Secondary sources of energy are renewable energy sources, with the exception of

Question

Secondary sources of energy are renewable energy sources, with the exception of hydro energy, which is a primary source. Secondary sources produce a minority of the power consumed worldwide, but their use is growing each year. There has been a push recently by governments, environmental groups, and society to better utilize these abundant resources.

Choose one of the secondary sources of energy and make an argument for or against its viability as a reliable source. It does not have to be your actual opinion; in fact, choosing a stance against your opinion may help expand your knowledge.

Explanation / Answer

There are number of renewable energy sources which are used on large scale. Secondary energy sources are also referred to as energy carriers, because they move energy in a useable form from one place to another. There are two well-known energy carriers.

For Example Solar Energy is very important and used widely as secondary sources of energy. The sun has produced energy for billions of years. The energy in the sun's rays that reaches the earth (solar radiation) can be converted into heat and electricity. When converted to thermal energy, solar energy can be used to heat water for use in homes, buildings, or swimming pools; to heat spaces inside homes, greenhouses, and other buildings; and to heat fluids to high temperatures to operate turbines that generate electricity.

Solar energy can be converted into electricity in two ways:

·         Photovoltaic (PV devices) or solar cells change sunlight directly into electricity. Individual PV cells are grouped into panels and arrays of panels that can be used in a variety of applications ranging from single small cells that charge calculator and watch batteries, to systems that power single homes, to large power plants covering many acres.

·         Solar thermal/electric power plants generate electricity by concentrating solar energy to heat a fluid and produce steam that is then used to power a generator.

There are two main benefits of solar energy:

·         Solar energy systems do not produce air pollutants or carbon dioxide.

·         When located on buildings, solar energy systems have minimal impact on the environment.

There are two main limitations of solar energy:

·         The amount of sunlight that arrives at the earth's surface is not constant. The amount of sunlight varies depending on location, time of day, time of year, and weather conditions.

·         Because the sun doesn't deliver that much energy to any one place at any one time, a large surface area is required to collect the energy at a useful rate.

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