- Wind: kinetic to electrical
- Water: kinetic to electrical by turbines
- Geothermal resources: heat from underground
- Solar heating systems: light to electrical
- Solar cells: transforms light to electrical
- Fossil fuels: oil, coal, natural gases and nuclear
- Nuclear power: nuclear to heat to kinetic to electrical
Paper Two- Methods of large-scale electricity production from various renewable and non-renewable resources:
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| | Summary | Advantages | Disadvantages |
+---------------+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| Hydroelectric | Rivers fill a lake | Renewable energy | Few areas of the |
| energy | behind a dam. Fast- | resource | world suitable |
| | flowing water from | Hydroelectric | Dams effect the |
| | the lake turns generator. | generating plants | river ecosystems |
| | | have a long life | |
+---------------+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| Tidal | A dam built across and | Renewable energy | Very expensive |
| energy | estuary. A lake behind | resource | to set up; few |
| | the dam fills up at high | They are free, re- | areas suitable |
| | tide, and empties at low | newable and clean | |
| | tide. Fats-flowing water | source of energy | |
| | turns generators. | | |
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| Wave | Generators are driven | Renewable energy | Difficult to build |
| energy | up and down motion of | resource | successfully |
| | waves at sea. | Produces clean | |
| | | electricity | |
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| Solar | Solar panels absorb the | Renewable energy | Continuous sunsh- |
| energy | sun's energy to heat | resource | ine needed |
| | water. Solar cells absorb | The will always be | |
| | it and produce | energy if the sun is | |
| | electricity. | there. | |
+---------------+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| Nuclear | Radioactive materials | Small amounts of | Fuel is radioactive |
| energy | naturally release heat. A | nuclear fuel give | Nuclear waste is |
| | nuclear reactor speeds up | large amounts of | very dangerous |
| | the process. The heat is | energy | |
| | used to generator | | |
| | electricity. | | |
+---------------+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| Geothermal | Water is heated by the | Renewable energy | Deep drilling very |
| energy | hot rocks which lie many | resource | difficult and |
| | miles beneath the Earth's | High qualities of | expensive. |
| | surface. The heat in the | energy available | |
| | rocks comes from radioa- | | |
| | ctive materials naturally | | |
| | present in the Earth. | | |
+---------------+-------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| Biomass | Fast-growing plants, or | Renewable energy | Huge land areas |
| energy | biomass are used to make | resource | needed to grow |
| | alcohol is used as fuel, like | Burning biomass | plants; this may up- |
| | petrol | doesn't harm the | set the balance of |
| | | environment | nature. |
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