P1 Wind, Solar and Geothermal (page 174) Flashcards
Name Renewable Energy Resources?
Wind
Solar
Geothermal
(These resourses will NOT run out)
Do Renewable energy resourses generate us much electricity as Non-Renewable resourses?
No
What is ‘Wind Power’ energy resources?
Lots of little wind turbines.
Where are Wind Turbines used?
They involve putting lots of wind turbines up in exposed places like on ‘moors’ or round ‘coasts’.
How do wind turbines work? and what do they produce?
Each wind turbine has a generator inside it - The rotating blades turn the generator and produces Electricity.
Is there polutionwhen using Wind Turbines?
No, apart from a little bit when they are manufactured.
What Negative effects to wind turbines have?
They spoil the view,
you need about 1500 wind turbines to replace one coal-fired powered station
1500 wind turbines cover a lot of ground - (which would have a big effect on the scenary.
They can be very noisy (which can be annoying for people living nearby).
What problems can affect wind turbines producing electricity?
The blades can stopturning when the wind stops,
if the wind is too strong - it is impossible to increase supply when there’s extra demand.
On average how much electricity is produced using Wind Turbines?
70-85% of the time electricity is produced.
Are wind turbines expensive to run?
The initial costa]s are quite high, but there are no fuel costs and minimal running costs.
If wind turbines was removed, would this damage the landscapes?
No, permenant damage would not be caused if you remove the turbines, you would remove the noise and the view returns to normal.
What are solar cells?
Solar cells generate electric currents directly from sunlight.
Solar cells are often the best source of energy to charge what?
Batteries in calculators and watches, which dont use much electricity.
Where is solar power often used?
Its often used in remove places where there’s not much choice (e.g. Austrialian outback) and to power electric road signs and satellites.
Do solar cells produce pollution?
No, although they do use quite a lot of energy to manufacture in the first place.
Where is solar power very useful to use?
In sunny countries - it is a very reliable source of energy but onl in the day time. (they can still be cost effective even in cloudy countries like great britian).
Can you increase the power output using solar power?
No, like wind too, you can’t increase the power out put when there is extra demand (see page 189 for more).
Is it expensive to use solar power?
The initial costs are high, but after that the energy is free and running costs almost nil.
Can you use solar cells to generate electricity on a small or large scale?
small scale.
What is Geothermal Power?
Energy in underground Thermal Energy Stores.
Where is Geothermal power possible to use?
In volcanic areas, or where hot rocks lie quite near to the surface.
What is the source of most of the Geothermal energy from?
Mostly from the energy of the slow decay of various radioactive elements, including Uranium, deep inside the Earth.
What is Uranium?
A silvery - white metallic chemical element - atomic number 92. A Uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons. (this is actually brilliant free energy that is reliable and does very little damage to the environment).
What can Geothermal power be used for?
It can be used to generate electricity, or to heat building directly.
What are the Negative drawbacks with geothermal power?
There aren’t very many suitable locations for powerplants and that the cost of building a power plant is often high compared to the amount of energy it produces.
Explain why geothermal power is more reliable than wind power? (2 marks)
Wind power can be unreliable as sometimes there is no wind, or the turbines need to be stopped because the wind is too strong, so they don’t supply a constant supply of energy (1 mark)
Geothermal power plants can run continously as they transfer energy from the thermal energy store of the ground (1 mark)
