Biomass Energy By David Snell

Pros Biomass energy is renewable as it is found in plants, and industrial wood waste, so biomass energy plants can be run off of excess from nearby sawmills.  Biomass energy doesn't produce any carbon, as the carbon that is expelled was already part of the carbon cycle. It is widely available, and using excess materials and organic waste for power reduces the amount of solid waste in landfills.

Cons Although it doesn't produce carbon, biomass still releases other harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. Producing the wood needed to generate biomass energy could lead to deforestation. It is fairly inefficient, expensive, and also requires a large amount of space to build plants. Transporting material to energy plants requires the use of vehicles, so it would require the use of fossil fuels to operate.

When is it used? Biomass is mainly used in regions that are otherwise energy poor, where people use it to heat their homes and cook food. Biomass provides around 35% of energy in developing countries.

U.S. usage of biomass energy.

World usage of biomass energy.

By: Madison griffin 3rd period-table 5 Hydropower By: Madison griffin  3rd period-table 5

What is hydropower and what are benefits to using it? Hydropower is a renewable resource that uses flowing water to create electricity. A turbine converts the kinetic energy of the flowing water into mechanical energy which is then turned into electrical energy by a generator.  Benefits: Does not pollute the air Renewable It is cost competitive (meaning after the beginning cost, they are very cheap) Recreational opportunities- the lake formed behind the dam can be used for recreational activities.

What are the disadvantages of hydropower and in what cases is the best option? The building process of a hydroelectric power plant is expensive A drought could be very bad for a hydroelectric power plant There are limited reservoirs.  It is inapplicable in a dry climate. It is beneficial in a location with rivers/ water sources, It is a good option. It scarcely harms the communities around and in the water. 

U.S. Usage & World Usage China uses the most hydroelectric power and US. is in 4th. Tennessee is one of the top states for hydroelectric use. US uses a lot of hydropower which is good. We are in 4th place and according to a 2011 graph we use 328 Billion Kilowatt-Hours. .

Graph of Worldwide Use of Hydrogen energy

Benefits of Using Hydrogen Energy When hydrogen energy is created, the only byproducts are water and heat Greatly reduces pollution Can be produced locally from numerous sources

Disadvantages of Hydrogen Energy Releases Nitrogen Dioxide Expensive Highly flammable

Circumstances of Best use Hydrogen is mostly used by NASA to propel space shuttles and rockets while providing clean water at the same time Hydrogen fuel power cells are used to provide energy for the shuttle controls

Wind Energy By Sahvi Tucker

What is Wind Energy And When Is It The Best?

Benefits And Disadvantages Of Wind Energy  Wind turbines don’t produce atmospheric emissions that cause acid rain or greenhouse gasses. It is one of the lowest-priced renewable energy technologies available today, costing between four and six cents per kilowatt- hour. Relies on renewable energy  Disadvantages Wind farms may not be effective depending on how windy the area is. Good wind sites are often located in remote locations, far from cities where the electricity is needed. Transmission lines must be built to bring the electricity from the wind farm to the city. Sometimes birds have been killed by flying into the rotors. Most of these problems have been resolved or greatly reduced through technological development or by properly sighting wind plants

U.S. Usage V.S. World Usage U.S. Usage Graph World Usage Graph

Solar Energy Ashtyn Martin

Solar Energy Solar Energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of ever-evolving technologies such as solar heating, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, solar architecture, molten salt power plants and artificial photosynthesis. Benefits: Renewable Energy Source, Solar energy does not pollute its surroundings, nor does it emit any of the greenhouse gases which drive climate change, cheapest sources of electricity Disadvantages: solar installations could take useful land out of commission or cause harm to the environment, The sun isn’t always around. Solar panels stop generating when the sun dips below the horizon This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY. This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY. This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY.

                        Usage United States Usage World usage

Circumstances for Solar Energy Solar energy is harvested by absorbing sunlight using solar panels on rooftops. When using solar energy many circumstances can decide whether or not  you are able to use solar energy. The Positioning of the Solar Panels The Direction of the Roof The Angle of the Solar Panels Direct Access to Sunlight A clear, bright day is the best weather condition for optimal solar panel output. On a clear, non-cloudy day the panels receive the maximum amount of light possible. As solar panels run off light and not heat, it does not have to be a particularly warm day for the panels to work well. Rain can also help the panels and keep them clean.

Geothermal Energy By Braden Nye

Geothermal Energy Geothermal Energy is the energy that heats the rocks below the surface Home geothermal energy consists of a pipe circulating water underground (at about 1.8-2.4 meters).  The ground stays at about 50 degrees all year. Therefore the water will stay at about 50 degrees all year.   The water is used to heat the home along with a generator. Factory geothermal energy comes from wells of water underground These well are heated by hot rocks underneath them.  This heat causes steam and the steam is pumped up to turn the turbine Then the steam is cooled and pumped back down as water to be heated again

Use of Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Energy Pros: Efficient 400% to 500% more than furnace. No significant carbon footprint Cons: High upfront costs. Uses a lot of water It is best to use in places where wells of water and heat are close to the surface. Not very good to use where you need to dig very deep.

Oceanic thermal energy Anderson Laffoon

Oceanic Thermal Energy is a process where the temperature difference in the ocean produces electricity by pumping large quantities of cold seawater and surface water to create energy. OTEC is a 100% clean energy source and can produce large amounts of energy. OTEC uses the ocean's warm surface water to vaporize a working fluid, which has a low boiling point, such as ammonia. The vapor expands and spins a turbine coupled to a generator to produce electricity. Then, the vapor is cooled by seawater that has been pumped from the deeper ocean layer, where the temperature is much lower. That condenses the working fluid back into a liquid, so it can be reused. That way, it is a continuous cycle.

Pros and Cons to Using OTEC 100% clean, renewable source of energy Harnessed from ocean, and ocean is very big Always available as long as there is water and sunlight to heat it up Very expensive to create and maintain  Not available in colder climates

This is the U.S. usage of energy from OTEC

This is the current and projected world use of OTEC