apes unit 6 energy types

renewable energy sources

biomass

wind

solar

hydroelectric

hydrogen fuel (if power source of electrical current is renewable)

geothermal

nonrenewable energy sources

natural gas

oil

coal

hydrogen fuel (if power source of electrical current is nonrenewable)

nuclear

Biomass energy definition

fuel that is formed from renewable organic compounds, often in the form of waste material such as animal dung or wood pulp

Biomass

renewable

top consumer: China, Brazil; top producer US

more common in developing nations

pros: carbon neutral

cons: requires a lot of space $ to built power plants, releases pollutants, can lead to deforestation (for wood)

Natural gas definition

fossil fuel consisting of methane, ethane, propane, and butane that is used as a high energy fuel

Natural gas

nonrenewable

China biggest consumer, US biggest producer

pros: cleanest burning fossil fuel

cons: fracking needed to harvest it

Wind energy def

Energy produced by using the force of wind to drive turbines

Wind turbine

Device that uses the force of the wind to turn rotors connected to a generator to produce electrical energy

Wind

renewable

China produces + consumes most

pros: 1 of the cleanest + cheapest forms of energy, more efficient than solar energy

cons: not always available, turbines are expensive + need to mine iron to make them, impact bird migration, noise disturbance

Oil definition

liquid made from hydrocarbons that was formed from the buried remains of marine or lake living planktonic organisms

Solar energy

renewable

China: biggest producer + consumer

pros: flexible where you can put it, decrease reliance on nonrenewables

cons: not always available bc sunlight dependent, silica = primary material, farms take up lot of land, neg impact on desert ecosystems, relatively low efficiency

solar energy definition

the use of sunlight to produce usable energy, often in the form of heat

Photovoltaic cell

electrical cell that is able to convert sunlight directly into electrical energy

Petroleum/oil

nonrenewable

US: top producer + consumer

pros: reliable, can be stored easily

cons: limited supply (only 47 more yrs), oil spills, conflict btwn countries about it, air + water pollution

coal definition

black sedimentary rock, consisting primarily of carbon. Formed from the buried and compressed remains of ancient swamps and is now used as a high energy fuel

Coal

nonrenewable

top producer + consumer: China

pros: reserves will outlast other fossil fuels, best nonrenewable resource while transitioning to renewable energy

cons: lung inflammation, carbon emissions

Nuclear fission

the splitting of a heavy atom causing the generation of large amounts of energy and lighter atoms

Nuclear power definition

Energy produced from using radioactive material to heat water to steam to drive a turbine connected to a generator

Nuclear electric energy

nonrenewable

top consumer + producer: US

pros: long operational lifespan, low GHG emissions

cons: most expensive power plant, radioactive waste

hydroelectric power definition

energy produced by using water passing through a dam to turn turbines connected to generators

Hydroelectric

renewable

Top consumer + producer: China

pros: most energy efficient in producing electricity, highest EROI

cons: habitat loss, hurt flow of river, sediment buildup can cause greenhouse gas emissions, droughts bc dependent on water

Hydrogen fuel cell definition

a type of battery that utilizes the energy produced from the redox reaction between hydrogen and oxygen

geothermal power definition

energy derived from heat produced by volcanic activity, plate boundaries, heat from the earth

Hydrogen fuel

renewable/nonrenewable depending on source of electrical current

top consumer + producer: China

pros: 300-400 miles before refueling vehicle, only residue is water (no GHG emissions)

cons: fuel cell battery is only 40% efficient, flammable (H2), lack of fueling stations, platinum in fuel cells is expensive, low EROI (many steps)

Geothermal

renewable

US: top producer + consumer

pros: availability doesn't change depending on weather/not dependent on sun

cons: location (can't be harvested everywhere; most harvested on plate boundaries or hotspots - ex Iceland)