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Non-Renewable

Energy

Renewable Energy


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What is renewable energy?What are the advantages and disadvantages of wind power?What location factors are important for wind farms?What is hydroelectric power?What are the advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric power?What other types of renewable energy are there?


Renewable energy is sustainable energy sources that will not run out since they can be regenerated.

At present, less than 3% of the UK's electricity supply comes from renewable sources. The UK Government has set a target that by 2010,10% of electricity should come from renewable sources.

What is renewable energy?

Some renewable resources are self-generating if left to nature, e.g. trees. However, they must notbe used carelessly otherwise their existence is threatened.

© Warren Gretz / DOE - NREL

Some renewable resources are continuous and can be used over and over again, e.g.

© Farallon National Wildlife Refuge / DOE - NREL

wind and solar power.


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Rotor blades can be damaged in strong and turbulent winds. It takes 30 wind farms to generate the same amount of electricity as one coal-fired power station. The setting up costs for wind farms are therefore more expensive than for traditional fossil fuel power stations.Some people consider the wind farms to be visually unattractive and noisy.

In theory, the UK could generate all its electricity from wind farms covering approximately 1% of the land. However, there are associated problems of wind turbine design and cost.

What are the disadvantages of wind power?

What are the advantages of wind power?


What are the advantages of wind power?


Wind power: good or bad?


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Wind turbines need to be in areas with regularly high wind speeds. This means that exposed coasts or upland areas are best. There are 93 sites in the UK at present.

Wind farms are now also built offshore. Two are already operating and there are plans for thirteen more.

Important location factors for wind farms

Wind power will provide 1.3% of the UK’s electricity supply by the end of 2005 (UK Energy in Brief, July 2003).

© Ed Linton / DOE - NREL


Where would you place a wind farm?


Not in my backyard!


Why are sources of renewable energy being developed?Name two sources of renewable energy.For one of the renewable energy sources you have named above, explain why some people are against its development.

Examination question

© Farallon National Wildlife Refuge / DOE - NREL


Key

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Renewable energy is sustainable energy that will not run out because it can be regenerated.Some renewable resources are self-generating if left to nature, e.g. trees. Some are continuous and can be used over and over again, e.g. wind.Renewable energy sources include wind, HEP, wave, tidal, solar and geothermal. The exploitation of renewable sources is determined by suitable location factors. For example, wind turbines need to be in areas where there are regularly high wind speeds. All renewable energy sources have advantages and disadvantages.

Renewable energy

Documents

© Boardworks Ltd 2005 1 of 30 These icons indicate that teacher’s notes or useful web addresses are available in the Notes Page. This icon indicates that