Renewable Resources

Renewable VS Nonrenewable Resources Renewable resources are natural resources that can be replenished over a short period of time EX: wood, solar, etc Nonrenewable resources are natural resources that cannot be replaced EX: fossil fuels, like coal, oil, and natural gas

Renewable Resources As we continue to use up our nonrenewable resources, we will eventually need to turn to alternative sources of energy, such as: Solar power Wind power Geothermal power Biofuels Hydroelectric Wave Power

Solar Power Solar power is the use of the Sun as a source of energy Advantages: No pollution, no noise, little maintenance to keep up solar cells, available in USA Disadvantages: High cost of solar cells, less energy on cloudy days, no energy at night, requires large surface area to collect and produce energy

Wind Power Wind power uses wind as a source of energy Advantages: No pollution, relatively inexpensive, available in USA Disadvantages: Requires lots of space, best sites are far form urban areas, no way to store energy, wind strength not constant, potential impact on bird/bat populations

Geothermal Power Geothermal power uses thermal energy heated and stored in the Earth. The heated rocks below the Earth’s surface heat up water to create steam. Holes are then drilled into these specific geothermal regions so that the steam can escape. The steam is then used to turn turbines for energy

Geothermal Power Advantages: No pollution, little maintenance once built, available in USA Disadvantages: Large scale use limited to tectonically active areas, possible to run dry or lose steam, habitat disruption from drilling

Biofuels Biofuels are fuels (like wood or ethanol) composed of or produced from biological raw materials Advantages: No pollution Wide range of materials (crop waste and manure) Employ new workers, creating new jobs in rural areas Disadvantages: Lower energy output/ require greater quantities to produce the same energy levels Requires lots of land to grow crops and massive water use

Hydroelectric BENEFITS It can supply electricity at low cost/KWH No pollution Very high efficiency (80%) Recreation dollars CONCERNS Negative impact on aquatic ecosystems Product of electricity affected by long period of little or no rainfall Large-scale use limited to areas with fast flowing rivers

What parts of NC can use renewable resources? Clearly the coastal areas, because they are located close to shore, could benefit from using wave power or even wind power with the constant sea breezes Red = Exellent Orange = Good Green = Marginal