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