Energy Sources! Advantages and Disadvantages

Discover the good and bad of energy sources! Compare solar, wind, coal & more. Great for 6th graders.

Renewable wind solar hydroelectric biomass geothermal Nonrenewable coal oil natural gas nuclear Sort the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy. advantage Energy from the Sun is free The Sun's energy doesn't produced greenhouse gases The Sun will always be there during our lifetime disadvantage Solar panels are expensive to build Cloudy weather and night time prevent enough electricity from being made Some people don't like the look of solar panels Which of the following doesn't produce greenhouse gases? coal, oil, natural gas biomass, nuclear, coal geothermal, wind, solar, nuclear, hydroelectric nuclear, wind, solar, coal Many different renewable energy resources have different advantages and disadvantages. Biomass is a renewable fuel that is cheap and can use things we throw away,. Therefore, it should not run out. However, it may create greenhouse gases when burned that pollute the environment and there is limited space to grow enough biomass for fuel.Solar energy is free, doesn't produce greenhouse gases, and is also renewable. However, its disadvantages include solar panels are expensive to build and weather may affect if enough electricity is made if it is cloudy. Also, they can't produce electricity at night.Dams are used for hydroelectric energy. Disadvantages include they are expensive to build, and they may flood areas they are built on which affects wildlife. The good things are that they don't produce greenhouse gases when electricity is made, the water used is free, and its renewable.Geothermal energy uses the heat inside the Earth without producing greenhouse gases and it is renewable. They are limited, however, to the places they can be built and sometimes harmful gases and minerals come up from the ground below.Renewable wind energy also doesn't produce greenhouse gases and there are few safety risks with wind turbines. However, you need a lot of turbines to make a lot of electricity and some people don't like the look of them. Also, no wind means no energy made. Coal Releases the most greenhouse gases of all energy sources. Miners can be affected by black lung disease. Mines are sometimes dangerous and not nice to look at. Burning produces sulphur dioxide which can make acid rain It is a relatively cheap energy source. Oil Natural Gas Can be transported in pipes and by using tankers and ships Environmental damage can be caused when building the rig and by accidental spills. The price will increase because supplies are running out and lots of people want. Nuclear You need a small amount to make a lot of energy. Waste produced is radioactive and very harmful. Expected to run out in about 50 years. oil and natural gas Transported by ships and pipes and found in lots of places in the world. Burning causes greenhouse gases and accidental oil spills cause problems. Nonrenewable. Solar Renewable, uses the Sun's energy. Doesn't work well in cloudy weather or at night. Coal Nonrenewable. Its cheap and easily transported. Mines must be made to dig it up and burning causes environmental problems like acid rain and greenhouse gases. Nuclear Nonrenewable, doesn't make greenhouse gases, but does create radioactive waster which needs to be disposed of carefully. Biomass Renewable, uses waste to create energy when burned. However, burning creates greenhouse gases. Hydroelectric Renewable, dams created can flood areas and also affect fish migration. Electricity made doesn't create greenhouse gases. Geothermal Renewable, doesn't produce greenhouse gases. Not many places to build them to harvest the Earth's heat to create energy. Wind Renewable, doesn't create greenhouse gases. However, no wind means no energy.