1a5–7 Information card

Fossil fuels (non-renewable energy)ElectricityWe need electricity to make lots of things work.

How is electricity made?Most electricity is made in big buildings called powerstations. The electricity travels to homes, schools andother places along thick wires called cables or power lines.

Look for the cables in this picture of a power station.

1b5–7 Information card

What fuels are used inside a power station?Most power stations in the UK make electricityby burning fuel.

The fuels they burn are coal, gas or oil.

n The fuel is burned to makesteam.

n The steam turns a machinecalled a generator, like theone in this picture.

n The generator makeselectricity when it turns veryquickly.

n Power stations cause pollution.They make the air dirty.Pollution is bad for our planet.It can kill plants and animals. Itcan also make people sick.

n But power stations are cleanerthan they used to be, and thereare ways to make them cleanerstill.

n Gas and oil are running out,and coal will run out in about200 years! We need to finddifferent ways to makeelectricity.

Problems with power stations

How is electricity made?

Courtesy of Sunflower / Brian Litzenberger

Courtesy of Sunflower / Brian Litzenberger

2a5–7 Information card

n This is the Pelamis wavemachine. It makes electricityfrom the waves at sea.

n Each wave moves a part ofthe machine. This movementworks a generator inside.

n The Pelamis is longer than afootball pitch!

n This machine can use thepower of the tides to makeelectricity.

n When the tide goes in orout, the water pushes theblades round and round.

n When the blades turn, theywork a generator, whichmakes electricity.

Renewable energyWays to make electricity We can make electricity using non-renewable energy. Coal,gas and oil are three kinds of non-renewable energy.

We can also make electricity using renewable energy –such as the energy in the sun, wind or sea. They can neverbe used up and they don’t make pollution. Here are fourtypes of renewable energy.

Courtesy of Marine Current Turbines Ltd

Wave energy

Tidal energy

Courtesy of Ocean Power Delivery

2b5–7 Information card

n This picture shows areservoir and a dam. A damis a huge concrete wall thatholds the water back.

n There are gates in the damto let the water through.When the gates are open,the water rushes through.

n The water turns machinesthat make electricity.

n The farmer planted the treesin this picture to make fuel.

n First the farmer cuts theyoung trees to make smallwood chips. We can burnthe dry wood chips to makesteam, which can be used tomake electricity.

n As soon as the trees are cutdown, the farmer plants newones, so the fuel never runsout.

Hydroelectric energy

Biomass energy

Courtesy of US Army Corps of Engineers

Courtesy of NRE Slide Library / DTI

3a5–7 Information card

n The wind spins the rotorblades.

n When the rotor blades spin,they turn a machine insidethe top of the turbine, calleda generator.

n As the generator spins, itmakes electricity.

n The electricity runs alongpower cables to homes andother buildings.

Wind energyWhat is wind energy?The wind can make things move. This power is called windenergy. A long time ago, people used windmills to makeflour. Today, big wind turbines work in the same way, butthey use wind to generate electricity.

How a wind turbine works

n We will never run out of wind!It is renewable.

n Wind turbines do not causepollution. They don’t make theair dirty.

n Wind energy is very safe.

n The UK has some very windyplaces, so we can make lots ofelectricity.

Courtesy of npower renewables

Why is wind energy good?

wind

rotor blade

pylons

shaft

tower

generator

powercables

3b5–7 Information card

Wind farmsWhen lots of wind turbines are in one place, it is called awind farm. We are building many new wind farms in thiscountry. They make electricity that is used for lights, cooking,heating, TVs, computer games and lots of other things.

Courtesy of npower renewables

Wind farms can bebuilt on land wherethere is a lot ofwind. They areoften built in hillyplaces away fromtowns. A big windfarm can makeenough electricityfor over 1000homes.

Wind farms canalso be built out atsea. There is oftenmore wind at seathan on land. Thewind turbines arefixed to the seabed.

Courtesy of npower renewables

4a5–7 Information card

n This house has solarpanels on the roof.

n When the sun's lightshines on the panels,they turn the light intoelectricity.

n The electricity runsalong cables and we canuse it to power lights,computers and TVs.

Solar energyWhat is solar energy?Solar energy means energy from the sun. The sun gives uslight and heat.

The heat can be used to make hot water, and the light canhelp to make electricity for homes, schools and offices.

n The sun gives out light and heatfor free!

n The sun’s energy will not run out.It is renewable.

n Solar panels do not causepollution.

n Solar energy is very safe and it isquiet.

solar panels

Why is solar energy good?

How solar panels work

Courtesy of www.pdphoto.org

solar energy

electric light

electriccables

4b5–7 Information card

Using solar powerSolar panels work best in places where the sun shines alot. But they still work on cloudy days.

A solar truckThis supermarketlorry has solarpanels on the roof.They makeelectricity to keepthe food inside thetrailer cool.

Courtesy of DTI

A solarcalculatorCalculators withsmall solar cellscan use solarenergy instead ofbatteries to work.

Courtesy of www.iea-pvps.org / Dennis Gilbert

A solar officeThis new office is covered insolar panels and big windows.The windows give light andwarmth when the sun shines.The solar panels makeelectricity for all the offices inthe building.

Courtesy of DTI

Courtesy of Casio