New Geography in Action Junior Cycle Geography Wind energy
The force of the wind can be used to turn turbines and create electricity. The blades on wind turbines can deal with winds blowing at up to 320 kph (km per hour). Modern wind turbines are very large in size and are generally grouped together in what is known as a wind farm.
Wind energy is becoming a very important source of renewable energy. It is a clean source of energy and one that is used by more than 80 countries worldwide.
: Figure 5.17 A wind farm on Prince Edward Island, Canada
The main disadvantage of wind energy is that a constant supply of wind is needed. Therefore the locations of wind farms have to be chosen carefully.
DID YOU KNOW? The largest wind farm in the world is located in the province of Gansu in China.
Solar energy
Solar energy is created using heat and light from the sun. It is the biggest renewable energy source in the world.
Solar cells on solar panels capture the heat and light and convert this into electricity. In Ireland you can see solar panels on the roofs of homes across the country.
: Figure 5.18 Solar panels on a house
Generating station
Geothermal energy
Cold water pumped down
Steam and hot water
Geothermal energy is created by using the heat from the Earth’s crust. Water is pumped deep into the Earth’s crust and heated by the rocks. The heated water is then pumped back to the surface where it can be used to heat homes. The hot water can also be converted to steam which is used to turn turbines and generate electricity.
Hot rocks in the Earth's crust : Figure 5.19 Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy can be exploited in areas where there is volcanic activity. Iceland and New Zealand are two countries that produce huge amounts of geothermal energy.
Go to Chapter 2, page 26, to learn more about Iceland and geothermal energy. 78
