By jmp, November 18, 2020

Energy Source Comparison

Energy Source Comparison

Energy Source	Pros	Cons
Solar Energy	Non-polluting Most abundant energy source available Systems last 15-30 years	High initial investment Dependent on sunny weather Supplemental energy may be needed in low sunlight areas Requires large physical space for PV cell panels Limited availability of polysilicon for panels
Wind Energy	No emissions Affordable Little disruption of ecosystems Relatively high output	Output is proportional to wind speed Not feasible for all geographic locations High initial investment/ongoing maintenance costs Extensive land use
Hydropower	No emissions Reliable Capable of generating large amounts of power Output can be regulated to meet demand	Environmental impacts by changing the environment in the dam area Hydroelectric dams are expensive to build Dams may be affected by drought
Natural Gas	Widely available Cleanest-burning fossil fuel Often used in combination with other fuels to decrease pollution in electricity generation Made safe by adding artificial odor so that people can easily smell the gas in case of a leak	Transportation costs are high Lack of infrastructure makes gas resources unavailable from some areas Burns cleanly, but still has emissions Pipelines impact ecosystems
Petroleum	Efficient transportation fuel for the world Basis of many products, from prescription drugs to plastics Economical to produce Easy to transport	High CO2 emissions Found in limited areas Supply may be exhausted before natural gas/coal resources Possible environmental impact from drilling/transporting
Biofuels	Abundant supply Fewer emissions than fossil fuel sources Can be used in diesel engines Auto engines easily convert to run on biomass fuel	Source must be near usage to cut transportation costs Emits some pollution as gas/liquid waste Increases emissions of nitrogen oxides, an air pollutant Uses some fossil fuels in conversion
Coal	Abundant supply Currently inexpensive to extract Reliable and capable of generating large amounts of power	Emits major greenhouse gases/acid rain High environmental impact from mining and burning, although cleaner coal-burning technology is being developed Mining can be dangerous for miners
Uranium	No greenhouse gases or CO2 emissions Efficient at transforming energy into electricity Uranium reserves are abundant Refueled yearly (unlike coal plants that need trainloads of coal every day)	Higher capital costs due to safety, emergency, containment, radioactive waste, and storage systems Problem of long-term storage of radioactive waste Heated waste water from nuclear plants harms aquatic life Potential nuclear proliferation issue
Geothermal	Minimal environmental impact Efficient Power plants have low emissions Low cost after the initial investment	Geothermal fields found in few areas around the world Expensive start-up costs Wells could eventually be depleted

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Tags: coal energy geothermal hydro-electric power petroleum renewable energy solar wind

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