The sun is the main source of energy on Earth. Other energy sources include coal, geothermal energy, wind energy, biomass, petrol, nuclear energy, etc. Renewable energy resources are natural resources that can be replaced in a relatively short period of time or are virtually limitless in supply. Besides their availability, renewable energy resources also have the advantage of producing little if any pollution and not contributing to global warming. The technology needed to gather energy from renewable resources may be expensive to install, but most of the resources themselves are free for... Show more The sun is the main source of energy on Earth. Other energy sources include coal, geothermal energy, wind energy, biomass, petrol, nuclear energy, etc. Renewable energy resources are natural resources that can be replaced in a relatively short period of time or are virtually limitless in supply. Besides their availability, renewable energy resources also have the advantage of producing little if any pollution and not contributing to global warming. The technology needed to gather energy from renewable resources may be expensive to install, but most of the resources themselves are free for the taking. Renewable energy resources include sunlight, moving water, wind, biomass, and geothermal energy. - The energy in sunlight is called solar energy. It can be used to heat homes and to produce electricity in solar cells. It may not be practical in areas that are often cloudy. - Water moving downhill through a dam can turn a turbine and generate electricity. Dams generally flood land upstream and reduce water flow downstream. Either effect may harm ecosystems. - Wind is moving air, so it has kinetic energy that can do work. Wind turbines change the kinetic energy of the wind to electrical energy. Only certain areas of the world get enough steady wind to provide a reliable source of electricity. - Biomass energy is the stored chemical energy in plants. When plant material is burned, it produces thermal energy that can be used for heating, cooking, or generating electricity. Growing plants for biomass fuels reduces the land available for growing food crops. Burning biofuels produces carbon dioxide and air pollution. - Heat below Earth's surface—called geothermal energy—can be used to heat homes or generate electricity. Installing a geothermal system by drilling through underground rocks can be very costly. Show less
The sun is the main source of energy on Earth. Other energy sources include coal, geothermal energy, wind energy, biomass, petrol, nuclear energy, etc.
Renewable energy resources are natural resources that can be replaced in a relatively short period of time or are virtually limitless in supply. Besides their availability, renewable energy resources also have the advantage of producing little if any pollution and not contributing to global warming. The technology needed to gather energy from renewable resources may be expensive to install, but most of the resources themselves are free for the taking. Renewable energy resources include sunlight, moving water, wind, biomass, and geothermal energy. - The energy in sunlight is called solar energy. It can be used to heat homes and to produce electricity in solar cells. It may not be practical in areas that are often cloudy. - Water moving downhill through a dam can turn a turbine and generate electricity. Dams generally flood land upstream and reduce water flow downstream. Either effect may harm ecosystems. - Wind is moving air, so it has kinetic energy that can do work. Wind turbines change the kinetic energy of the wind to electrical energy. Only certain areas of the world get enough steady wind to provide a reliable source of electricity. - Biomass energy is the stored chemical energy in plants. When plant material is burned, it produces thermal energy that can be used for heating, cooking, or generating electricity. Growing plants for biomass fuels reduces the land available for growing food crops. Burning biofuels produces carbon dioxide and air pollution. - Heat below Earth's surface—called geothermal energy—can be used to heat homes or generate electricity. Installing a geothermal system by drilling through underground rocks can be very costly.
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