Energy

Advantages of power from glaciers

There are many advantages in using glacier melt waters for the production of hydroelectric power. Glaciers are a source of water that is constant and sure during the summer months, unlike the water of rivers and torrents whose capacity is subjected to remarkable variations depending on precipitation. Consequently, in the summer months, when most of the water courses on the surface suffer a lack of water, the water courses fed by the glaciers instead, are rich in this precious resource. The energy obtained from glaciers can therefore be used in the periods in which the other water resources register minimum levels and due to the melting water of the glaciers it is possible to face situations of energetic emergency such as the recent summer black-outs. The costs for the realization of a large hydroelectric power plants with all the connected structures (reservoirs, dams, channels, pipes, power plants and long distance power lines) are very high, but as most of these are plants that date back many years, the costs have partly been amortized and consequently the cost of hydroelectric power is relatively low. At present, due to economic and environmental reasons there is a preference for the construction of micro-plants that satisfy the power requirements of small local communities and are less costly and more ecological. It is a “clean” energy, as the production does not produce any polluting substances even though there are some repercussions on the environment.