Wind and Solar Energy

Wind Energy

Wind is air that is in motion. The kinetic energy of wind is the renewable energy.

How wind energy works:

1. When the wind blows, it transfers some of its kinetic energy to the blades.

2. The blades of the turbine spin around a rotor directly, which drive the turbine.

3. The turbine turns the generator, which generates electricity.

  • Wind energy is a great alternative to burning fossil fuels because it does not involve burning fuels, which means that no carbon dioxide is being released.

Disadvantages of wind energy

  • It is not always a reliable way to generate electricity, as it is not always windy.
  • Wind farms can be very noisy

Solar Energy

Solar energy is energy taken from the sun using solar panels. As long as there is sunlight, we can use solar energy.

Solar panels are made out of photovoltaic cells and they absorb energy from the Sun. This is the one renewable energy source that does not involve a turbine when generating electricity. The solar panels are directed where they can get the most sunlight throughout the day.

How solar energy works:

1. Solar panels absorb sunlight

2. The absorbed sunlight is used to generate electricity

  • Solar energy is a great alternative to burning fossil fuels, as no Carbon dioxide (CO2) is being released. Using solar energy to generate electricity does not involve burning fuels, so there are no fuel costs. Solar energy can even be produced in areas where there is no mains electricity.

Disadvantages of solar energy

  • It is not a very reliable way to generate electricity because when it’s cloudy or night-time, you won’t produce much electricity.
  • Solar panels are expensive and inefficient. which means the electricity generated using solar energy is expensive.