Hydro Energy

What is it?

It is a kind of energy obtained from waterfalls or water currents. Electric energy is achieved by letting water fall by gravity, so that as it passes through a turbine, it moves an electric generator.

It is considered a renewable energy that depends on the rainfall in upper rivers ahead of the dams..

There are two different kinds of hydro energy, the one coming from large dams, and the so-called mini hydro, coming from small waterfalls and with an installed capacity of up to 10 MW.

Advantages

• It is renewable, as the water used flows back to the river bed.
• It is autochthonous, thus avoiding being imported from other countries.
• It does not pollute, as it does not generate heat or polluting emissions.
• It allows storing water for irrigation and other emergency uses.
• Dams regulate the volume of flow in rivers, avoiding floods in lower river courses.

Disadvantages

• The output depends on weather conditions.