When many people think of alternative energy, their minds immediately jump to solar power.  Most solar panels aren't that efficient, though. The average solar panel only converts around 10-15 percent of the energy absorbed into electricity. Hydropower, however, is much more effective. Hydroelectricity is produced by water running through turbines in dams and spinning them, and it has a ninety percent efficiency rate, much higher than that of water. Additionally, hydropower doesn't create any carbon emissions, and it doesn't cost much to maintain. Though it can be expensive to build the dams and turbines, they quickly pay for themselves because hydropower is so effective. Why isn't water power more widely used, especially in areas with large rivers or areas on the coast?

oh wait i forgot to put places that i got the information because that probably sounds like i made it up off the top of my head.
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department … ll/eng4431
-the agriculture and forestry site of Alberta, Canada
http://www.pvpower.com/howefficientissolarenergy.html
-a solar energy company
http://pureenergies.com/us/how-solar-wo … fficiency/
-another solar energy company

You pointed out something really interesting, and it's a very good suggestion if used in moderation. The building of dams can be very detrimental to our environment. Dams could block the migration of fish, trap sediments critical for physical processes, and of course, stop water from going to other areas. This has caused some species to go extinct, huge losses of forest, wetland and farmland, and the erosion of coastal deltas.

I got this information from: http://www.internationalrivers.org/envi … ts-of-dams