Green Technology

Environment Agency maps hydropower hotspots

(GUARDIAN) - Thousands of small-scale hydroelectric schemes could power 850,000 homes and produce 1.5% of the UK’s electricity needs, according to an Environment Agency study (EA) published today (pdf).

The agency mapped the energy hotspots of English and Welsh rivers and identified almost 26,000 locations where turbines could be installed to generate electricity from the water.

Not all those sites could be developed, as some could damage the environment or are in places with practical constraints, such as difficulty accessing the local electricity grid.

Around half the sites are in environmentally sensitive areas and would need fish-friendly measures such as screens to stop fish getting killed by turbines.

But the EA said that with many of the potential locations in areas where humans have interfered with the natural landscape – for example by putting in a weir – there is potential to generate green electricity and improve the local environment at the same time.

Read full story