PESTL(E) Analysis

Environment Factors

      The use of natural energy sources to provide electricity is rapidly increasing in popularity among home owners. The use of more natural and renewable energy sources is needed to take the burden off our current dependency on fossil fuels. The high levels of fossil fuels we burn each and every day are contributing to climate change and the polluting of the air and surrounding environments.

      From our research, We found that  petrochemical and electricity power plant mostly release carbon dioxide.  We can attempt to save the earth from devastation by making the switch to natural and renewable energy sources which is a large step forward in the fight against climate change, and the fight for a cleaner environment. There are many different natural and renewable energy sources such as the sun, wind, tides, and water. Each country chooses the alternatives depended on country’s topography. In North of Thailand, their geographic has waterfall  and mountains. People still use waterfall for daily usage and cannot be accessed to electricity.  Hydro power is the most suitable source for helping the north people. It only takes a small amount of flow (as little as two gallons per minute) or a drop as low as two feet to generate electricity with micro hydro. Electricity can be delivered as far as a mile away to the location where it is being used. Hydro produces a continuous supply of electrical energy in comparison to other small-scale renewable technologies.

      Micro hydropower is considered to function as a ‘run-of-river’ system, meaning that the water passing through the generator is directed back into the stream with relatively little impact on the surrounding ecology.

      The ecological impact of small-scale hydro is minimal; however the low-level environmental effects must be taken into consideration before construction begins. Stream water will be diverted away from a portion of the stream, and proper caution must be exercised to ensure there will be no damaging impact on the local ecology or civil infrastructure.
      Energy output is dependant on two major factors: the stream flow (how much water runs through the system) and drop (or head), which is the vertical distance the water will fall through the water turbine.

      Careful design is required to ensure the system has a minimal impact on the local ecology. A small amount of energy compromise may result, but this will ensure that the project does not have an effect on local fish stocks. The Environment Agency requires that stream levels must be maintained at a certain level in order to sustain the life within. Since there is no loss of water in the generation process, these requirements can easily be met.