geothermal -

Natural Resource

Description Renewable/Perpetual/ Nonrenewable

Advantages Disadvantages

Geothermal -Geo means –

Thermal means -

Earth

heat

Geothermal -uses heat from the Earth to turn water into steam. The steam spins the turbines, which runs the generator, which produces electricity.

Natural Resource



geothermal Heat from Earth’scenter renewable

• There are not many places where you can put a geothermal power station

GEOTHERMAL

It does not produce any pollutionOnce you’ve built a geothermal power station, the energy is almost free

Natural Resource



geothermal

solar

Heat from Earth’scenter renewable No pollution

FreeCan’t be placedeverywhere

Solar Energy

On the sun, nuclear fusion is occurring. Solar panels can convert solar energy into electrical energy.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/files/2009/01/solar_panel.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/alternative-energy/solar-panels-2/&usg=__SLWGK35-XiwA8ZUPj-goR6J6MFY=&h=320&w=430&sz=20&hl=en&start=1&zoom=1&itbs=1&tbnid=nD5RH4WLG9tScM:&tbnh=94&tbnw=126&prev=/images?q=solar+panel&hl=en&safe=active&gbv=2&tbs=isch:1

Natural Resource



geothermal

solar



perpetualSun (nuclear fusion)

Advantages• Will not be depleted (won’t run out)• Doesn’t produce waste or pollution• Solar energy is free

Won’t work at night or cloudy days, so not as reliable.Very expensive to build solar panels.

Disadvantages

SOLAR

Natural Resource



geothermal

solar Sun (nuclear fusion)

nuclear



perpetual Non pollutingFree

Not reliable(cloudy, night)

Nuclear energy can be transformed into electrical energy. To make the electricity, the atom is split (fission) which produces a large amount of heat.

We use this thermal energy to heat water to create steam. The steam turns the turbines, which drives the generator to make electricity.

Natural Resource



geothermal


nuclear Heat released whenatoms split/fused





nonrenewable

Advantages• Costs about the same as coal, which is not

very expensive• Is not burned, so it does not produce green

house gases to pollute the air• Produces large amounts of energy from small

amounts of fuelDisadvantages

Waste material is radioactive and so is deadlyIf the plant has a meltdown or leak, it can make the area unlivable for many, many years

Natural Resource



geothermal



wind





nonrenewable Not expensiveNonpolluting air

Waste isradioactive

Wind spins the turbines, which moves the shaft to power the generator which produces electricity.

Caused by uneven heating of the Earth

Natural Resource



geothermal



wind






Waste isradioactive

Uneven heating of Earth perpetual

Wind is free!!!Wind produces no waste!Wind will not be depleted.

• The wind is unpredictable. Some days you can have wind other days you don’t.

Natural Resource



geothermal



wind Free energyNon polluting

Not always wind, not reliable

biomass






Waste isradioactive


Biomass

Plant material that we can burn to heat water, to make steam, to turn turbines, to run the generator.

Natural Resource



geothermal





biomass Plant waste burned to release energy.






Waste isradioactive


renewable

Advantages• Free!• Renewable• Available most

places

Disadvantages* Is burned, so produces greenhouse gases that pollute the atmosphere

Natural Resource



geothermal






FreeEasily foundRenewable

Pollutes the air as it is burned.

coal






Waste isradioactive


renewable

Coal – formed from plants that dies millions of years ago.

Coal is burned to heat water for steam to turn the turbines, to power the generator.

Natural Resource



geothermal







Pollutes the air as it is burned.

coal Plants from ancient times






Waste isradioactive


renewable

nonrenewable

Advantages: * Price is relatively cheap * The US has a lot of it * Easy to find and remove from Earth.

Disadvantages:

* Pollutes the atmosphere with greenhouse gases because it is burned * Limited supply

Coal

Natural Resource



geothermal







Pollutes air with greenhouse gases when burned.

Coal and oil

Formed from ancient plants (coal) and animals

CheapLots of it in US

Pollutes airwhen burned

hydroelectric






Waste isradioactive


renewable

nonrenewable

Hydroelectric

Dammed up water is released to spin turbines, which run the generator to produce electricity.

Natural Resource



geothermal





Coal and oil




hydroelectric Dammed up water is released

Heat from Earth’scenter

No pollutionFree

Can’t be placedeverywhereNot reliable(cloudy, night)

renewable

Once the dam is made, the energy is free.

No air pollution created

• Changes ecosystems as you must flood an area when making the dam.

Natural Resource



geothermal





hydroelectric

Dammed up water is released

Free waterNon polluting

Changeecosystems


renewable No pollutionFree

Can’t be placedeverywhere




Waste isradioactive


renewable

Natural Resource



geothermal








Coal and oil




hydroelectric

Dammed up water is released

renewable Free waterNon polluting

Changeecosystems


renewable No pollutionFree

Can’t be placedeverywhere




Waste isradioactive


renewable

nonrenewable

geothermal -

Documents

thermal energy

electrical energy

pollutionsolar energy

nightnuclear energy

whenatoms splitfusedwindheat

solar panels

heat water

whenatoms splitfusedheat