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How can we also get energy from rubbish?

• Renewable energy doesn’t run out. It comes from things like the sun, wind, waves, rivers and heat from underground.

• We can also get energy from burning fuels like wood or straw, which can be grown so that they will never run out.

Renewable energy

Renewable energy www.bp.com/bpes/ysienergy

Why are solar cells better than batteries

in some ways?

Solar cells are a very clever invention. They can turn sunlight into electricity.

This calculator is solar powered. Light falling on the solar cells is used to make electricity, so no battery is needed.

Solar energy

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Solar panels cause no pollution or noise. They are expensive to make, though, and don’t generate a lot of electricity.

Solar panelsLots of solar cells can be put together to make solar panels. Some schools have solar panels on the roof. The solar panels make electricity to use inside.

Can you think of another problem with solar panels?

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Is there a wind farm near you?

• This is a wind farm.

• These turbines generate a lot of electricity from the wind.

• One large turbine can supply energy to hundreds of homes.

• Some wind farms are built out at sea where there is more wind.

• There are also smaller wind turbines that generate electricity for one building.

Wind energy

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What happens if the wind changes

direction?

• The wind pushes against the curved blades, making them spin.

• The spinning makes a machine inside the top of the turbine work. This machine is called a generator.

• The generator produces electricity, which travels along cables underground, and into houses.

How a wind turbine works

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Can you think of any problems with

this form of energy?

• Most of the renewable energy in the UK is generated by burning biofuels like wood and waste.

• The water can then pass through holes in the dam, making turbines spin. This energy is called hydroelectric energy.

• After that comes energy from moving water. Dams can be built across valleys with rivers. The dam stops the water flowing.

Water energy

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• There’s almost no pollution.

• Their energy sources will not run out.

• They do not contribute much to global warming.

There are some disadvantages to renewables:

• They don’t produce the same amount of energy all the time.

• They are often more expensive to build.

• Some people don’t like to live near wind farms.

The advantages of renewables

Are there any other forms of

renewable energy?