Renewable Energy What are Fossil Fuels Fossil Fuels

Renewable Energy

What are Fossil Fuels?

Fossil Fuels Advantages Disadvantages Cheap and easy to convert to energy Release harmful gases when burnt Our Society is designed to run on fossil fuels Can generate large amounts of electricity in a single location Supply is limited and will run out Release carbon dioxide when burnt adding to the greenhouse effect and increases global warming

Solar Power + No Fuel costs + No harmful gases + Houses have own supply + Low impact + Can use roof space + Smaller visual impact - Costly to make and install - Solar energy requires sunlight

Onshore Wind + Infinite energy supply + Most affordable renewable energy + No harmful gasses produced - Wind turbines can be noisy - Some unsightly - No wind will result in no energy - Can kill birds and bats

Offshore Wind + Excellent wind resources out at sea + Can be beneficial to fish and marine animals - Challenging to install - on the seabed Requires a lot of grid cabling No wind = no energy Costly to install Disruptive to sea life when being installed

Hydroelectric + Creates water reserves as well as energy supplies + Long lasting + Suitable for mountainous areas + No harmful gases produced - Costly to build - Can cause flooding - Dams can have ecological impacts on hydrology

Tidal + Potential to generate a lot of electricity + Tidal barrages can double as bridges to prevent flooding + No harmful gases produced - Very costly - Not suitable everywhere - Can have negative effects on wildlife - May reduce tidal flow

Wave + Ideal for island countries + Potentially a large supply + No harmful gases produced - Construction can be costly - Technology remains unproven at a technical and commercial sale - Could have negative effects on wildlife

Biomass + Cheap and readily available + If crops replaced, can be long term and sustainable + Old coal power plants can be repurposed into Biomass stations - When burned it gives off pollutants including greenhouse gases - If crops are not replaced it is not sustainable and non-renewable

Geothermal + No harmful pollutants produced + No fuel costs + Can provide lots of energy (e. g. Iceland) - Can be expensive - Cannot be used everywhere - Geothermal and volcanic activity might reduce, leaving power stations redundant

Nuclear + Only require a small amount of material to produce a lot of energy + Raw material can be cheap + No atmospheric pollutants - Nuclear reactors are expensive to build - Nuclear waste is highly toxic - Leakage has a devastating impact on people and the environment - Expensive to decommission

Activity Which Energy Source?

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