Some energy sources are renewable and some non-renewable.- Fossil fuels are non-renewable and produce the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide when burnt.
- Nuclear fuels produces heat energy when nuclei are split. It also produces harmful nuclear waste.
- Wind energy is renewable and produces no harmful waste products. However, some people dislike wind farms and if there’s no wind, there’s no electricity.
- Water energy is renewable and can take the form of waves, tides and hydroelectric power. It produces no waste products and is a reliable source but habitats and farmland has been destroyed.
- Geothermal energy is a renewable energy created by the heat energy released from rocks containing radioactive substances. It can only be found in a few regions.
- Solar energy is renewable, comes with no fuel costs, and can provide electricity in remote regions. However, solar cells are expensive to produce and don’t function at night.
Energy reaches consumers via the National Grid.- The electricity flows at a low current to cut down the amount lost by heat.
- Transformers modify the voltage of the alternating current (AC) found in the mains electrical supply.
- Step-up transformers increase the voltage to the amount required to travel through the power lines of the National Grid.
- Step-down transformers reduce the voltage to a safe level for consumer use.
Some energy sources are renewable and some non-renewable.
Energy reaches consumers via the National Grid.