1. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY RESOURCES

2. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES 1.Solar 2.Wind 3.Wave 4.Hydroelectric 5.Nuclear 6.Biofuels 7.Tidal 8.Geothermal

3. SOLAR ENERGY Solar: Using solar / photovoltaic cells to convert suns photons into electricity Photons excite electrons causing them to flow = electricity Advantages: Renewable No emissions produced (no greenhouse gasses) Free after you pay for installation Good for low energy appliances Disadvantages: Photovoltaic cells are expensive Does not produce electricity at night / cloudy days Most need a battery to store electricity Take up space Not all locations are suitable

4. Solar Thermal – using mirrors to concentrate suns energy on an oil, which gets extremely hot. Then used to produce steam, turn turbines and produce electricity Does not use photovoltaic cells

5. WIND ENERGY Wind – use wind to turn a turbine  turns generator  producing electricity How is wind created? Sun warmed air rises and colder air flows in behind wind Advantages: No emission / pollution Renewable Fairly efficient Free after installation Personal use Disadvantages: Not suitable for all locations (not wind enough) Can kill migrating birds / bats Noise

7. Biofuels – converting plant matter into fuels as an alternative to gasoline Plant such are corn and sugarcane used Biodiesal – using vegetable oil instead of diesel fuel for diesel engines Ethanol – alcohol produced from sugars of the plant – used as alternative to gasoline. Carbon Neutral – turn plants into biofuels – burning release CO2. Grow more plants, which take in CO2. (problem – farm machinery, fertilizers, pesticides all use fossil fuels making it not neutral) Advantages: Renewable Neutral Emissions Reduce dependency on foreign countries for oil Disadvantages: Land limitations Cause food prices to rise (use corn for fuel instead of food additive) Still produces emissions

9. Hydroelectric – using falling water to turn turbines  turn generator = electricity Advantages: No emissions / pollution Renewable Efficient / very easy to control how much electricity is produced Flood control Disadvantages: Very expensive Dam floods huge area Limited locations Damage ecosystems / organisms (ex. Migrating salmon)

10. HYDROELECTRIC

11.  Geothermal – using earths heat to produce steam, which turns a turbine = electricity Advantages: few greenhouse gas emissions No fuel needed (renewable) After installation = free Small power stations Disadvantages: Limited locations Location may cool off Still produces some greenhouse gasses

13. Ground Source Geothermal – using the constant temperatures of the ground to heat or cool your house.

14. Wave – using up and down motion of waves to create electricity How are waves created? Created by the wind Advantages: Renewable No emissions Fairly high energy potential Disadvantages: Need large waves Must survive storms / salt water (cost) Disrupt ecosystem Eye – sore Can be noisy

16.  Nuclear –  splitting of uranium atom to produce heat  boils water  turns turbines  turns generator = electricity  Advantages:  No emissions  Very efficient energy production  Cost effective (electricity is about the same price as coal)  Disadvantages:  Nonrenewable (uranium supply will run out)  Radioactive waste (must store for 100 ’ s of years)  Possible meltdown spreading radioactivity (like Chernobyl and almost like Three Mile Island, Harrisburg)

19. EXTRA NOTES… Three Mile Island (1979) Located 10 miles from Harrisburg (Middletown, PA) Nuclear power plant that melted down… …but NO explosion spreading the radioactive materials

20. EXTRA NOTES… Chernobyl, Russia (1986) Nuclear meltdown AND explosion Radioactive materials sent high into the atmosphere 336,000 people had to move 56 direct deaths Predicted 4,000 extra cancer deaths in exposed people

21. Tidal – use of rising and falling tides to turn a turbine  turn generator = electricity Advantages: Renewable High energy potential No emission Disadvantages: Limited locations (need large tidal flux between high and low tide) Some ecosystem damage (kill fish) Only produce energy when tides are moving Cost