Natural_Resources

Natural Resources Task -Wind Power Wind power works by the use of wind turbines. They capture the kinetic energy in the wind when the blades spin. When the blades spin, they spin a shaft that leads from the hub of the spinning rotor to a generator, where it is turned from rotational energy into electricity. Wind power, among most things, is generated from the sun. When a certain area is headed, the hotter air rises, and the surrounding cool air quickly rushes in to take its place, this is wind. ADVANTANGES • Wind is free; no money is needed to produce the wind. • No pollutants or green house gases are created once the rotors are installed. • The turbines are incredibly tall, this means farming and such activities can take place underneath. • Remoter areas are sometimes not connected to a power grid, so having turbines on their farms is convenient. • Good alternative for Developing countries. DISAVANTAGES • Wind, in some places is not constantly consistent. It varies, meaning it will not produce the same amount of energy all the time. • Many people believe in the natural countryside, and that it should not be bombarded with technology. • Most people see the wind turbines as unsightly and ugly to look at. • Large turbine farms would be needed to produce energy for a town. • Wind turbine construction can be very costly. • They’re very load. -Solar Energy Light, or sunlight, can be used to create heat or generate electricity, this is known as solar energy. Solar energy can be put into two forms, thermal conversion, which uses sunlight to create heat then turned into electricity. The other is photovoltaic conversion, which creates energy from light-rays using sheets of silicon or other materials. The sunlight is collected using silicon panels, along the top of houses or buildings. ADVANTAGES • After the initial instalment payment, it is free to run. • The grid will buy electricity from you, saving money off your electricity bill. • The government has a rebate on solar panels. • Solar energy does not require any fuel. • Unlimited use of energy. • After installation, they will not need to be handled for decades. • They operate silently, and do not have any moving parts. • Solar cells are long lasting sources of energy which can be used almost anywhere. • They are particularly useful in areas where there is no grid to supply power and in areas where there are small populations, such as in a remote town. DISADVANTAGES • The cost of installing the initial panels is high dude to the materials used in building them. • There isn’t always sunlight, and it isn’t always coming at the right direction to catch as much energy as possible. • No energy is produced during the night when its needed most. • Air pollution and weather can have an effect on the cells. -Hydro Electricity Hydro electricity is energy created by the flow of water. Hence ‘hydro.’ It is usually collected using turbines. These turbines are in the bottom of dam walls, where it lets small amounts of water flow through, preventing it dam from breaking. The water turns the turbines on its way through, similar to wind turbines. ADVANTAGES • Once the dam is constructed, electricity can constantly be generated. • If electricity is not needed, the tunnels can be shut, stopping water flow and electricity production, saving water until more electricity is needed. • The electricity will continue to be produced as long as the dam is still standing. • The water held back by the dam can be used for irrigational purposes. • No pollution is released, it is powered by water so it’s clean. • While not only being a cleaner source of energy then oil, hydro is more cost effective as well. • 90%of energy produced can be converted into electricity, where as oil can only convert up to 50% of energy. • Does not require as much maintenance as a mine does. DISADVANTAGES • Dams are extremely large and expensive to build, they must be built to the highest quality. • Building a large dam stops the river flow to other parts of the river further down, to many dams and weirs stop river flow all together. • Fish populations are dramatically effected as they cannot migrate down stream. • Can cause silt build up behind dam wall, limiting water life. • Floods surrounding areas where the dam is built. -Geothermal Energy Geothermal energy is energy from the heat of the rocks under the ground. Production of geothermal electricity can be highly efficient as it is clean and renewable. Electricity is made from the energy similar to how wind and hydro electricity is made. Water is pumped under ground and through the hot rocks below, turning the water into steam. The steam is pumped back up, turning the turbines, and creating electricity. ADVANTAGES • Typically have lower maintenance costs then some others as all equipment is secure inside a building or underground. • The steam let off from the plant, eventually turns into rain anyway, making this a renewable source. • Low emissions • Compared to oil and coal production, the Geothermal plants are not very large. • Sustainable • Cost effective. DISADVANTAGES • Natural vents for water to be pumped down through are not ver common in many places. • Artificial vents aren’t often very effective. • Occasionally limited due to amounts of water. In droughts etc. CONCLUSION In conclusion, I believe that the most efficient source of energy is hydro. This is because its disadvantages can be fixed. For example, they can build channels for the fish to swim through. Hydro however, cannot be practiced everywhere, for example, farming land and some rural areas. Solar panels being my second preference could be used here.