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Energy sources - Coggle Diagram
Energy sources
Renewable Energy
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Tidal Power
Advantages:
Generates power by turning turbines as the tide flows into a dammed river estuary. It also generates electricity when the tide falls and the water flows out of the estuary. The energy of the movement of tides is caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun, so is therefore renewable.
Disadvantages:
Very few places in the world are suitable for building dams for tidal energy and if they are built, it changes the natural rise and fall of water in the estuary which can cause floods and is likely to damage wildlife habitats.
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Supply and Demand:
They can not increase supply as it relies on the tides, so they cannot always meet consumer demand in times when lots of consumers are using large amounts of electricity.
Wave Energy
Advantages:
Waves are a result of a combination of tides and wind, meaning waves are in constant supply and there are also many ways to harness the energy they provide. It is a clean source of energy, producing no greenhouse gases or unwanted waste products.
Disadvantages:
The intensity of wind changes over time, so the amount of energy you will produce is not always certain to you. They are prone to rust. Fishes may get stuck in the turbines and this may cause problems and put species at risk.
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Supply and Demand:
Can not change supply to match demand. Demand is higher in winter as people have to pay for heating.
Wind Power
Advantages:
It is a renewable source of energy. Can be sued to grind corn and power machinery like pumps to remove liquid from lowland areas. They can drive generators to produce electricity.
Disadvantages:
Can only be used in areas where wind blows with enough energy for most of the year. They can cause environmental damage as they change the appearance of the landscape, cause noise pollution and can kill flying animals.
Cost:
The turbines cost a lot but very little to maintain them. You also have to pay for the land to put it on.
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Solar Power
For heat
Advantages:
Can be used to heat water and the steam created can also be used to turn turbines and generate electricity.
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Cost:
Costs a lot to buy the land and solar panels needed. However solar panels are getting cheaper with better technological advances. Costs a lot to maintain as they may have to be replaced.
Supply and Demand:
Cannot change supply to match demand, however over time they can, by increasing efficiency.
Demand is higher in winter.
For Electricity
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Disadvantages:
Takes a lot of space, which spoils the countryside. It takes up a lot of farmland. It is only 15% efficient and only works at daytime.
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Supply and Demand:
Demand is very high in areas with hard access to power lines and countries with a lot of sunlight.
Geothermal Energy
Advantages:
Geothermally heated water can be naturally found in geysers and springs and used to drive turbines to generate electricity. It is also used to provide domestic heating by sending the hot water directly to houses. It is a renewable source of energy that does not harm the environment and does not pollute it.
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Supply and Demand:
Supply is only high in areas with geysers, springs, volcanoes and natural sources of Geothermal energy. Demand is high in the winter when people need more domestic heating.
Non-renewable energy
Nuclear energy
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Disadvantages:
Uranium is in limited supply. Expensive to build nuclear power stations. Risk of accidents and the problem of disposal of radioactive material once a power station is finished with.
Cost:
Costs a lot to build in the first place but Uranium is very cheap compared to the amount of energy it produces.
Supply and demand:
Takes a while to make so supply does not react too quickly to a rise or fall in demand. Demand is very high as it is much cheaper and effective once the station is built.
Fossil fuels
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Disadvantages:
It is non-renewable. It produces C02 and other greenhouse gases which negatively impact the environment. They trap the Sun's heat in the Earth's atmosphere and cause the average temperature of the atmosphere to rise. This is called global warming.
Most coal and oil contains sulphur, which when burned, is converted to sulphur dioxide, which mixes with water to make acid rain which causes damage to buildings , plants and people.
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Supply and Demand:
Supply is limited and will take very long to replace. Demand is very high but is decreasing as countries move to more sustainable sources of energy.