Hydro Power and Biomass Energy Essay Example

fuels. Industrial biomass can be developed from plants such as sorghum, corn willow, hemp and other species of plants.

Hydropower was discovered about two thousand years ago where Greeks used water wheels to grind grain. Within a short period, this technology had spread to Europe. During the industrial revolution, hydropower was used in oil extraction processes in a method referred to as hushing. This method was mainly applicable in gold mines. The hydroelectric energy was used during this process. Hushing was used in Spain and Wales in mines. Later it was used in Britain to extract tin and lead. Hydroelectric power was also useful in generating mechanical power in industries dealing with textiles. Michael Faraday invented his first electric generator in 1931. He provided a platform for the generation of electricity with hydropower. The first hydroelectric plant was established in Appleton where it produced electricity in 1831. These plants mushroomed in the 19th century all over the world.

Production and Potential of Biomass and Hydro Power Energy

Concerning the source of biomass, biofuels are classified into first generation and second generation biofuels. First generation biofuels emanate from sources like corn starch and sugarcane. Sugars found in this sources are fermented, and bioethanol is the result. Bioethanol can be described as an alcohol fuel that if used in a fuel cell, it produces electricity. Bioethanol can also function as a catalyst to gasoline. Second generation fuels make use of sources such as municipal waste as well as low-value waste. The wastes contain lignocellulosic biomassendnoteRef:3. Lignocellulosic mass is not consumable since it is of low value. Biomass energy emanates from crops that are particularly grown to be used for fuel

purposes. Plant energy can be used to produce high amounts of biomass with low energy input. These plants include wheat and straw. Wheat grain can transport liquid fuel while straw can literary be burnt down to produce electricity as well as heat. Biomass from plants can be degraded through chains of chemical reactions to produce sugar that can serve as first generation biofuel. In addition to this, biomass can be transformed into various forms of energy such as methane, biodiesel as well as ethanolendnoteRef:4. 3: Dunjic, Stefan, Simon Pezzutto, and Alyona Zubaryeva. "Renewable energy development trends in the Western Balkans."

Hydro power can be generated via potential energy found in rivers. Hydro power is produced in a series of procedures. First potential energy must be converted to kinetic energy mainly from high speed flowing water. Kinetic energy is produced by driving waves on moderately static water. To harness this energy, you must direct water over a turbine so as to produce electricity. Hydro power is the most efficient type of power especially when power is needed in large scale. Therefore, to produce this type of power, energy must be controlled and concentrated. The conversion cycle harnesses kinetic energy and transforms it into electric energy. The conversion of hydropower, however, depends on the type of turbine in use.

Efficiency of Biomass and Hydro Power Energy

Hydropower is an efficient type of energy. Hydropower happens to be a renewable source of energy which is generated and used all over the world. Hydropower plants provide maximum power output. Maximum power is remarkably good at satisfying dynamic demands for electric power throughout the year. Due to hydropower is a major generator of

energy, it can, therefore, deliver power to the grid in case all the other power energy sources fail. Therefore, during power failure they give an alternative source of power. Hydropower plants can restart operations in seclusion without relying on an outside energy source. In addition to this, rivers, waves, and tides are reliable sources of energy. Therefore, they continue to support the generation of hydro power. Hydro power technology can also store other power sources like wind, solar and nuclear.

Biomass energy is also efficient and has become an important part of international renewable power. It continues to accumulate the energy produced by other sources such as hydropower. Biomass is used for cooking purposes of cooking in many countries. Biomass can be used in its raw form, therefore, making it efficient. For instance, wood can be burnt directly in its raw form to produce heat. This makes it an efficient form of energy. In cases where biomass has to undergo cycles to produce energy, the cycles are very simple. Biomass is also efficient as it saves time. Heating and lighting do not entail complex cycles. One can easily use biomass energy with little or fewer struggles if any. Biomass is also efficient as it conserves the environment. Some biomass products are made from industrial wastes. This aids in environmental conservation. The waste products are recycled to produce biomass. This is an efficient way to trap energy.

Cost of Biomass and Hydro Power Energy

Biomass is cheap when compared to other sources of energy. The fact that biomass emanates from pieces of wood and waste industrial products makes it cheap and easy to get. Waste products are disposed at

a cheap rate since industries do not require them. Therefore, the waste products will just require few improvements so that they can be used as fuels. The simple cycles that they undergo to transform them into fuels are relatively cheap. This makes Biomass fuel cheap and easy to afford. Biomass energy is also used in its raw form. For instance, wood can directly be burned to produce heat and fire. Wood does not need to undergo any transformation to produce heat and fire. This makes it a cheap resource. The fair costs associated with biomass make it the most used source of energy in developing countries.
Hydropower generation is capital intensive. To set up a hydro power plant, a lot of money must be involved. However, using hydropower to generate electricity is very efficient. Hydro turbines can transform a lot of energy to electricity. When hydropower is produced in large amounts, the cost per unit becomes low. The cost per kilowatt-hour is relatively low as compared to the cost of natural gas, nuclear, as well as fossil fuelendnoteRef:5.Today hydropower generated electricity has moderate costs. Initially, urban areas used to enjoy the monopoly of electricity derived from hydro power. However, the monopoly was short-lived after the rural areas started enjoying electricity courtesy of affordable prices. Today many homes enjoy electricity generated from hydropower. These families can sustain to enjoy these services due to reliable costs associated with hydropower energy.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the most vital and efficient sources of energy are biomass and hydropower. Biomass and hydropower energy are key in driving the economy of any nation as well as that of the world. Investments in these sectors should

be highly considered. Biomass and hydro power should be embraced as they do not contribute largely to environmental pollution. They contribute a large percentage to the total energy produced in the whole world. The world population depends on these sources of energy in their daily activities. These energy sources are therefore indispensable to man. Despite the fact that weather conditions can affect hydropower, it is can still drive major utilities as it has the potential to deliver clean electricity at a wider base and therefore good in smoothening the intermittent electrical inputs emanating from other energy sources. Biomass too can also aid in increasing the much needed energy mix while valuing the readily available waste materials into clean energy. It is worth noting that despite the level of significance attached to these energy sources, they still do not guarantee a complete fix for all energy costs, sustainable environment and energy security. It therefore calls for the need to incorporate all the necessary sources of renewable energy to achieve a complete environmental sustainability and more resilient power source.

Bibliography

1. Aslani, Alireza, and Kau-Fui V. Wong. "Analysis of renewable energy development to power generation in the United States." Renewable Energy63 (2014): 153-161.
2. Dunjic, Stefan, Simon Pezzutto, and Alyona Zubaryeva. "Renewable energy development trends in the Western Balkans." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 65 (2016): 1026-1032.
3. Li, Jinpeng, Shikui Dong, Shiliang Liu, Zhifeng Yang, Mingchun Peng, and Chen Zhao. "Effects of cascading hydropower dams on the composition, biomass and biological integrity of phytoplankton assemblages in the middle Lancang-Mekong River." Ecological engineering 60 (2013): 316-324.
4. Spänhoff, Bernd. "Current status and future prospects of hydropower in Saxony (Germany) compared to trends in Germany, the European Union
   

and the World." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 30 (2014): 518-525.