Activity1LilyZhang

RenewableEnergyBasics
Completethechartbelowaboutthebasicofrenewableenergyresources.
Type Definition Examples Advantages Disadvantages
Solar -Using solar cells
and the suns
energy to charge
and power
electronic devices
and provide
electricity.
-Georgia Power
and military bases
have teamed up
and plan to build
three separate
solar energy
plants, one of
which will be near
Augusta.
-Almost limitless
source of energy
No air pollution
-can only be found
in sunlight/day
-increasingly
expensive
-takes up lots of
land
Hydropower -using the
movement of
water to churn
engines that in
turn create
electrical energy
-dams
-Hoover Dam,
Buford Dam
-always-flowing
-no air or water
pollution
-depends on the
weather of the
area
-can largely affect
the future of the
environment
-cannot be used in
dry areas, must be
on a flowing body
of water
Wind -using large wind
turbines to churn
engines to create
electrical energy
-very vast, lots of
land covered
-Palm Springs, CA
has a huge wind
energy farm!
-almost endless
due to the
neverending
changes in earth's
weather
-hard to find
available or
desirable space
-very expensive
and hard to install
Geothermal -using heat from
the earth to heat
water into steam
which churns
engines
-There is a huge
geothermal land
pocket north of
San Francisco, CA.
-no air pollution -only very few
places have these
pockets of
accessible
geothermal land
Biomass -burning waste
products, food,
liquids to create
energy
-found almost
anywhere
-
-does not cost lot
of money
found almost
anywhere
-is not reliable for
large-population
use
-is taking very
long to develop a
way to harvest
and sue this
energy

2. List the energy sources that are fossil fuels.
coal, methane, petroleum

3. What main advantages do fossil fuels have over renewable resources?
Fossil Fuels contain a huge amount of energy easily accessed and in a short duration of time. Most
renewable sources of energy have to be harvested, stored, and then used.

4. What are two disadvantages of fossil fuels compared to renewable energy?
Fossil Fuels are the main reason of air and water pollution. Also, fossils fuels are nonrenewable, which
means they cannot be replaced as fast as they are depleted. Because of this, they might run out sooner.
Renewable energy, like solar, geothermal, and wind energy are all easily replaced, as they cannot run
out. Renewable energy also does not produce any pollution to water or air.