4.17 describe the advantages and disadvantages of methods of large- scale electricity production from various renewable and non- renewable resources

4.17 describe the advantages and disadvantages of methods of large- scale electricity production from various renewable and non- renewable resources

Renewable Resources:

Wind energy:

Advantages:
Relatively cheap to set up
clean – no waste products
Relatively efficient at converting energy into electricity

Disadvantages:
Only produce energy when it is windy
Can be used only in certain places
Can be an eyesore
Can produce noise pollution

Wave energy:

Advantages:
Continuously available
Clean – no waste products
Moderately effecient

Disadvantages:
Expensive to set up
Only suitable in certain locations

Tide energy:

Advantages:
Continuously available
Clean – no waste products
Efficient

Disadvantages:
Damaging to environment
Expensive to set up
Only suitable in certain geographical locations

Solar energy

Advantages:
Clean-no waste products

Disadvantages:
Expensive in terms of amount of energy produced
Not very efficient method
Energy supply is not continuously available
Best suited to climates with low amounts of cloud cover

Geothermal energy

Advantages:
Clean- no waste products
Can provide direct heating as well as heat/steam to drive electricity generators
Moderate start-up costs

Disadvantages:
Suited only to geographics locations with relatively thing ‘crust’ or high volcanic activity

Hydroelectricity

Advantages:
Clean – no waste products
Continuously available

Disadvantages:
Needs large reservoirs, which may displace people or wildlife
Can be built only in hilly areas with plenty of rainfall

Biomass

Advantages:
The carbon dioxide it releases when it burns has only recently been taken out of the atmosphere by crops

Disadvantages:
Growing biomass crops instead of food can cause food shortages.

Non-Renewable Resources:

Fossil Fuels

Advantages:
Readily available
Easy to produce

Disadvantages:
Burning fossil fuels produce greenhouse gases which lead to global warming. Sulphur causes acid rain.

Nuclear fuel

Advantages:
Reliable, clean and efficient.
Cost of electricity is low.

Disadvantages:
Expensive to build.
Dangerous.