Energy resources

Energy resources

1. Renewable

   • Hydro-electric
     • Fast flowing water(waterfall, river)
     • Its use is widespread
     • Advantages
       • One of the cheapest ways
       • Continuous generation of electricity
       • Without pollution
       • Water isn't consumed or contaminated
     • Disadvantages
       • Construction is expensive
       • Away from where people live
       • Natural vegetation is destroyed
       • People living close are forced to move
     • Essential conditions
       • High rainfall
       • Natural store of water
       • Narrow deep valley suitable for building a dam
   • Geothermal
     • Heat from the ground in areas of volcanic activity
   • Solar
     • Heat from the light of the sun
     • Solar panels and photovoltaic cells are used
     • More expensive than wind power
   • Wave
     • Force of sea waves
     • Least used as technology is difficult to develop
   • Wind
     • Turbines driven by the force of the wind
     • Essential conditions
       • Strong winds are frequent
       • On hill tops and other areas of open high ground
       • Along the coastline
       • Offshore but close to the coast
     • Advantages
       • Cheap
       • Pollution free
       • Take up little land
     • Disadvantages
       • Construction costs are high
       • Winds need to be constant
       • Backup is necessary
       • Eye-sore
   • Biomass
     • Using fuelwood, crop waste and animal dung

2. Non- renewable

   • Coal
     • Rotten vegetation formed thick layers of peat that hardened over time
     • Extracted through mining
     • Cannot be mined deep as higher temperatures deep underground may cause combustion
   • Petroleum and natural gas
     • Decomposition of plants and dead sea creatures
     • Drilling is the method used for extraction; oil and gas is forced out through pipes
     • Oil and gas rise to the top of porous rock and are trapped by the impervious rock above

3. Nuclear power

   • Fission:An atom containing a nucleus is split using uranium as a reactor
   • Great deal of heat is released due to fission
   • This heat is harnessed to make energy