Energy Unit: Energy Sources Flashcards (advantages and disadvantages)

Petroleum(oil)- Advantages

-energy dense

-cleaner burning than coal

-convenient to transport and use

-oil is used in many other application

Petroleum(oil)-Disadvantages

-releases carbon dioxide into atmosphere

-possibility of leaks when extracted and transported

-runoff enters marine waterways

-releases sulfur, mercury, leas and arsenic into atmosphere when burned

Coal-Advantages

-energy-dense

-plentiful

-easy to exploit by surface mining

-needs little refining

-inexpensive

-easy to handle and transport

Coal-Disadvantages

-contains impurities — releases in air when burned (sulfur dioxide)

-trace metals like mercury, leas and arsenic are found

-combustion leas to increased levels of air pollutants (carbon dioxide)

-ash left behind, possible runoff

Natural Gas-Advantages

-contains fewer impurities compared to other fuels

-emits almost no sulfur dioxide or particulates

-emits only 60 percent as much carbon dioxide as coal

Natural Gas-Disadvantages

-releases methane (greenhouse gas)

-can cause groundwater contamination by fracking

Nuclear-Advantages

-no air pollution

-reduces need to import oil

Nuclear-Disadvantages

-possibility of accidents

-difficult to dispose of waste

-concern about nuclear material being misused

Liquid Biofuels-Advantages

-can be combined with gasoline to produce gasohol which produces less air pollutants when combusted

Liquid Biofuels-Disadvantages

Solid Biomass-Advantages

Solid Biomass-Disadvantages

Photovoltaic Solar Cells-Advantages

-generating hot water or electricity without producing carbon dioxide or pollution

-producing electricity on hot sunny day when demand for electricity is high

-helps reduce need for fossil fuel power plants

Photovoltaic Solar Cells-Disadvantages

-are expensive to manufacture and install

-manufacturing requires energy and water

-involves toxic metals and industrial chemicals

Passive Solar-Advantages

Passive Solar-Disadvantages

Hydroelectricity(dam)-Advantages

-projects bring renewable energy to large number of rural residents worldwide

-does not create air pollution, waste products, or carbon dioxide emissions

-electricity is less expensive

-reservoirs create recreational opportunities

Hydroelectricity(dam)-Disadvantages

-creation may flood agricultural land or places of archeological significance

-forces people to relocate

-downstream ecosystems are affected

-produces siltation

-can interfere with organisms that depend on a free-flowing river/ cause decomposition build up

Tidal-Advantages

Tidal-Disadvantages

Geothermal-Advantages

Geothermal-Disadvantages

Wind-Advantages

-non-depletable and free energy resource

-after installation, little energy input is required

-produces no pollution or greenhouse gases

-wind farms can share the land with other uses

Wind-Disadvanges

-off-grid residential wind energy systems rely on batteries to store

-wind turbines can be noisy and unattractive

-birds and bats can be killed by turbines

Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Advantages

Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Disadvantages