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P1 J) Energy Sources
P1 J) Energy Sources
There are many ways that we can generate electricity. All of these different ways can be split into renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
Renewable
Renewable energy sources will never run out; we will always have access to them. Examples of renewable energy sources are:
The main advantage of renewable energy sources is that they will not run out. However, the energy that they provide tends to be unreliable (especially solar, wind and waves) as sometimes these energy sources can produce a lot of electricity and other times they produce little or no electricity. For example, wind turbines will generate a lot of electricity on a windy day, but will generate little or no electricity on a calm day with no wind. Most of the renewable energy sources do damage the environment but the damage that they cause is considerably less than the damage caused by non-renewable energy sources. We will be looking at all of these energy sources in more detail in the next few sections.
Renewable energy sources will never run out; we will always have access to them. Examples of renewable energy sources are:
- Solar
- Wind
- Waves
- Tidal
- Geothermal
- Hydroelectric
- Biofuel
The main advantage of renewable energy sources is that they will not run out. However, the energy that they provide tends to be unreliable (especially solar, wind and waves) as sometimes these energy sources can produce a lot of electricity and other times they produce little or no electricity. For example, wind turbines will generate a lot of electricity on a windy day, but will generate little or no electricity on a calm day with no wind. Most of the renewable energy sources do damage the environment but the damage that they cause is considerably less than the damage caused by non-renewable energy sources. We will be looking at all of these energy sources in more detail in the next few sections.
Non-Renewable
Non-renewable energy sources are finite (a limited amount), which means that they will eventually run out. We currently obtain most of our energy from non-renewable energy sources. Examples of non-renewable energy sources are:
Oil, coal and natural gas are known as fossil fuels. Nuclear fuels are not fossil fuels, but they are a non-renewable energy source because there is a finite amount of them.
Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels are the world’s main source of energy. Fossil fuels store energy in their chemical energy stores. When the fossil fuels are used, energy is converted from the chemical energy store in the fossil fuels to other stores of energy – the energy store that the energy is converted to depends on the use of the fossil fuel.
One use of fossil fuels is for transportation. Petrol and disease are used in cars. Kerosene is used in aeroplanes. Coal is used for old fashioned steam trains.
Fossil fuels are also used for heating homes. For example, natural gas is used to heat most homes in the UK. The gas is burnt to heat water, which is then pumped around the house to radiators. We can also burn coal in fireplaces to heat homes. Another way to heat homes is to use electric heaters, and some of the electricity that the electric heaters use will come from power stations that use fossil fuels (it may be the case that the electricity has been generated from renewables).
Fossil fuels are also used to generate electricity that can be used to power any electrical device in the home (television, cooker, fridges and freezers, charging our phones etc). The fossil fuels are burnt in power stations to produce heat, which causes water to turn into steam. The steam then turns turbines that are connected to generators, which generates electricity.
There are many advantages and disadvantages of using non-renewables as energy sources. Here are some of the advantages:
Here are some of the disadvantages of fossil fuels:
Non-renewable energy sources are finite (a limited amount), which means that they will eventually run out. We currently obtain most of our energy from non-renewable energy sources. Examples of non-renewable energy sources are:
- Oil
- Coal
- Natural gas
- Nuclear fuels
Oil, coal and natural gas are known as fossil fuels. Nuclear fuels are not fossil fuels, but they are a non-renewable energy source because there is a finite amount of them.
Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels are the world’s main source of energy. Fossil fuels store energy in their chemical energy stores. When the fossil fuels are used, energy is converted from the chemical energy store in the fossil fuels to other stores of energy – the energy store that the energy is converted to depends on the use of the fossil fuel.
One use of fossil fuels is for transportation. Petrol and disease are used in cars. Kerosene is used in aeroplanes. Coal is used for old fashioned steam trains.
Fossil fuels are also used for heating homes. For example, natural gas is used to heat most homes in the UK. The gas is burnt to heat water, which is then pumped around the house to radiators. We can also burn coal in fireplaces to heat homes. Another way to heat homes is to use electric heaters, and some of the electricity that the electric heaters use will come from power stations that use fossil fuels (it may be the case that the electricity has been generated from renewables).
Fossil fuels are also used to generate electricity that can be used to power any electrical device in the home (television, cooker, fridges and freezers, charging our phones etc). The fossil fuels are burnt in power stations to produce heat, which causes water to turn into steam. The steam then turns turbines that are connected to generators, which generates electricity.
