Fossil Fuels

• There are many different types of fossil fuels, but the most important are coal, petroleum, and natural gas. A problem with fossil fuels is their environmental impact. Their excavation from the ground significantly alters the environment, and their combustion leads to air pollution.

• Burning coal, natural gas, and petroleum releases energy stored in the fuel as heat.

• Ways To Store - Coal can be stored in large containers because coal is just a bunch of rocks. Natural gas and oil can be stored in large tanks.

Fission

• Fission is an established method of energy production. However, there are also disturbing accounts of harm to the environment and dangerous nuclear waste byproducts. Chernobyl, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki are some of these.

• Nuclear fission involves the splitting of a heavy element into lighter element. The reaction is set off by the random capture of a stray neutron.

• The energy produced by fission is used primarily to heat a liquid to boiling. The steam generated by the boiling liquid is used to power a turbine that generates electricity.

• Ways To Store - Nuclear energy is in uranium. Uranium is a rock, so you can store it in large containers.

Hydroelectric

• Man has used the power of water for years. Much of the growth of early colonial American industry can be attributed to hydropower. Hydroelectric systems make use of the energy in running water to create electricity. The steam pressure from the boiling water turns propellers called turbines. Hydro powered systems also make use of turbines to generate electrical power.

• Water has kinetic energy when it flows from higher elevations to lower elevations. The energy spins turbines.

• Ways To Store - Hydroelectric power is water. Water can be stored in a large container, large tank, river, stream, etc

Biomass

• Biomass is one of the oldest and most well-established energy sources in the world. Burning wood is a method of producing biomass energy.

• Ways To Store - Biomass energy is in non-fossil organic materials such as wood, straw, vegetable oils, and wastes from the forest. Biomass energy may be in solid, liquid, or gas form so it could be stored in containers or tanks.

Wind Energy

• People have made use of wind power since ancient times. This important renewable energy source is starting to be looked at again as a possible source of clean, cheap energy for years to come. Wind generators take advantage of the power of wind. Long blades or “rotors” catch the wind and spin. Like in hydroelectric systems, the spinning movement is transformed into electrical energy by a generator.

• Ways To Store - Wind energy can be stored in batteries or by using electricity to split water into its constituent oxygen and hydrogen.

Solar Power

• Most energy is derived in some way from the sun. The energy of the sun can be used in many ways. The form we are interested in is directly converting the sun’s rays into a usable energy source: electricity. This is accomplished through the use of solar panels.

• Ways To Store - There are many ways to store solar energy. Three ways are flat-plate collectors, focusing collectors, and passive collectors.

Geothermal

• Geothermal systems use heat from the centre of the earth to make energy. Geothermal power can be used to directly heat buildings.

• Ways To Store - Geothermal energy is stored inside the earth, and it will always be there for later use.

Fusion

• For years people have been turning to fusion as the energy of the future. This relies on the joining of two atoms to form a new molecule. Humans can continue to use fusion power indefinitely because tritium and deuterium are virtually inexhaustible resources.

• Ways To Store - Nuclear energy is in uranium. Uranium is a rock, so you can store it in large containers.