Alternative Energy:

Hydro Power
Mr. Parsons

Rachael Maunder
Introduction
The question of which source of energy is the best, the safest, the cleanest has been around
for decades. Solar energy, hydro-energy, geothermal energy the list goes on and on. So
which kind is the best to use in Australia? Statistic show that Hydro energy is already
providing 20% of the world’s power as it is a clean, cost effective way to create power for a
large area unlike wind energy. Wind energy is a good way to make energy as it is renewable
but a new way to make it needs to be found as only one wind turbine standing at 65 metres
high will power one house. (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_tall_are_wind_turbines
18/02/10). This is a big waste as the turbines take up a huge amount of room and there are
not enough places to build them. Solar energy is probably one of the most popular forms of
alternative energies. Solar panels absorb the sun’s rays and then convert the radiant heat
energy to electricity to be used around the home. Solar heating systems are more common
as they are slightly cheaper to run and are very effective at heating and cooling the water
for homes. It is a natural form of energy like Biofuel. Biofuel is made from biomass, it takes
natural sources such as crops, soy and grass and trees. This form of energy is less popular
than other kinds of alternative energy as it is expensive to produce. Professor Tilman of the
University of Minnesota says that “[just making Biofuel] takes a lot of energy”
(http://www.sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?type=article&article_id=218392821
31/1/10). Like Biofuel, geothermal energy is expensive to produce as the steam has to be
extracted from down near the centre of the earth about 6,400 metres deep. The heat that
the magma gives off is extracted and used to produce energy here on earth’s surface. The
geothermal power stations are made to run twenty four hours a day and make little
environmental impact. Technically it’s not classified as a renewable energy source as it relies
on hot water and steam from the earth’s interior for energy to be produced
(http://www.worldofenergy.com.au/factsheet_geothermal/07_fact_geotherm_entry.html
31/1/10).

All of these alternative energy sources are widely used around the world but fossil fuels
(non renewable energy sources) are still out ranking them. Figure 3 shows that 94% of the
energy used between 1997 and 1998 was non renewable although 18% used was natural
gas.
Figure 1: Hydro Power Plant (http://www.odec.ca/projects/2007/truo7j2/hydro.htm
9/2/10)

What is it?
Hydro Power is energy that is formed through the force of moving water from one place to
another and measuring the force it emits. Water is held high above the turbines, full of
potential gravitational energy, so that when it is released, it will reach the turbines at such a
high power it will turn the turbines which power generators thus creating power. The water
is stored in a dam above the turbines before being washed away to sea. The dams are
always built in places where there is lots of precipitation but the environmental impact
greatly affects the animals that lived there before the dam. The dams are also used for
recreational activities such as skiing and family picnics. The above picture (figure 1) shows a
typical dam pushing the water through the turbines. Figure 2 also shows this but in a more
detailed way. Figure 2 shows the water turning the turbine as it runs through the plant. As
the turbine turns, it powers the generator which then harvests the energy and expels it to
power lines ready to be delivered to house and various buildings.
 Figure 2: Hydroelectric Dam
(http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/hydro/ 7/2/10)

Advantages
There are many advantages to having hydro-electricity be a main source of energy. As
expensive as the dams are to build, once they are finished the cost of the energy is virtually
free. The dams are built to withstand all weather conditions and last decades.
Hydroelectricity (or water energy) is a renewable energy that emits no carbon emissions
once the power station is up and running. Water energy also produces no greenhouse gases
and they don’t pollute the atmosphere. It is very effective as the energy can be produced at
a constant rate that generates a lot of power and energy. This being said it can be stopped if
the energy that is being created is not being used. The gates that allow the water to flow
through can be closed to hold the water poised and ready to go for when the gates are open
again. When the energy created is not being used it gets stored for when it is needed. The
large amount of water in the dams means that there is always a constant supply of water
ready to be converted into energy. The dams that are built onto the turbines are extremely
large and can be used by the general public for recreational activities such as skiing and
boating. The damns are often surrounded by large grass areas and trees which make great
camping and picnic grounds.

