C2.3 – ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering alternative energy sources, including solar, wind, and tidal power, with specific examples and environmental impact details from the lecture notes.

Alternative energy

The production of energy or electricity by using any alternative source such as water, sun, and heat that do not have side effects on the environment.

Solar energy

Energy received directly from the sun; estimates suggest this annual amount is $15,000$ times greater than current global demand.

Photo-voltaic cells

Components used alongside solar panels to generate electricity from the sun's heat.

Silicon cells

Special cells found in solar panels that have the ability to change solar heat into electricity directly.

Charanka Solar Park

An example of a solar power development located in India.

Wind energy

The conversion of the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy.

Whitelee Windfarm

An example of a wind energy facility located in Scotland.

Tidal energy

A renewable energy source powered by the natural rise and fall of ocean tides and currents.

Tidal range

The area between high tide and low tide; a minimum range of at least $7\,m$ is required for tidal energy suitability.

Barrages

Structures built where the change in tidal level is great, containing fixed turbines to harness the flow of water during tides.

Ada Estuary

An example of a tidal power station located in Ghana.

Sihwa Lake

An example of a tidal power station located in South Korea.

Packaging Waste

Materials making up a quarter of the average family's waste bin, with just over two-thirds used for food and drink.

Greenhouse gas emissions (Britain)

The total volume produced annually, of which transport is responsible for $28\%$ or $150 \text{ million tonnes}$ of $CO_2$.

Biofuels

Locally grown alternative fuels proposed for use in heavy goods vehicles, shipping, and long-haul flights to reach zero emissions by $2030$.

Kinetic energy

The type of energy from wind that is converted into electrical energy by turbines.

Salinity

An environmental factor in tidal basins that decreases due to reduced water exchange, potentially affecting the ecosystem.

Sediment movement

The accumulation of materials within a tidal barrage that can affect the ecosystem and the working of the barrage.