The Hydrokinetic Advantage

All forms of renewable energy help meet the growing energy needs of our society. To limit the degree to which we are taxing the earth’s resources, it is to everyone’s benefit to find and use sources of energy with the least impact on the environment.

Solar and wind are currently the prominent renewable energy sources and have already made a large impact in the fight towards a sustainable future, but one of the common issues around these sources of energy is that they are periodic at best and at worst unpredictable. This makes it very difficult to compensate for those times when power from these sources is not available, and this alone may negate most benefits, or make the installation totally impractical in locations where there is no existing constant source.

Energy from flowing water (hydrokinetic energy) is unique in that it is much more predictable than solar or wind, with only seasonal variations or variations during unusual events such as floods. But for the most part if a stream is flowing, it is flowing 24 hours a day with gradual changes as the seasons change. Canals and controlled rivers are even more predictable as they are controlled by a system operator. Thus, hydrokinetic energy can be used as a base load power source, having a profound effect on communities currently without reliable power as it can be used for critical applications such as refrigeration, medical, or schooling. Locations currently using fossil fuel based generators can reduce their fuel costs (or even eliminate them), by tying in the hydrokinetic power system to work in concert with the system or even replace it. All this can be done with a minimal impact on the environment.

What makes New Energy’s product offering unique is that it can serve as the base load power source for a remote community, directly improving the situation in the community by providing reliable power for critical applications. Solar and wind cannot offer this same level of reliability. Traditional hydro may not be available in the area, or logistics of deploying traditional hydro may be too difficult to overcome. That leaves hydrokinetic power generation as a strong candidate for satisfying the energy requirements of a remote community, bettering the lives of those involved.