Our junior ambassador Brooke Castree has written a piece on the forms of renewable energy that could power Scotland, read below to find out more.
The 4 energy sources I chose to power Scotland are wind and wave energy because they are both renewable and once built they run on a low cost. My final two power sources are tidal energy and ground source energy because again they are both renewable and they both don’t produce any pollution into the atmosphere.
Wind Energy
The first energy source I chose is wind energy. I chose this because the UK is a very windy country. One of the windiest countries in the world in fact. Creating wind energy involves wind turbines. Wind turbines create energy when the wind blows around the blades of the turbine and create low pressure that turns it round. The blades are lined with generators so as they rotate it generates electricity. Wind turbines can be placed anywhere in the world that is windy. So that could be on top of a hill or offshore. With using wind turbines there are advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include;
- They are renewable
- Once they are built they run at low costs
- They don’t produce any pollution
- They are safe and easy to build
- Wind will never run out
Some of the disadvantages include;
- We can’t control when the wind blows
- They can only be built in certain areas
- Not everyone likes the appearance
I think because Scotland and the UK are such windy places that wind turbines have a huge potential. The wind association estimated that more than 3.3 Million homes would be powered by wind in 2010. Now in 2021 the Wind energy industry has grown to 24% of homes in the UK being powered by wind. That is over 7 Million homes! That is why I think one of Scotland’s main energy sources should be wind.
Wave Energy
The second energy source I chose is Wave energy. I chose this because with the UK being a very windy country it must mean that it is a very wavy country because most waves are created by the wind. Creating wave energy can be done from many different things such as trapping waves from floating buoys or a fixed shoreline device. These can be found in north-west Scotland, Wales and south-west England. With using wave power there are advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include;
- They are renewable
- They have no fuel cost
- It is a more predictable energy source
- It has a huge potential in the UK
Some of the disadvantages include;
- We need to have equipment that survives bad weather
- There might be high maintenance costs
I think because we get so many waves in Scotland and the UK, using wave energy will have a huge potential. It has been said that they think wave energy has a huge potential in the UK and estimating that more than 3% of the UK’s population could be powered with wave energy by 2020. Now in 2021, according to renewableUK wave energy has the potential to power 20% of the UK’s population, so a lot more than they thought. That is just under 6 Million homes! That is why I think wave energy should be one of Scotland’s main energy sources.
Tidal energy
The third energy source I chose is tidal energy. I chose this because tides rise and fall all the time meaning it is consistent and reliable. The UK has the second largest tidal range in the world after Canada. Generating tidal energy is quite similar to generating wind energy because they both use blades. Tidal energy is generated when water flows over the blades which turns the turbines and then you have energy. These can be found almost anywhere in the world with high tidal ranges. With using Tidal energy there are advantages and disadvantages. Some of the advantages include;
- It is renewable
- Rising and falling tides are predictable
- The cost is stable once the energy plant is built
- It doesn’t produce any carbon dioxide
- You don’t need fuel to power the plant
Some disadvantages include;
- Plants can only produce when tides are flowing in and out
- They are expensive to build and maintain
- It can have a negative impact on the local ecosystem
I think that tidal energy has a huge future in Scotland and all around the UK. The UK is one of the best locations for tidal power generation. With tidal power it will be enough to make a significant contribution to the UK’s energy source. The most powerful tidal turbine in the world was recently installed in Orkney, Scotland and it will provide enough energy to power 2000 homes. That is why I think tidal energy should be one of Scotland’s main energy sources.
Ground source energy
My fourth and final energy source I’ve choses is ground source energy. I chose this source because it can basically go anywhere and because it is renewable. Generating ground source energy is quite simple. It is created by an underground pipe. It is indirect solar power. The pipes can be used anywhere in the world where a pipe can be placed. With using ground source energy there are advantages and disadvantages. Some of the advantages include;
- It doesn’t produce any pollution
- Running costs are very low
- It reduces heating bills and consumption of non-renewable energy sources
- All pipe work is below ground so there is a minimal effect on the environment
Some disadvantages include:
- The effectiveness of the system will vary with the seasons
I think that ground source energy has a huge potential for a future in Scotland and the rest of the UK if the pipes are installed in the right places. Around 250 of these systems are installed in the UK every year, which means 2,500 systems every decade. The UK parliament stated in May 2012 that a paper by consultants SKM in association with the Renewable Energy Association argued that ground source energy could provide 20% of the UK’s electricity and all of the UK’s heat demand. That is again just under 6 Million homes! That is why I think that ground source energy should be one of Scotland’s main energy sources.
Because I am a junior ambassador of www.Climate-wise.com I decided to choose the energy sources that are renewable and don’t put any pollution in our atmosphere.
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