You might be shocked after hearing the disadvantages of hydroelectric. Because many people thought there were no disadvantages of hydroelectric power plants or energy. Let’s first understand some basic things related to hydroelectric plants. A hydroelectric plant or energy is a form of energy that harnesses the power of water in motion, as water flows over a waterfall to generate electricity. How does hydroelectric energy work? There is a water dam constructed at some height above the plant. Water comes with tremendous pressure and falls onto the turbine, leading to the movement of the turbine. Turbines spin a generator whichDisadvantages Of Hydroelectric produces electricity. Let’s know the disadvantages of hydroelectric.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Hydroelectric?
There are several disadvantages of hydroelectric and they will demotivate you because many people believe hydroelectric power plants are one of the greatest power plants.
- Higher Installation Cost
- Limited Plant Sites
- Adverse Impact On Below Water Lives
- Methane And Carbon Emission
- May Cause Droughts
- Higher Flood Risk
- Power Output In Not Stable
So, let’s discuss the disadvantages of hydroelectric plants one by one in detail.
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Top 7 Disadvantages Of Hydroelectric
The disadvantages of hydroelectric are not easy to handle as once they happen, it takes tremendous time to compensate for the losses. Have a look at the hydroelectric energy disadvantages.
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Higher Installation Cost
It is not easy to build any power plant as they need bulk initial capital and other things also. In the case of a hydroelectric power plant, you need to build a dam to collect water and stabilize it. As a result, they cost more than similarly sized fossil fuel plants. But it is good news to you that, once you build this dam, then you won’t need to purchase fuel later on.
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Limited Plant Sites
You can install a hydroelectric plane anywhere you want to. You need to do site selection first and then you can install it. Selecting a site, is not that easy in case of the hydroelectric energy. Because it must need a running water source, later on, you dammed it, therefore, there are limited places in the world that are suitable for plant construction.
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Adverse Impact On Below Water Lives
Hydro means water and hydroelectric energy can not be generated without water. Also, water is a habitat for fish and other animals. Therefore, it adversely affects the life of fish. In hydroelectric plants, running water is stopped and this prevents fish from reaching their breeding ground, which in turn affects any animal that relies on these fish for food.
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Methane And Carbon Emission
Carbon and methane gases are very harmful to the environment. While the actual generation of electricity in the plant does not produce emissions, there are emissions from the reservoirs they create. Plants below the water in the reservoir begin to decompose and then release carbon and methane.
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May Cause Droughts
As hydroelectric energy needs water, it may lead to drought conditions. Also, the performance of hydroelectric power could be significantly affected by a drought. Also, as climate change continues to heat up the planet, this could become more common.
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Higher Flood Risk
One of the potential disadvantages of hydroelectric dams is a higher risk of flood. In hydroelectric power plants, a dam is constructed at higher elevations. No doubt, these dams are constructed very strong but there is a possibility of the overflow of water or they may collapse due to excess rainfall. The biggest dam failure in history is the Banqiao Dam Failure.
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Power Output In Not Stable
As the output of the hydroelectric power plant is dependent upon the flow of water. If the flow of water gets reduced, ultimately the output electricity gets decreased. Therefore, in the summer, the output of such plants becomes very low, even sometimes they need to be shut down for a few months.
This is all about the disadvantages of hydroelectric energy, but you should know both advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric energy. Therefore, let’s know its advantages.
Advantages Of Hydroelectric
The advantages of hydroelectric energy are,
- Irrigation support
- Flood control
- Clean drinking water
- Low-cost electricity
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FAQ
Why Is Hydroelectricity Bad For The Environment?
Hydropower can also cause environmental and social problems. Reservoirs drastically change the landscape and rivers they are built on. Dams and reservoirs can reduce river flows, raise water temperature, degrade water quality and cause sediment to build up. This has negative impacts on fish, birds and other wildlife.
Which Characteristic Is A Disadvantage Of Hydroelectric Plants?
Hydropower can impact water quality and flow. Hydropower plants can cause low dissolved oxygen levels in the water, a problem that is harmful to riparian (riverbank) habitats and is addressed using various aeration techniques, which oxygenate the water.
What Are 2 Advantages Of Hydroelectricity?
Hydropower provides benefits beyond electricity generation by providing flood control, irrigation support, and clean drinking water. Hydropower is affordable. Hydropower provides low-cost electricity and durability over time compared to other sources of energy.
Does Hydropower Create Pollution?
Hydropower does not pollute the water or the air. However, hydropower facilities can have large environmental impacts by changing the environment and affecting land use, homes, and natural habitats in the dam area.
Is Hydroelectric Renewable Or Renewable?
Hydropower, or hydroelectric power, is a renewable source of energy that generates power by using a dam or diversion structure to alter the natural flow of a river or other body of water.
What Are Five Environmental Disadvantages Of Hydropower?
Change in hydrological flow regimes, deteriorating water quality, migration corridors barriers, sedimentation, greenhouse gas emission and biodiversity loss are environmental impacts of hydropower projects.
Why Is Hydropower A Problem?
Large scale hydroelectric will have a huge impact on wildlife, destroying habitats that will need to be replaced when water builds up in reservoirs following the installation of something like a dam.
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Conclusion
So, from this article, you have learned about the advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric power. If someone asks you what are 5 disadvantages of hydropower or what are 5 advantages of hydropower, then you will answer within a blink of an eye. Besides the disadvantages, hydroelectric power is one of the clean and less harmful sources of energy. The dam of the hydroelectric power plant can provide clean drinking water to nearby villages or towns. Also, it provides water for irrigation purposes. Now, you know all the disadvantages of hydroelectric.
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What are 3 benefits and 3 disadvantages of hydropower
What are the disadvantages of hydroelectric energy?