ANSWERS: 2
  • I'm not sure exactly what you mean... but I think... Wind energy is best harnessed where there are strong prevailing winds. Most places just don't get strong enough wind often enough to reliably generate useful amounts of electricty, so location for wind farms is very important. Solar is much more effective where you get lots of sun. In a narrow valley with only a few hours of direct sunlight or in areas with fewer days of direct sunlight (some places are overcast about 200 days a year) solar is not as practical. Geothermal is only practical where really hot subterranian sources are not too deep. Tidal energy can be harvested, but can only be efficient in costal locations where the water moves in particular ways. I am not sure if I have addressed your concept of "renewable," but these energy technologies have important location considerations.
  • Renewable energy sources extract energy from the environment, rather than from foddil fuels. So they have to be positioned at the place in the environment where the energy actually is, unlike follil fuel power stations, where you can take the fuel to the power station. Solar power stations need to be in the sun, wave powered in rought seas, wind powered in wincy places, hydro-electric on fast-flowing rivers etc. You cannot take the energy to the power station, so you have to take the power station to the energy. Some renewable power stations coule be positioned anywhere: wood or waste fired power stations, for example. And even for fossil fuels, it is not uncommon to put a power station near a coal mine, for example, to reduce transport costs.

Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC

Answerbag | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy