Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy
- Created by: Stirling Stedman
- Created on: 15-06-20 09:45
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- Energy Sources
- Renewable Energy
- Biomass
- Plants use a system called photosynthesis to absorb the sun for 'food'. This stored energy can be burned. As it is burned it produces biomass.
- Advantages: carbon neutral, less expensive
- Not completely clean - burning would does also produce other emissions.
- Bio energy takes up about 8% of Britain energy mix. As non-renewable energy becomes less popular it is likely that this number will increase.
- Wave
- Wave energy works by using turbines in the sea to make use of the tide coming in and going out. The turbine is connected to a generator.
- Advantages: renewable, constant source, no air pollution emissions, combats climate change
- Disadvantages: dangerous for swimmers, harm wildlife
- As England is an island there is a large potential for wave energy as there is lots of water.
- Wind
- Wind turbines use energy from the wind to spin and produce electricity via a generator connected to the turbine.
- Advantages: renewable, carbon free, decreases pollution
- Disadvantages: noise pollution, intermittent, sight pollution
- Around 20% of UK's energy is from solar and wind. As the percentage of gas and coal drop there is more potential for wind to thrive.
- Solar
- Solar energy works by absorbs sunlight which then gets transmitted into a current.
- Advantages: renewable, never runs out, helps combat climate change
- Disadvantages: Intermittent,sight pollution (some people think that they look ugly and unattractive)
- Around 20& of UK's energy is from solar and wind. As the percentage of gas and coal drop there is more potential for solar to thrive
- Water (hydro)
- Hydro-power is generated by turbines in a dam which are connected to generators. As water flows over the turbines spin which starts the genorators.
- Advantages: clean source, reliable
- Disadvantages: affect wildlife habitats and movement (however fish ladders are used to help the migration of some fish)
- There is a lot of potential in the UK for hydro-power but it currently only generates around 2% in the UK's energy mix.
- Biomass
- Non-Renewable Energy
- Oil
- Like many other non-renewable sources oil generates power by using gas or steam to turn turbines.
- Advantages: easily available and has a high energy density.
- Disadvantages: bad for climate change and produces large amounts of CO2
- the use of oil in the UK is unlikely to go up as unrest in the Middle East may see the country look towards more reliable and local sources of energy.
- Natural Gas
- Similar to the other non-renewable sources steam from burning the natural gas is used to turn turbines
- Advantages: reliable and cleaner than some fossil fuels.
- Disadvantages: highly flammable and meaning risk of explosion if it leaks and also it is toxic.
- Natural gas might become more popular in the UK as fracking is becoming more popular.
- Coal
- Producing energy by coal is done by heating the coal which heats water which in turn creates steam. This steam turns turbines that are connected to generator.
- Disadvantages: very unclean, bad for the environment.
- Advantages: affordable, easy to make
- Coal in the UK is starting to become very unpopular and the government have said that by 2025 the UK is going to be coal free
- Nuclear
- Nuclear produce energy similarly to coal. The use of steam to turn turbines which are connected to generators.
- Advantages: Do not produce greenhouse emissions as they are not burning fuel.
- Disadvantages: nuclear is very expensive and can be limited.
- Nuclear produces around 15 - 20% of UK's energy however by the end of 2025 half of the current 15 stations will be retired.
- Oil
- Renewable Energy
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