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When most people look at clean energy, they think about solar panels, hydro stations, and wind turbines. While those branches are a major part of the clean energy area, there are other smaller options that are in the clean energy area, too. Thermal energy and bioenergy are two growing areas of clean energy. The one that isn't really renewable, but still in the clean energy area, is Nuclear Fission (often called "nuclear" for short).
Solar Panels
Solar panels, or solar arrays, use the heat and light from the sun to generate electricity. The sun is giving out a lot of energy. The sun will keep on emitting energy for years to come. Now Solar cells, or PV cells, generate electricity purely from light. While a single solar cell doesn't produce a lot of electricity, when they are combined together, like solar arrays on Earth, then they produce a good amount of electricity. A few downsides are that the current solar cells or panels, which are first generation, are made from silicon semiconductors, so even the best ones only convert 20% of the light energy that hits them.
Wind Turbines
Image citation: “Wind Turbine Energy from Moving Air.” Atlantissolar.com, 2015, www.atlantissolar.com/wind_story.html. Accessed 7 Apr. 2023.
Image citation: “How Do Wind Turbines Work?” Energy.gov, 2023, www.energy.gov/eere/wind/how-do-wind-turbines-work. Accessed 7 Apr. 2023.
Wind turbines are a type of renewable energy that requires the wind to produce energy. Since most wind turbines are first-generation designs, engineers are currently working on them to make them work more efficiently, like turbines that work at low wind speeds. There is also another type of turbine, called an underwater turbine, that needs water to work. Wind turbines are also clean and renewable sources of energy that don't take up a lot of space. They can also be built out at sea where the wind is more reliable. There is also another BIG wind turbine, mega turbines. Wind turbines still continue to grow in size with larger rotors supported on taller towers. Over time, with more work, wind turbines are becoming more efficient.
Hydro Startions
Top image citation: “Hydroelectric Facility - Energy Education.” Energyeducation.ca, 2021, energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Hydroelectric_facility. Accessed 7 Apr. 2023.
Hydroelectric dams, or stations, are dams that are built to gather energy from flowing rivers. How the hydro dams produce electricity is simple overall. Water builds up, the dam opens up some gates, and the super flow of water pushes a turbine that spins to produce electricity. The water just flows out through the other side of the dam. Of course, there are other types of ways to produce electricity with dams that can be more complicated. But that is a pretty basic example of a hydro dam/station.
Bottom image citation: Hemanth. “World’s Biggest Hydroelectric Power Plants.” Power Technology, Power Technology, 5 Mar. 2021, www.power-technology.com/features/worlds-biggest-hydroelectric-power-plants/. Accessed 7 Apr. 2023.
Hydro stations make up most of the electrical power grid on the renewable side right now. While hydro stations/dams are cool and complex, they also are a bit dangerous! The dam could collapse if it's outdated and old, or it can collapse from the immense pressure of the water passing through it.
Image citation: Mosher, Dave. “How Safe Dams Are Compared to Nuclear, Coal, and Gas Power Plants.” Business Insider, Insider, 13 Feb. 2017, www.businessinsider.com/dam-safety-statistics-risk-of-death-2017-2. Accessed 7 Apr. 2023.
Fission/Nuclear Reactors
Fission, produced by nuclear reactors, is currently something that we are starting to think more about as an energy source. Although fission does produce nuclear waste, it can also help with the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies. While most people don't really know what makes fission happen and how it produces energy, it's important to understand why we'd want to use it even if it produces nuclear waste.
Electricity
Electricity makes our life and work easier, but most electricity today is produced by burning fossil fuels. Ecologically clean energy sources are sources that do not harm the environment. Recently, solar energy has been increasingly used to produce electricity. Solar power plants can be thermal or photovoltaic. Water has long been used by mankind as an energy source, and we use hydroelectric dams to produce electricity. New energy sources will include using the energy of sea tides. And wind is an unlimited resource for generating electricity, which people have long using for thousands of years.
Scratch Video Game
Game created by Logan C.
Grab Da Canisters!
The objective of this game is simple: get the canisters and gain points.
Controls:
Spacebar = menu.
1 = reset.
2 = resume.
3 = info on canisters.
4 = resume game from info page.
W A S D to move.
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