industries, and homes
1)Renewable source of energy
Hydro energy forms through the completion of the water cycle which can complete its process with the help of the sun’s energy. Hence, being a product of sun and water, hydro energy is considered a form of renewable energy. Additionally, hydro energy emits a negligible amount of methane and impurities when compared to fossil fuels. This is another reason to prove the credibility of hydropower as a renewable source of energy.
2)Provides electricity
Energy generated through hydropower is much cheaper when compared to electricity produced through fossil fuels. And it can also be stored in the form of water to use when the time demands. When the sun goes down on certain days and there is no sufficient wind to produce wind energy, we can use stored water to produce hydropower to supply electricity consistently.
Asian countries comprise canals and distributaries spread across thousands of kilometers. The borders of these canals cut through energy-scarce regions. This canal network is nothing less than an opportunity for India to strengthen renewable energy resources even more. Recently a case study has been conducted to analyze the possible solutions to the unmet needs of Uttar Pradesh’s energy demands. The results showed an overall potential of 149.1 MW for small hydropower and 13213 MW of solar power. Both solar and hydro powers combined are more than enough to generate 18 hours of electricity per day for the residents of Uttar Pradesh.
3) Irrigation support
Reservoirs made especially for generating hydropower can easily be utilized for irrigation purposes as well. The water can be released from the dam whenever the need for irrigation arises. With traditional methods, we have to wait for glaciers, snow melts, and precipitation to irrigate our fields. This process was not feasible as it demanded a lot of patience and was not able to provide instant solutions for irrigation needs.
With forty percent of the population of India living in village areas, it is obvious that the dependency on agriculture is more in the country. Agriculture requires proper irrigation of fields. Hence, hydro energy can be utilized to irrigate fields and realize the full crop-producing potential of Indian villages.
4)Helps in flood control
Hydroelectric power plants store river water in reservoirs via dams. The water stored is then released through turbines which spin to activate generators that produce electricity in the end. Hence this process of generating electricity eventually replaces river water with flood water. This technique can be extremely helpful in India as the country is home to many flood-prone areas like Punjab, Haryana, and Gangetic plains (North Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, and Brahmaputra valley).
Using hydropower plants can work like an insurance for the above states of India. Additionally, it will also create job opportunities in the manufacturing departments of hydroelectric power plants for people lying below the poverty lines of the respective states.
5)Inexpensive source of energy
Hydropower is a renewable source of energy and hence less expensive than most of the energies available in the world. Additionally, energy is known for providing many facilities like electricity, clean drinking water, and irrigation without creating no fuss in the environment in the form of air and water pollution. This makes it an even more sought-after energy source among users.
6)A great help during emergency moments
Hydropower is a great help in emergency moments like wildfire and extreme heat waves. Imagine losing current in a hospital during urgent treatments or the common public facing scarcity of drinking water. This sounds scary, right? Hydropower can save us from such moments easily by providing electricity and clean drinking water generated from hydropower for days.
7)Hydropower stations works according to the availability of water
One of the mind-blowing features of hydropower is that it can control the amount of water flowing from its turbines which means making energy according to the availability of water and the need of the hour. This helps in filling the energy gaps and hence helps in providing regular electricity flow to the communities where the supply is less according to the demand
Not all states in India are well equipped with water supply. For example, many rivers and water bodies in Uttarakhand make it one of the suitable places in India to install hydropower plants. However, states like Rajasthan face scarcity of water regularly. Hence, turbines can adjust to the needs of the place and use energy based on availability.
The Government announced certain mandatory measures on 8th March 2019 regarding hydropower and they are as follows
According to Sri R.K Singh (Union minister for power and New and Renewable energy), The measures mentioned above are expected to encourage hydropower in the hilly regions specifically as these areas fall behind when it comes to road conditions and bridge construction.
Hydropower is harnessed from water flowing through turbines that spin and generate electricity. This form of energy can be used anywhere there is a source of water and an outlet for the electricity generated by the turbines.
As Hydroelectric power can also be used at farms where there is a large quantity of water flowing through turbines located near a dam or reservoir. This form of energy can provide enough electricity for entire communities, which means that farmers don’t need to rely on fossil fuels or other forms of power generation like coal or natural gas because they have their source!
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