Alternative Energy & Non-Renewable
Resources
By: Zach Battaglia, Emmaly Harrell, and Jacob Gianakopoulos
It is a different option to using natural resources for power such as oil
It creates little to no CO2 emissions It is renewable Ex. Hydroelectricity, wind power, and solar
power
What is Alternative Energy?
Wind Power Water Power
Solar Power
They are sources of energy that we use that are found in nature
Creates CO2 emissions Are usually non-renewableEx. Coal and Petroleum
What are Non-renewable Resources?
CoalPetroleum
Pros and Cons of Hydroelectricity
Pros- Creates no emissions except for
when its being built Most renewable source of energy in
the world We can adjust how much energy
we need by reducing or increasing flow output
Cons- Expensive If droughts happen, people
may lose power There are limited reservoirs,
but more are being built
Pros- No emissions One wind turbine can produce enough energy to power 600 homes Prices to build turbines are dropping Renewable
Cons- Can be a threat to wildlife Expensive The wind is unpredictable
Pros and cons of Wind Power
Pros- Renewable Sunlight is abundant It is environmentally friendly Reduces energy costs Low maintenance
Cons- Expensive Requires a lot of spaceNeeds exotic materials to make them Energy storage is expensive
Pros and Cons of Solar Power
Pros- Has a higher energy density (one kilogram of burnt oil can give off
10,000 kilocalories) Abundant Cheap to extract Used to move vehicles longer and faster than other energy sources
Cons- Pollution It is possible that it can run out in the coming decades It is non-renewable If spilled, can cause a major environmental disaster
Pros and Cons of Petroleum
Pros- Abundance Low Capitol investment High Load Factors
Cons- Pollution People die mining it Devastation of nature around the coal mines Thermal Plants (where they use coal), give off
deadly gases such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, mercury, selenium, and arsenic
Pros and Cons of Coal
Hydroelectricity- $2.12M for a 500kW dam
Wind Power- $50,000-$80,000 for a 10kW turbine (can power a large home)
Solar Power- $50,000 for a 6.5 kW system
Costs for Alternative Energy
Petroleum- currently $59.60 per gallon
Coal- $46.97 for one short ton (2000 Ibs)
Cost of Non-renewable energy
Fuels such as petroleum are running out and we need an alternative. The question is which alternative do we use? We can either switch over to coal which gives of pollution but is very cheap or, we can switch to a renewable source of energy that has no emissions but is expensive. Each have benefits but also have a cost to using them.
Problems for Us
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"How Hydropower Dams Work." QUEST. N.p., 14 Nov. 2014. Web. 13 May 2015.
"Hydroelectric Power: How It Works." Hydroelectric Power: How It Works, USGS Water-Science School. USGS, 12 May 2015. Web. 13 May 2015.
Maehlum, Mathias A. "Hydroelectric Energy Pros and Cons - Energy Informative." Energy Informative. N.p., 21 Feb. 2014. Web. 13 May 2015.
"Xcel Energy." - Home. Xcel Energy Inc, 2015. Web. 14 May 2015. "Apecsec.org." Apecsecorg. APECSEC.org, 2014. Web. 14 May 2015. "Coal Advantages and Disadvantages – Pros of Coal Winning Despite
Dangerous Cons." Green World Investor RSS. Green World Investor, 2015. Web. 14 May 2015
"Hydropower." How Much Does a Hydropower System Cost to Build?Renewables First, 2015. Web. 14 May 2015.
Citations