Why is hydroelectricity unfashionable?

Post by sien » Fri, Oct 28, 2022, 5:32 AM UTC

jeffparsons wrote: post #276

idiotsecant wrote: post #37

Obviously hydroelectricity is massively damaging to ecosystems. My day job includes designing hydroelectric control systems and even I can admit that. That's a big part of the reason that hydro is a non-starter in much of the western world, which is probably a reasonably good thing (although there are certainly some exceptions where hydro development seems like a no-brainer to me but I digress) What's not so clear to…

Here in Australia we apparently have a virtually limitless supply of sites that are very well suited to "off-river pumped hydro", and yet there doesn't seem to be any action on this front. I find this extra surprising because we also desperately need better fresh water management for other reasons, not least of which being our country's tendency to alternate between drought and flood. There must be some reason we're…

Post by jbm » Fri, Oct 28, 2022, 5:36 AM UTC

seabrookmx wrote: post #259

chewbacha wrote: post #155

I was hoping that the author would address the environmental concerns. But instead, they are mentioned and then dismissed without argument. The enumerations are many that are mentioned: They are blamed for displacing populations, disrupting the flow of sediments and the migration of fish, destroying natural habitat and biodiversity, degrading water quality, and for the decay of submerged vegetation and the consequent…

And wind turbines decimate bird populations. I wouldn't be surprised if solar panels had a negative impact on insect species. Where is the magical green line? I think most people equate "green" to anything not involving petroleum.

Post by usrusr » Fri, Oct 28, 2022, 5:43 AM UTC

ssivark wrote: post #176

WJW wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Batteries can get up to 95%+ efficiency, pumped hydro up to 85% efficiency so batteries win out in pure energy efficiency. However, when you take into account the economic efficiency then pumped hydro usually comes out very favorable. Battery prices have been falling rapidly over the last few decades, but simply damming up a mid-sized valley can store such a ginormous amount of water that is it hard to compete.

I would imagine energy density to be a bigger shortcoming (gravitational acceleration times height difference) -- especially for typically accessible height differences. Eg for 500m this is something like an order of magnitude lower than chemical batteries (which are themselves presumably at least an order of magnitude lower than gasoline). This would mean that we need reservoirs to be much larger than equivalent che…

Post by sbm_au » Fri, Oct 28, 2022, 5:44 AM UTC

jeffparsons wrote: post #276

idiotsecant wrote: post #37

Obviously hydroelectricity is massively damaging to ecosystems. My day job includes designing hydroelectric control systems and even I can admit that. That's a big part of the reason that hydro is a non-starter in much of the western world, which is probably a reasonably good thing (although there are certainly some exceptions where hydro development seems like a no-brainer to me but I digress) What's not so clear to…

Here in Australia we apparently have a virtually limitless supply of sites that are very well suited to "off-river pumped hydro", and yet there doesn't seem to be any action on this front. I find this extra surprising because we also desperately need better fresh water management for other reasons, not least of which being our country's tendency to alternate between drought and flood. There must be some reason we're…

Post by pencilguin » Fri, Oct 28, 2022, 5:55 AM UTC

roamerz wrote: post #122

Gwypaas wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because you're not disrupting a river's flow and natural ecosystem, you only utilize the watershed some more during the initial filling period. After that, it's a closed system separate from the river ecosystem where only evaporation causes leakage.

That ship has already sailed as most power producing dams have been around for long time. Removing them would destroy the (now natural) ecosystem they have created. Plus dams have way more benefits to us than the extremely clean energy they produce - not just store.