Hydro may require drowning valleys, but micro-hydro with a weir utilizes existing waterways with minimal impact. As to energy density, there's no fixing that, b

Hydro may require drowning valleys, but micro-hydro with a weir utilizes existing waterways with minimal impact. As to energy density, there's no fixing that, but for most people, density is far less a concern than 'enough' -- solar isn't a viable solution for my current household because it would require clearing enough trees that it feels counterproductive. So, I can go with solar, but I couldn't be self-sustaining on solar. For most people, that's not a real concern. If you can capture enough solar power during the day to offset your energy bill to zero or near zero, that's good enough, but my concerns are a little more esoteric. That said, for either method, density hasn't really played a factor beyond local storage into battery banks - which is normal enough, but a very different concern.