HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY
How does it work?
The first thing that happens is the water flows into the reservoir and then flows into the intake. The next thing that happens is the water is sgoing down this downward pipe called a penstock. As the water rushes through the Penstock, the water turns a turbine. The turbine then, creaates electricity, which flies from the generator to the power lines, which then, flows to our homes and businesses.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Some of the advantages of hydroelectric energy is that it does not waste any of the water that it is using to turn the turbine. Instead all of the water returns to it's source of origin ( river, sea, ocean,gulf, bay) once done turning the turbine. Another reason is that Hydroelectric energy can be used 24\7 without all of it's power source running out because hydroelectric dams run on a cycle the water does in, turns turbine, and flows out the other end, then starts all over again. Some of the disadvantages are like all power plants, hydroelectric dams, are very expensive to build and must be built to a very high standard. Because of the high cost to build, it will take a very very long time to earn a profit off of them. The creation of dams also causes high flooding on areas around it, the destruction of many habitats of animals, and even sometimes, the destruction of human homes and lands.
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
How does it work?
The first thing that happens in geothermal energy is that the hot water\steam flows into the production well. the second thing that happens is the steam, as it is pushed past the turbine, starts turning it. Then it flies into the generator, giving our homes air conditioning and heat. The best part is, if you have any leftover steam afterwards, the steam soars quickly through a long pipe, the into the cooling station, flows down through the injection well, and is turned back into hot water and cooled down.
Advantages and Disadvantages
One of the advantages of having geothermal energy is that geothermal energy is renewable, which means, unless you pump too much cold water into the ground, then run out of steam, the power just keeps coming. Geothermal energy does not produce pollution, but at the same time, it doesn't add to the greenhouse effect. Another one is that, power stations for geothermal energy are not very big, so they do not effect the environmental areas around them, such as forests,houses, habitats, and oceans. Geothermal energy is a energy in itself and outside itself, so there are no other sources of fuel are needed to keep the greenhouses running. The last advantage is if you have already built your own geothermal energy power station to heat or cool your home, after you are done building, it is pretty much free! Maybe you might have to use a little bit of your own energy to run the pump, but even then you are tapping into the energy that is being produced by this small task. Some of the disadvantages of geothermal energy is that you can not place a geothermal energy power station just anywhere, you must have the right type of hot rocks for drilling. One of the concerns is that sometimes, geothermal energy stations run out of steam, which could cause a dry season. Sometimes dry seasons last for years, even decades! One last disadvantage is that when you are drilling, steam might flow out of your hole.But once in a while, other things might creep out as well that are not as nice. Sometimes minerals and hazardous gases will seep out of your hole, and finding a way to get rid of them quickly can be a difficult and dangerous task.
WIND ENERGY
How does it work?
The first step in wind energy is That the wind turns the turbine's blade. The second step in wind energy is when the wind turns the turbine's blades, it starts spinning the shaft. The next step in wind energy is that once the wind turns the turbine, then the shaft starts spinning, and then that is how it generates electricity. Then, a converter converts the electricity from DC to AC. After that, the electricity is connected to the main power source, or it is connected to a battery source, or even, connected to a battery bank. It could even be connected to the electricity grid.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Some of the advantages of wind energy is that wind is free with modern tech, and can be captured easily. Once the wind turbine is built, the energy that it produces does not cause greenhouse gases or other pollutants. Although wind turbines can be very tall, each one can only take up a small plot of land. This means that the land below can still be used. this is usually the case in agra culture areas as farming can still continue. Some of the disadvantages of wind energy is that the strength of the wind is not always constant and it varies from zero to storm force. This means that wind turbines do not always produce the same amount of electricity. Also, wind turbines tend to be quite noisy at all times. Each wind turbine can generate as much noise as a families minivan going at 70 mph. The last disadvantage that I am going to tell you is when wind turbines are being manufactured some pollution is produced. Therefore, wind energy does produce some pollution.
SOLAR ENERGY
How does it work?
The firs step in the solar energy process is the sunlight hits the solar panels and turns into electricity. The second step is once the sunlight turns into electricity, the electricity flows down into the inverter, which then, shoots it into the utility meter. our last steps are that our electricity powers your appliances in your homes, and then flies through the power lines.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Some of the advantages of solar energy is that wind energy is free although there is a cast in the building of "collectors" and other equipment required to convert solar energy into electricity or hot water. Solar energy does not cause pollution. However, solar collectors and other associated equipment\machines are manufactured in factories that in turn cause some pollution. Some of the disadvantages of solar energy is that solar energy can only be used during the day or when there is sunshine outside. Solar collectors, panels, and cells are relatively expensive to manufacture although prices are falling rapidly. Solar powered stations can be built, but they do not match the power output of similar sized stations. They're also quite expensive.
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