There are many advantages and disadvantages of using non-renewables as energy sources. Here are some of the advantages:
- One advantage is that currently fossil fuels are relatively cheap and they are easy to obtain. However, this may not always be the case as we start to run out of fossil fuels, which would result in less being extracted and the ones that are being extracted may become more expensive to extract. Also, an increasing population will likely increase the demand for fossil fuels, which will probably cause the price of fossil fuels to increase. So, even though fossil fuels are cheap now, they may not stay cheap in the future.
- Another positive is that fossil fuels can generate electricity whenever electricity is needed. This is because electricity is generated whenever the fuels are burnt – so, if we need more electricity, we can just burn more of the fossil fuels. This is in contrast to most renewables (like wind) that produce a quantity of electricity that is dependent on the conditions (if it is very windy, wind turbines will generate a lot of electricity; if it is not very windy, wind turbines will generate little or no electricity).
- Also, fossil fuel power stations can produce electricity very quickly after being turned on. This means that fossil fuel power stations can easily and quickly respond to changes in electricity demand. Out of all the fossil fuels, natural gas has the quickest turn on time (the time between being switched on and generating electricity).
Here are some of the disadvantages of fossil fuels:
- One disadvantage of fossil fuels is that they are finite, which means that they will eventually run out.
- Also, the burning of fossil fuels can produce harmful chemicals that have negative effects on the environment. The burning of coal and oil produces sulphur dioxide, which can lead to breathing problems if breathed in and acid rain. Fossil fuels also produces carbon dioxide, which causes climate change and global warming because of the enhanced greenhouse effect. Out of the three fossil fuels, coal produces the most carbon dioxide relative to the amount of energy that it releases.
- A final negative is that obtaining the fossil fuels can have negative effects on the environment. This is especially true for open cast mining for coal, which significantly scares a landscape
Nuclear Power
The main nuclear fuels are uranium and plutonium. Nuclear fuels are non-renewable because there is only a finite amount of them in the world, which means that they will eventually run out. The nuclear fuel in a nuclear power station undergoes controlled chain reactions, which produces heat. The heat causes water to turn into steam, and the steam turns turbines that are connected to generators, which generates electricity.
Nuclear fuels store vast quantities of energy compared to fossil fuels. One pellet of nuclear fuel (6 grams) produces the same amount of energy as a ton of coal, 120 gallons of oil or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas. Also, nuclear fuels are known as being a “clean fuel” as they do not produce carbon dioxide, which means that generating electricity from nuclear fuels does not result in the enhanced greenhouse effect/ climate change. A final positive of nuclear fuels is that they can generate electricity whenever they want.
A negative of nuclear power stations is that there is a possibility that there could be an accident, which may result in radioactive material being leaked into the environment. This would have huge negative implications on the health of local residents and the natural landscape. Nuclear reactors are very safe but there is a slim possibility of an accident/ meltdown happening. After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the Fukushima nuclear power station had a meltdown and radioactive waste was released into the environment. Another disadvantage is that nuclear power stations take the longest time out of all of the non-renewable power stations to turn on, meaning that nuclear power is less responsive to changes in electricity demand. A final disadvantage is that nuclear power stations are very expensive and time consuming to build and decommission (the process of shutting down a nuclear power station).
The main nuclear fuels are uranium and plutonium. Nuclear fuels are non-renewable because there is only a finite amount of them in the world, which means that they will eventually run out. The nuclear fuel in a nuclear power station undergoes controlled chain reactions, which produces heat. The heat causes water to turn into steam, and the steam turns turbines that are connected to generators, which generates electricity.
Nuclear fuels store vast quantities of energy compared to fossil fuels. One pellet of nuclear fuel (6 grams) produces the same amount of energy as a ton of coal, 120 gallons of oil or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas. Also, nuclear fuels are known as being a “clean fuel” as they do not produce carbon dioxide, which means that generating electricity from nuclear fuels does not result in the enhanced greenhouse effect/ climate change. A final positive of nuclear fuels is that they can generate electricity whenever they want.
A negative of nuclear power stations is that there is a possibility that there could be an accident, which may result in radioactive material being leaked into the environment. This would have huge negative implications on the health of local residents and the natural landscape. Nuclear reactors are very safe but there is a slim possibility of an accident/ meltdown happening. After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the Fukushima nuclear power station had a meltdown and radioactive waste was released into the environment. Another disadvantage is that nuclear power stations take the longest time out of all of the non-renewable power stations to turn on, meaning that nuclear power is less responsive to changes in electricity demand. A final disadvantage is that nuclear power stations are very expensive and time consuming to build and decommission (the process of shutting down a nuclear power station).