Comparing renewable sources of energy

Energy from plants

Biofuels are fuels made from plant materials. These include biodiesel, made from plant oils, and bioethanol, made by fermenting sugar and wheat.

Energy from the wind

Humans have been taking advantage of the wind for thousands of years. Sailing ships and windmills are both examples of wind power.

The process of farming wind as a reusable energy source

Even though sailing ships are still used today, the major use of wind is to generate electricity using wind .

The turbine consists of a generator in a at the top of a high tower. The wind turns the blades of the turbine and these, in turn, spin the .

Energy from falling water

Energy in the gravitational store of a body of water held above sea level can be used as the water is allowed to run down pipes containing turbines. There are two ways of doing this:

Tidal

The process of farming water flow as a reusable energy source

The Moon's gravitational pull lifts the level of the seas twice a day and this is the force that gives us power.
At high tide, the sea is trapped behind a /dam.
The water is allowed to run out through pipes that lead back to the sea.
As the water runs through the pipes it spins turbines that are linked to generators.

Hydroelectric

The process of using gravity and water to generate electricity

Water is held behind a in a lake or reservoir high up a mountain.
Rivers or rainfall fills the reservoir.
When energy is needed, the water is allowed to run down through pipes to another lake lower down the mountain.
As the water runs through the pipes it spins turbines that are linked to generators.
The water can be pumped back up during the night when electricity is cheaper.

Energy from the Sun

All our energy comes from the Sun. The Sun warms the air and sets up convection currents that causes the wind. This evaporates water from seas and lakes to set up the water cycle to provide the rain that fills the reservoirs. We can also make use of the energy from the Sun directly using solar cells or solar panels.

Solar Panels

The panels are fitted on a roof. Infrared radiation from the Sun shines through the glass lid and heats the water in the pipes.

Solar cells

A solar cell is a circuit component that uses light from the Sun to generate electricity. Many calculators use solar cells, and many houses have panels on their roof. Space probes often use solar cells to generate the electricity they need.

Advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy

Source of renewable energy	Advantages	Disadvantages
Biofuel	Renewable source.	Uses land that could be used to grow food.
	Less carbon emissions. When burned, they release as much carbon as they absorbed during growth, although some carbon dioxide will be released during production, eg by the tractor.	Needs a lot of labour.
	Reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.	Bioethanol cannot be used in cars without modifying the engine.
Wind power	Renewable source	Expensive to build
	Cheap to run (no fuel costs)	Visual pollution (Some people think it spoils the view)
	No polluting gases produced	Unreliable (depends on the strength of the wind)
Water power	Renewable source	Visual pollution (Some people think it spoils the view)
	Cheap to run (no fuel costs)	Damage to the estuary habitats
	No polluting gases produced	Damage to valley habitats by flooding
	Very reliable	Can block access to ports for shipping
	Can be switched on when needed	Trapped and rotting vegetation can produce greenhouse gases such as methane
Solar power	Renewable source	Solar cells are not very efficient
	Cheap to run (no fuel costs)	It costs a lot of money to make them more efficient
	No polluting gases produced	Unreliable as it is not always sunny
	Solar cells can generate electricity at the top of mountains when there is no connection to the National Grid

Source of renewable energy	Biofuel
Advantages	Renewable source.
Disadvantages	Uses land that could be used to grow food.

Source of renewable energy
Advantages	Less carbon emissions. When burned, they release as much carbon as they absorbed during growth, although some carbon dioxide will be released during production, eg by the tractor.
Disadvantages	Needs a lot of labour.

Source of renewable energy
Advantages	Reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
Disadvantages	Bioethanol cannot be used in cars without modifying the engine.

Source of renewable energy	Wind power
Advantages	Renewable source
Disadvantages	Expensive to build

Source of renewable energy
Advantages	Cheap to run (no fuel costs)
Disadvantages	Visual pollution (Some people think it spoils the view)

Source of renewable energy
Advantages	No polluting gases produced
Disadvantages	Unreliable (depends on the strength of the wind)

Source of renewable energy	Water power
Advantages	Renewable source
Disadvantages	Visual pollution (Some people think it spoils the view)

Source of renewable energy
Advantages	Cheap to run (no fuel costs)
Disadvantages	Damage to the estuary habitats

Source of renewable energy
Advantages	No polluting gases produced
Disadvantages	Damage to valley habitats by flooding

Source of renewable energy
Advantages	Very reliable
Disadvantages	Can block access to ports for shipping

Source of renewable energy
Advantages	Can be switched on when needed
Disadvantages	Trapped and rotting vegetation can produce greenhouse gases such as methane

Source of renewable energy	Solar power
Advantages	Renewable source
Disadvantages	Solar cells are not very efficient

Source of renewable energy
Advantages	Cheap to run (no fuel costs)
Disadvantages	It costs a lot of money to make them more efficient

Source of renewable energy
Advantages	No polluting gases produced
Disadvantages	Unreliable as it is not always sunny

Source of renewable energy
Advantages	Solar cells can generate electricity at the top of mountains when there is no connection to the National Grid
Disadvantages

A national record

Comparing energy resources

Energy resources - AQA SynergyComparing renewable sources of energy