1. Non-Renewable Energy Renewable Energy
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2. Learning objectives Renewable energy What is renewable energy?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of wind power?
What location factors are important for wind farms?
What is hydroelectric power?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric power?
What other types of renewable energy are there?
Learning objectives

3. What is renewable energy?
Renewable energy is sustainable energy sources that will not run out since they can be regenerated.
Some renewable resources are self-generating if left to nature, e.g. trees. However, they must not
be used carelessly otherwise their existence is threatened.
© Warren Gretz / DOE - NREL
Some renewable resources are continuous and can be used over and over again, e.g.
© Farallon National Wildlife Refuge / DOE - NREL
wind and solar power.
At present, less than 3% of the UK's electricity supply comes from renewable sources. The UK Government has set a target that by 2010,10% of electricity should come from renewable sources.

4. Learning objectives Renewable energy What is renewable energy?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of wind power?
What location factors are important for wind farms?
What is hydroelectric power?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric power?
What other types of renewable energy are there?
Learning objectives

5. What are the disadvantages of wind power?
In theory, the UK could generate all its electricity from wind farms covering approximately 1% of the land. However, there are associated problems of wind turbine design and cost.
Rotor blades can be damaged in strong and turbulent winds.
It takes 30 wind farms to generate the same amount of electricity as one coal-fired power station. The setting up costs for wind farms are therefore more expensive than for traditional fossil fuel power stations.
Some people consider the wind farms to be visually unattractive and noisy.
What are the advantages of wind power?

6. What are the advantages of wind power?

7. Wind power: good or bad?

8. Learning objectives Renewable energy What is renewable energy?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of wind power?
What location factors are important for wind farms?
What is hydroelectric power?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric power?
What other types of renewable energy are there?
Learning objectives

9. Important location factors for wind farms
Wind turbines need to be in areas with regularly high wind speeds. This means that exposed coasts or upland areas are best. There are 93 sites in the UK at present.
© Ed Linton / DOE - NREL
Wind power will provide 1.3% of the UK’s electricity supply by the end of 2005 (UK Energy in Brief, July 2003).
The Department of Trade and Industry has a website dedicated to renewable energy where the latest facts and figures can be found about wind and many other types of renewable energy:
Useful for both staff and student research.
Wind farms are now also built offshore. Two are already operating and there are plans for thirteen more.

10. Where would you place a wind farm?

11. Not in my backyard!
A possible use of this activity is to give the students the list of ‘stakeholders’ involved:
A farmer
A hotel manager
A local resident
Someone from the electricity company
An RSPB officer
An environmentalist
Then individually or in groups the students should decide on each stakeholder’s opinion and be encouraged to list at least two reasons for each opinion.
Finally the activity is played to compare opinions and see whether the students agree, which may lead into further discussion!

12. Examination question
Why are sources of renewable energy being developed?
Name two sources of renewable energy.
For one of the renewable energy sources you have named above, explain why some people are against its development.
© Farallon National Wildlife Refuge / DOE - NREL
Marks have not been allocated to this question – this has been left open for the teacher. It will determine the range and detail of information required.
Why are sources of renewable energy being developed? (this question requires recall from the non-renewable energy presentation)
-population increase in LEDCs
-quality of life demands in MEDC
-fossil fuels are finite
-environmental reasons – acid rain, global warming etc.
The choice of the two sources in the next question should be made carefully as it will influence the answer to the final question – based on this presentation students should really choose to write in detail about HEP or wind power.

13. Key ideas Renewable energy
Renewable energy is sustainable energy that will not run out because it can be regenerated.
Some renewable resources are self-generating if left to nature, e.g. trees. Some are continuous and can be used over and over again, e.g. wind.
Renewable energy sources include wind, HEP, wave, tidal, solar and geothermal.
The exploitation of renewable sources is determined by suitable location factors. For example, wind turbines need to be in areas where there are regularly high wind speeds.
All renewable energy sources have advantages and disadvantages.
Key ideas