The Low Carbon Partnership
Solar Power
Hydro Energy
Hydro means water, and hydro power captures energy from moving water.
Water that is fast running or falling from a great height produces the
most energy. Water wheels have been used for thousands of years to power
mills that grind grains, such as wheat, into flour. Now hydro power is
used to generate electricity, either in large hydro-electric power stations
or small local schemes.
In large modern hydro-electric power schemes the water is usually stored by building a dam to create a reservoir. The water is then released through pipes where it turns turbines that convert the energy from the movement of water into electricity. Large hydro-electric power stations produce huge amounts of electricity very quickly and cheaply, and can produce the power when it is needed. Although hydro-electric power dams can be very expensive to build, after that the energy is free because it is rain that refills the reservoir and keeps the turbines working.
Hydro power is one of the most reliable sources of renewable energy, and produces very little greenhouse gases.
Small or ‘micro’ level hydro projects can be used to power homes, businesses and community buildings, anywhere that has a fast and fairly constant flowing water course.
Hydro-electric power accounts for nearly a quarter of all electricity produced in the world and it is a reliable, efficient and economical source of renewable energy. However, finding sites for new reservoirs can be difficult because it involves flooding valleys that may result in people having to move from their homes and land, and valuable wildlife habitats being lost. Also, there are relatively few good sites with the right speed or height of water flow for micro-hydro generation projects.
