Page 7 - Sources of Energy
P. 7
Wind energy is an environment-friendly and efficient source of
renewable energy. It requires no recurring expenses for the production
of electricity. But there are many limitations in harnessing wind energy.
Firstly, wind energy farms can be established only at those places where
wind blows for the greater part of a year. The wind speed should also be
higher than 15 km/h to maintain the required speed of the turbine.
Furthermore, there should be some back-up facilities (like storage cells)
to take care of the energy needs during a period when there is no wind.
Establishment of wind energy farms requires large area of land. For a
1 MW generator, the farm needs about 2 hectares of land. The initial
cost of establishment of the farm is quite high. Moreover, since the tower
and blades are exposed to the vagaries of nature like rain, Sun, storm
and cyclone, they need a high level of maintenance.
Q U E S T I O N S
?
1. What are the disadvantages of fossil fuels?
2. Why are we looking at alternate sources of energy?
3. How has the traditional use of wind and water energy been modified for
our convenience?
14.3 ALALTERNATERNATIVE OR NON-TIVE OR NON-CONVENTIONAL
14.3 ALALTERNATERNATIVE OR NON-TIVE OR NON-CONVENTIONALCONVENTIONAL
14.3 ALTERNATIVE OR NON-CONVENTIONAL
14.3 CONVENTIONAL
14.3
SOURCES OF ENERGY
SOURCES OF ENERGY
SOURCES OF ENERGY
SOURCES OF ENERGY
SOURCES OF ENERGY
With technological progress, our demand for energy increases day by
day. Our life-styles are also changing, we use machines to do more and
more of our tasks. Our basic requirements are also increasing as
industrialisation improves our living standards.
Activity 14.4
Activity 14.4
Activity 14.4
Activity 14.4
Activity 14.4
Find out from your grand-parents or other elders –
(a) how did they go to school?
(b) how did they get water for their daily needs when they were young?
(c) what means of entertainment did they use?
Compare the above answers with how you do these tasks now.
Is there a difference? If yes, in which case more energy from
external sources is consumed?
As our demand for energy increases, we need to look for more and
more sources of energy. We could develop the technology to use the
available or known sources of energy more efficiently and also look to
new sources of energy. Any new source of energy we seek to exploit
would need specific devices developed with that source in mind. We shall
now look at some of the latest sources of energy that we seek to tap, and
the technology designed to capture and store energy from that source.
Think it over!
Some people say that if we start living as our ancestors, this would conserve energy and
our ecosystem. Do you think this idea is feasible?
248 Science