Disadvantages
As well as having its advantages, hydro power does have its disadvantages too. The dams
are virtually free to run once they are built but they are extremely expensive to build as they
have to meet a very high standard. They are built to last decades as it will take that long to
start making a profit on them from the building. Despite this the dams are under enormous
pressure from the water surrounding it and can give way which leads to flooding of
suburban areas. The dams are built in a place that rains or is able to have water siphon from
other dams. The building of the dams destroys the natural environment of any animals that
lived there before the dam. The flooding of this area and the removal of trees sees many
animals become homeless which will affect the cycle of life in the ecosystem in that
particular area. The positions of the dams have to be carefully thought out. This is because
they can cause geological damage that the dams can cause can be devastating. For example,
the Hoover dam built in America caused a number of earth quakes as it depressed the
earth’s surface (http://www.technologystudent.com/energy1/hydr2.htm)

Figure 3: Pie chart of energy

usage from 1997-1998 (http://fueltaxinquiry.treasury.gov.au/content/issues/issues-03.asp)
28/02/10
Which way to go
There will always be the question of which energy source is the most economically, the
most environmentally friendly. As you can see from figure 3, renewable energy is the lowest
of the world’s power usage at 6%. The highest percent of energy usage is crude oil (34%).
Many argue that solar power is the best way to go as it is very cheap once the panels are set
up and need very little maintenance other than a quick clean of the solar panels.

Hydro Power was ranked six in the top ten list of alternative energy by www.listverse.com.
In front of it were nuclear power, natural gas and radiant energy. All of these energies are
good clean ways for the world to start being more environmentally friendly. Mostly it comes
down to the persons preferred way of using energy. Everyone has their own opinion on
which is the cleanest or most economical whether its solar power, Biofuel or hydro power.

http://scienceray.com/technology/applied-science/top-five-alternative-energy-sources-of-
the-future/ says that the following energy sources are the top five energy sources and in the
following order:

5. Solar Power Satellites

4. Geothermal Power

3. Wind Power

2. Solar Power

1. Biomass

Despite this solar power is still the most common source of alternative energy. It is the
energy that has had the most advertising and promotion over the years and is seen by the
public as the cleanest type of energy.
Conclusion
Hydro power is an economical, environmentally friendly source of energy that can be of
great use to the world. This type is power can never run out as the world is made up of 70%
water. The advantages of having hydro power in the cities outweigh the disadvantages of
having it. It is a clean source of energy that will only grow and develop as the years go on. As
shown in this report, there are many different kinds of environmentally friendly alternative
energy sources. There is no way to tell which the best is as it comes down to personal choice
and a matter of situation. Different energy sources are required for situations such as a
house in the middle of Australia would use solar energy as hydro energy wouldn’t work. The
water would have to be pumped all the way across the landscape for one house which
wouldn’t be economical. In summary the world needs to use more alternative energy
sources as it is better for the environment and fossil fuels are running out so a permanent
alternative energy needs to be found soon.
Bibliography
Websites

Author Unknown, Advantages and Disadvantages of Hydropower [online] available

http://www.technologystudent.com/energy1/hydr2.htm 5/2/10

Author Unknown, Hydro Energy [online] available

http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/hydro.htm 31/1/10

Cool. D, Top Five Alternative Energy Sources of the Future [online] available
http://scienceray.com/technology/applied-science/top-five-alternative-energy-sources-of-
the-future/ 03/03/10

Frater. J, Top 10 Renewable Energy Sources [online] available

http://listverse.com/2009/05/01/top-10-renewable-energy-sources/ 25/02/10

HowStuffWorks. Inc, How Hydropower Plants work [online] available

http://www.howstuffworks.com/hydropower-plant.htm 4/2/10

Kidcyber, Solar Energy [online] available http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/solar.htm

31/1/10

Kidcyber, Wind Energy [online] available

http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/windenerg.htm 31/1/10

Penland. J, Biofuel Energy [online] available

http://www.sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?type=article&article_id=218392821
31/1/10

Western Power, The Facts About Geothermal Power [online] available

http://www.worldofenergy.com.au/factsheet_geothermal/07_fact_geotherm_entry.htm l
31/1/10

Wikipedia.org, Hydroelectricity [online] available

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity 4/2/10

Wikipedia.org, Renewable Energy [online] available

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy 28/1/10
Photos

Author Unknown, Hydro Power [online] available http://www.alternative-energy-

news.info/technology/hydro/ 7/2/10

Author Unknown, Title Unknown [online] available

http://www.odec.ca/projects/2007/truo7j2/hydro.htm 9/2/10

Fuel Tax Inquiry, Title Unknown [online] available

http://fueltaxinquiry.treasury.gov.au/content/issues/issues-03.asp 28/02/10
Appendix