Topic 4 - Renewable Energy (Paper 2) Flashcards
what are the advantages of wind energy?
cheap to run
tough and reliable
wind is free
what are the disadvantages of wind energy?
visual pollution
many turbines needed for the same amount of power
cover a lot of ground
noisy
cannot increase supply with demand
expensive to setup
what are the advantages of geothermal energy?
free
no environmental problems
what are the disadvantages of geothermal energy?
only possible in certain places
drilling down is expensive
cost of building is high
what are solar cells?
use energy from the sun to generate electricity
what are the positives of solar cells?
free with low running cost
what are the negatives of solar cells?
need sunlight to generate electricity
what are examples of solar heating systems?
solar water heating panels
cooking with a curved mirror
what are the positives of wave power?
no fuel costs, little running costs
useful on small islands
what are the negatives of wave power?
visual pollution
boat hazard
unreliable
what are the positives of tidal energy?
tides are reliable
minimal running costs, no fuel
what are the negatives of tidal energy?
prevents boat access
visual pollution
alters wildlife habitat
height of tides is variable
what are the positives of hydroelectricity?
reliable apart from droughts
no fuel costs, low running cost
what are the negatives of hydroelectricity?
environmental impact from flooding, rotten veg released methane
loss of habitat
visual pollution
