Renewable Energy Flashcards
Solar Energy
Considered kinetic energy, not potential - Collection of it can be done using passive or active methods
Solar Energy Passive Method
No energy required to collect it - EX: sunlight streaming through a window and heating up the room
Solar Energy Active Method
Using solar panels to collect it - Makes use of devices to focus, move, or store solar energy - Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) intensifies it by using a single target - Photovoltaic (Pv) cells convert directly to electrical energy
Countries using solar energy on a large scale
Greece, China, and Germany
Solar Energy Benefits
It’s renewable - There are many ways to collect it - Can collect it in any place that’s sunny - NO fossil fuel emissions - Advances technology - The use of it is increasing - It’s getting cheaper
Solar Energy Disadvantages
Only works if there is a sun - Not accessible to everyone - High upfront cast - Can’t get individual solar panels in apartments/townhouses - Need more promotions-programs to make it more affordable - Can destroy habitats in deserts for solar fields that take up a lot of space
Bioenergy
Made of biomass (living stuff), usually plants - Ex: burning wood, charcoal, manure, ethanol, etc. - Releases no net carbon (carbon dioxide will still be released but it gets absorbed by the plants, so it doesn’t go into the atmosphere)
Ethanol 85% (E85)
Very popular in the US and Brazil - The US uses corn to make it - Brazil uses crushed sugarcane to make it - Need to have the space and resources to grow more plants to be able to make E85
Biodiesel
Less vehicle emissions - Cost efficient
Biofuel/Bioenergy Pros
Is technically renewable - Has very little carbon dioxide emissions - Is biodegradable - Can be used for plastics
Biofuel/Bioenergy Cons
Takes up a lot of space - Not available to everyone - Requires more resources - Costs more to collect/produce
Hydroelectric Power
Uses flowing water to turn turbines - Has been around for a long time - Uses the kinetic energy of flowing water - Are along rivers and need to build a dam - Is very efficient with an EROI ratio of 80:1 and is very cost reliable
Hydroelectric Power: More water released equals
More electricity generated
Hover Dam
Generates a lot of energy (about 2 thousand kilowatts
Hydroelectric Power Cons
Lets off CO2 and Methane through construction - If the dam breaks, it can kill whatever species is living under it - All the sediments/nutrients are trapped on one side of the dam, meaning some small plants and algae can’t grow on the other side, meaning fish may have less food
Switzerland and Hydropower
Uses a lot of Hydropower - Was about 60% of their energy source - Decreased their usage because other renewable sources like solar and wind became more available for them
Wind Energy
Wind turbines convert kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical power, then convert that to electrical energy - Offshore sites can be ideal for wind farms, because the wind speed is greater and the air is less turbulent
Wind Energy Pros
Is getting cheaper - Is growing fast (especially in US, China, and Germany) - Has been around for a long time - EROI is 20:1 - Emits no greenhouse gases outside of construction
Countries with the most wind energy
Denmark, Portugal, and Ireland
Wind Energy Cons
People hate the noise and look it has (destroys the natural aesthetic) - Needs to be in a windy place (location matters) - Birds are affected by these
Nuclear Energy
Main purpose is electricity - Two ways to produce it, fusion and fission
Fusion
Smash two radioactive atoms together to give off nuclear energy - Thermonuclear reactions - Require really high temperatures (1 million celsius) - Don’t use because it cannot work on a large scale yet
Fission
How we currently produce nuclear energy - Split 1 radioactive atom into two to give off nuclear energy (can cause very fast chain reactions, creating an atomic bomb)
Atom used for Fission
The original atom is from the uranium ore - Is natural but is mixed with other stuff, so uranium must be enriched by getting rid of everything else
