Renewable Energy Sources

Solar
1. Solar cells convert light energy directly into electrical energy. Solar panels heat water for use in boilers or to generate steam and turn electricity generators
2. ADVANTAGES
  1. useful when small amounts of electricity needed or in remote places
  2. costs nothing to run
  3. produces no harmful waste/pollution
3. DISADVANTAGES
  1. expensive to buy
  2. reliant on lots of sunshine
  3. you need lots of them to generate enough power to be useful
  4. they don't work at night
Wind
1. the force of the wind drives the blades of a wind turbine round, turning an electricity generator
2. ADVANTAGES
  1. wind is free
  2. good method for remote areas
  3. produces no waste or greenhouse gases
3. DISADVANTAGES
  1. wind turbines can kill birds
  2. turbines can affect TV reception
  3. wind is unreliable
  4. they also produce noise pollution
Geothermal
1. Radioactive decay in rocks produces heat energy, which sometimes naturally causes water to rise as steam. This steam can be used to drive turbines. If none is produced then water can be pumped down to the hot rocks where it runs through fractures, heats up, and returns to the surface as steam
2. DISADVANTAGES
  1. Most parts of the world don't have suitable areas where geothermal energy can be usd
3. ADVANTAGES
  1. no fuel costs
  2. no polluting gases are produced
  3. reliable
Biofuels
1. A biofuel is any fuel obtained from living/recently living organisms, which is then used to heat water to produce steam, as in most fossil-fuel-run power stations
2. DISADVANTAGES
  1. land used for biofuel crops causes loss of habitat
  2. crops that could be used to feed local people are instead used as fuel
3. ADVANTAGES
  1. produces less greenhouse gases than fossil fuels when burned
  2. (theoretically) carbon neutral
  3. provides better fuel security for countries that don't own oil reserves
Waves
1. Wave machines use the kinetic energy of waves on the surface of the sea to drive electricity generators
2. DISADVANTAGES
  1. difficult to scale up wave machines to produce large amounts of electricity
  2. wave machine must be able to withstand rough weather
  3. don't produce a constant supply of electricity
  4. cables connecting wave generators to the elctricity grid spoil areas of coastline
3. ADVANTAGES
  1. no fuel costs; the energy is free
  2. no harmful waste produced
  3. cheap to operate
  4. can produce a lot of energy
Tidal
1. A tidal barrage is a barrier built over a river estuary which uses the kinetic energy of the moving water because of the tides to turn electricity generators
2. DISADVANTAGES
  1. there are few suitable sites
  2. tidal barrages destroy habitats
  3. undwerwater rotting vegetation produces the greenhouse gas methane
3. ADVANTAGES
  1. very reliable, can be turned on quickly
  2. tides are predictable
  3. no fuel costs
  4. not expensive to maintain
  5. no polluting gases produced
Hydroelectric
1. A dam traps water from a river. It is allowed to flow through tunnels in the dam, which turns turbines and in turn moves electricity generators
2. DISADVANTAGES
  1. dams flood farmland and push people from homes
  2. undwerwater rotting vegetation produces the greenhouse gas methane
  3. water quality and quantity can be affected downstream
3. ADVANTAGES
  1. more reliable than wind/solar/wave
  2. no polluting gases produced
  3. can be turned on quickly
  4. no fuel costs

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Renewable Energy Sources

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