Generating Electricity

Advantages:

• Cheap and easy to obtain
• Short start up time
• Produces huge amounts of energy
• Reliable
• Flexible in meeting demand

Disadvantages:

• Produces CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) and SO2 (Sulphur Dioxide, ONLY coal and oil) when burned, SO2 causes acid rain and CO2 causes global warming.
• It will run out evntually.
• Has to be transported over long distances.

Windmills-Wind can be used to drive huge turbines. These turbines drive geneartors.

Solar Power-Solar cells capture light energy and transform it into electrical energy and produces direct current.

Hydroelectric-Water is stored in a resevoir above the power station. When the gates holding it back are opened it is allowed to flow down through the pipes to drive the generator.

Tidal Barrage-This is a barrier built over a river estuary. The barrage contains electricity generators, which are driven by the water rushing in,that was trapped from high tide and released at low tide, through tubes in the barrage.

Geothermal-In some volcanic areas, hot water and steam rise naturally to the surface, as they are heated up by the decay or radioactive substances within the Erath. The steam can be used to directly turn turbines which then turn generators.

Wind: Advantages- No fuel and little maintenance required. Provide 'free' energy when the wind is blowing. Can be built offshore.

Disadvantages- Many turbines needed to produce lots of electricity. This causes noise&visual pollution. Not very reliable. High building cost

Tidal: Advantages: No fuel required, 'free' energy, It is reliable. Can meet demands for electricity.

Disadvantages: Can be unsightly, high building cost, can destory habitats.

Hydroelectric: Advantages-Fast start up time, reliable, produces large amounts of electricity. Water can be pumped back to the resevoir when demand is low.

Disadvantages-Floods farmlands, Destroys habitats. Adequate rainfall in the region of the resevoir is needed.

Solar: Advantages- Produces electricity in remote places, no fuel costs. Produces 'free' electricity.

Disadvantages: Unreliable, expensive to build, high cost of electricity

Geothermal: Advantages-No fuel costs, generates a lot of electricity. Directly used to heat homes. Cheaper and more affordable

Disadvantages-Not all areas ares suitable for this,high installation costs, might release harmful gases, not easily transported.

Carbon Dioxide is pumped into gas fields displacing the natural gas that is burned as fuel. It works by capturing this carbon dioxide and storing it underground.

Carbon capture and storage is a way to prevent carbon dioxide building up in the atmosphere.