5.04 Renewable Energy I

AP Environmental Science

What are common sources of biomass energy?

Wood, crop waste, manure, and municipal solid waste (MSW)

What are the advantages of using biomass for energy?

Renewable, reduces landfill waste, and can be carbon-neutral

What are the disadvantages of biomass energy?

air pollution, deforestation, and low efficiency

What is the role of municipal solid waste in biomass energy?

Organic MSW can be burned or digested to generate energy.

How can biomass energy be collected in a closed system?

Through anaerobic digesters that convert organic waste into methane

Where are geothermal energy resources commonly found?

Near tectonic plate boundaries and hotspots (e.g., Iceland, western U.S.)

How is geothermal energy harnessed?

Wells tap into Earth’s heat to produce steam and spin turbines

What are the advantages of geothermal energy?

Low emissions, reliable source, small land use

What are the disadvantages of geothermal energy?

location-limited, may release underground gases, high drilling cost

How is solar energy harnessed?

Using photovoltaic (PV) cells or solar thermal systems

What are the advantages of solar energy?

Renewable, low emissions, and decreasing costs

What are disadvantages of solar energy?

Intermittent energy, needs large space, and requires storage

What are challenges of solar energy?

High initial costs and variable efficiency based on weather.

What is hydrogen fuel?

Hydrogen gas (H₂) used as a clean energy carrier.

What are common uses for hydrogen fuel?

fuel cells in vehicles, backup power, and energy storage

What are advantages of hydrogen fuel?

only byproduct is water, high energy density, renewable potential

What are disadvantages of hydrogen fuel?

expensive production/storage, fossil fuel-based production, infrastructure needs