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7.5 renewable energy-alternative energy sources - Coggle Diagram
7.5 renewable energy-alternative energy sources
solar energy
passive solar heating system
absorbs and stores heat from the sun directly
active solar heating system
heat absorbing fluid
used directly
solar thermal system
concentrated solar power
parabolic mirrors
moving mirrors
rest is stored in container
gravel
water
clay
heat absorbing chem
solar cells for electricity
photovoltaic (PV) cells
solar cells
electricity from sunlight electrons
advantages
no greenhouse gases or pollutants
no toxic materials
easy to use, low maintenance
disadvantages
low energy efficiency
storing energy at night
overcoming
built in batteries
dirt and water repellent coatings
nanotech
wind power
indirect solar energy
wind farms
group of wind turbines (land and sea)
potential to produce 40x the world's current use
advantages
abundant, widely distributed, inexhaustible
carbon free and pollution free
fast and cheap
increasing energy efficiency and reducing costs
disadvantages
birds/bats (collisions)
geothermal energy
geothermal heat pump system
most energy efficient
relaible
environmentally clean
cost effective way
hydrothermal reservoirs
steam/hot water
homes/buildings
hot water
grow vegs in greenhouses
raise fish in aquaculture ponds
spin turbines to produce power
advantages
meidum net energy
low CO2 emissions
disadvantages
drilling geothermal wells is expensive and risky
not many hydrothermal sites w concerntrations of heat high enough to make it affordable
can be non renewable if heat is extracted faster than restored
deep heat
hot dry rock
expensive
biomass
solid biomass or organic matter
wood
agricultural waste
sugarcane
rice
corncobs
gaseous or liquid biofuels
power vehicles
ethanol
plants wastes
biodiesel
veg oils
advantages
can be grown thru much of the world
no net increase in CO2 emissions
easy to store and transport
disadvantages
20% more greenhouse gases to atmosphere
huge amount of water
large volumes of wastewater
tropical rainforests, grasslands, wetlands are destroyed
alternative biofuels
algae
advamtages
can grow yr round in various aquatic enviros
estimated can produce 10x more enrgy/area of land than plants produce ethanol
disadvantages
expensive
biodigesters-biogas
organic material decomposed by bacteria in anaeorobic enviro produce biogas
used as fertilizer
methane
heat
electricity
advantages
reduces amount of waste going to landfills
helps get rid and use food/plant waste
reduces amount of livestock and human waste entering water enviros
reduce spread disease
reduce eutrophication
creates less CO2 than fossil fuels
home versions cheap to make
jobs=waste collectors
disadvantages
too low net energy for mass scale
impurities can damage if used in combustion engines
hydropower
flowing rivers
indirect solar energy
tidal flows
indirect solar energy
tidal energy
waves
wind energy, from sun
wave energy
dams
advantages
least expensive renewable source
renewed by rain and snow
disadvantages
reservoirs fill w silt and become useless
flood and destroy terrestrial habitats
flooded veg dies and produces methane
reduce flow of water
degraded rivers/wetlands
hydrogen
hydrogen gas (H2)
fuel cells
advantages
no CO2 emissions or air pollutants
more efficient
little maintenance
disadvantages
negative net energy
very little hydrogen gas in earth atmosphere
expensive
dangerous to store and transport
renewable energy & the economy
shift to new renewable energy economy
full cost pricing
tax carbon emissions
subsidize renewable energy
eliminate subsidies for fossil fuel industries
feed in tariff system
(CAFE) standards