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renewable energy - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Although HEP is generally seen as a clean form of energy, it is not without its problems, which include:
      - Large dams and power plants can have a huge negative visual impact on the environment.
      - They may obstruct the river for aquatic life.
      - There may be a deterioration in water quality.
      - Large areas of land may need to be flooded to form the reservoir behind the dam.
      - Submerging large forests without prior clearance can release significant quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas.
- - - - Efficient fuel - less flammible and causes less harmful carbon emission compared to standard diesel
      - Cost-Benefit - produce fewer emissions, which is a government intiative and because of the demand of them they have the potential of becoming cheaper in the future
      - Economic security - not every country has natural resources for fossil fuels but if people shift toward biofules then every country can reduce its dependence on fossil fuels
      - Lower levels of pollution - release lower levels of CO2 and other emissions when burnt compared to standard fuels
    - - high costs of production - expensive to produce in current market, preventing it from becoming popular
      - Can lead to a monoculture - deprives soil of nutrients that are put back into the soil through crop rotation.
      - Use of fertilizers - harmful effects on the surrounding environment
  - - - ˒Cellulosic ethanol can be produced from non-edible plant parts.
      - ˒Plants containing high amounts of vegetable oil are grown and the oils are heated to reduce viscosity and then they can be burned directly in a diesel engine or processed to product fuels such as biodiesel.
      - ˒Crops high in sugar or starch are grown and yeast fermentation is used to produced ethanol.
      - Woods can be converted into biofuels such as woodgas, methanol or ethanal fuel.
- - - - extremely low environmental impact
      - plants occupy relatively small areas
      - generation is not dependent on weather conditions
      - relatively low maintenance costs
    - - few locations worldwide where significant amounts of energy can be generated
      - total global generation remains small
      - some of the best locations are far from where the energy could be used
      - installation costs of plant and piping are relatively high
- - - - A renewable source of energy that can produce reasonable levels of electricity with current technology.
      - Advances in wind turbines technology over the last decade have reduced the cost per unit of energy considerably.
      - Suitable locations with sufficient wind conditions can be found in most countries
      - Wind energy has reached the take-off stage both as a source of energy and as a manufacturing industry.
      - Flexibility of location with offshore wind farms gaining in popularity.
      - Repowering can increase the capacity of existing wind farms
      - Significant public support for a renewable source of power although this may be waning to an extent
    - - Growing concerns about the impact on landscapes as the number of turbines and wind farms increase
      - NMBY (not in my back yard) protests with people concerned about the impact of local turbines adversely affecting the value of their properties.
      - The hum of turbines can be disturbing for both people and wildlife
      - Debate about the number of birds killed by turbine blades
      - TV reception can be affected by wind farms
      - The development of wind energy has required significant government subsidies – some people argue that this money could have been better spent elsewhere (opportunity cost)
      - Many wind farms are sited in coastal locations where land is often very expensive.