The Facts About Alternative Energy Solar energy is generated from the sun. Photovoltaic cells convert the heat from the sun directly into electricity we can use. Solar panels are found on homes and businesses. They can also be found on cars, calculators, and the International Space Station. The advantages of using solar power is that it does not cause pollution, it is very abundant, and a solar cell can last for 15 to 30 years. The downsides to solar energy include that it can be expensive, it depends on sunny weather, and usually a large space is needed for the cell. Biomass energy is produced from vegetable oils, animal fats, recycled restaurant greases, and other byproducts of plant, agricultural, and forestry processing or industrial human waste products. Ethanol is a subset of biomass and is extracted from plant and tree residue. The plant (corn) produces sugars and then those sugars are heated and trapped to form a gas called ethanol. This ethanol can be converted into gasoline for our automobiles. Unfortunately, biomass produces some pollution and uses some fossil fuels to convert. The transport cost associated with it can also be expensive. Luckily there is an abundant supply, and it can be used for diesel engines and automobile engines. It does produce fewer emissions than fossil fuels. Geothermal energy comes from heat inside the Earth’s core. It is found underground by drilling steam wells, similar to oil drilling. The word geothermal comes from Greek words meaning “Earth” (geo) and “heat” (thermos). Geothermal power is clean, reliable, and cost effective, but its availability is often limited to areas near tectonic plate boundaries. Geothermal heating applications include industrial uses, heat pumps, and space heating and bathing in hot springs. Humans have enjoyed geothermal energy in the form of hot springs for thousands of years. In some parts of Iceland, hot water runs from geothermal power plants under pavements and roads to help melt ice. The great thing about geothermal power is that it has little impact on the environment, it is efficient with low emissions, and it has a low cost after it is built. Some disadvantages about geothermal power are the start up costs and that it can only be found near tectonic plate boundaries. Copyright © 2014 Science Doodles Copyright © 2014 Science Doodles Hydropower or hydroelectric power is created when moving water turns turbines to run generators that convert energy into electricity. A dam is built in a river, which channels the water into a small tube that has turbines in it. These huge turbines are connected to a generator, which converts the energy from the spinning turbines into electricity. This electricity is then taken to homes to be used. The good things about hydroelectric power are that there are no emissions or pollution, and it is reliable and can produce large amounts of power. The bad thing about hydroelectric power is that is can damage an ecosystem on the river with the construction of a dam. It is also expensive to build and it can only be accessed around moving water. Wind energy is generated when wind turns big turbines to run the generators that convert the energy into electricity. This electricity is stored in batteries and taken to homes by the electrical lines. One single wind turbine can provide power to 500 homes. Wind energy is the fastest growing energy source in the world. It is the only source that does not use water. It has no emissions and has low costs to maintain after it is built. Wind energy is capable of a high amount of power output and does not disrupt an ecosystem. The problems with wind power are it only works when it is windy, it is expensive to build at first, and there is not enough wind everywhere. Copyright © 2014 Science Doodles Copyright © 2014 Science Doodles