Hydro-electricity, Waves, Tides and Energy Trends

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the mechanisms, pros, cons, and societal trends of hydro-electricity, wave power, tidal barrages, and renewable energy shifts.

Hydro-electric power

A method of generating electricity that usually requires flooding a valley with a big dam and allowing water out through turbines.

Methane and $CO_2$

Gases released from rotting vegetation when a valley is flooded to create a hydro-electric power plant.

Wave power

Energy generation using moving turbines in the sea, typically near the coast, which are connected to a generator.

Tidal barrages

Big dams built across river estuaries containing turbines that use the movement of tides to produce electricity.

Gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon

The force responsible for producing the tides used by tidal barrages.

Reliability (Hydro-electric)

The ability of hydro-electric power to provide energy, which is high in areas with high rainfall but unsuitable in dry climates or periods of drought.

Efficiency

The improvement in how appliances use energy, which has contributed to a slow decrease in UK electricity use since the start of the 21st century.

Hybrid cars

Vehicles powered by two fuels, such as a combination of petrol and electricity.

Initial building costs

The high up-front financial investment required to build renewable power plants, which can be a barrier for energy providers.

Politics (Renewables)

Arguments over where to place new renewable power plants, such as wind farms, and whether it is fair to force people to live next to them.

Estuary Requirements

The need for a specific location where there is a large enough difference between high and low tides to power the turbines in a tidal barrage.

Reliability (Wave Power)

The inconsistent nature of wave-generated energy because waves tend to die out when the wind drops.