Hydropower vs. Solar Power Advantages
By Tom Gresham, Demand Media
Hydropower plants are a popular renewable energy outlet.
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Both hydropower and solar power are energy sources that do not consume limited resources but instead take advantage of renewable ones -- water for hydropower and the sun for solar power -- using them to generate energy without eliminating them from other uses. Neither hydropower nor solar power creates significant pollution or waste. Hydropower is much more widely used, accounting for about 6 percent of the energy supply in the United States in 2008 .
Reliability
Hydropower is a more reliable source of energy than solar power because it has a steady supply of power, while solar power is an intermittent energy source with periods of time when the energy supply is interrupted, such as at night and on overcast days. For a large-scale solar power project to work, it needs a supplemental energy supply to serve as a backup source and to help when demand is high and supply low.
Financial and Environmental Cost
Hydropower is the least expensive source of renewable energy in the United States, including solar power (see References 2). Hydropower creates greater environmental impacts than solar energy, however. In particular, hydropower requires the damming of the rivers and streams that serve as sources of water, affecting animal, fish and plant habitats. (See References 6) Solar power, on the other hand, has a limited environmental impact, largely comprising the energy costs of manufacturing the solar power systems.
Mobility and Flexibility
Hydropower is not a viable power source for small, portable devices the way solar power is. Solar power can serve as a primary power source for a watch, flashlight or calculator because the sun is more easily accessible for mobile devices than water sources; photovoltaic panels that conduct the sun's energy can be quite small (see References 1). Hydropower's use of turbines and a water source makes it an ill match for small, mobile devices that demand flexibility.
Alternative Uses
Hydropower installations can offer a range of benefits beyond energy production, unlike solar power arrangements. In particular, making the reservoirs that impoundment hydropower facilities create available to the public can create central recreation resources for a community. These reservoirs provide clean bodies of fresh water that provide ideal spots for activities such as swimming, boating and fishing. In addition, the reservoirs can improve the local water supply, including strengthening agricultural irrigation efforts and aiding flood protection efforts.
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