• Question: which re-newable enegry source do think works the best ?

    Asked by Baby Blue to Yasmin, Liz, Tadhg on 14 Jun 2015. This question was also asked by Chippy, o mister.
    • Photo: Yasmin Ali

      Yasmin Ali answered on 14 Jun 2015:

      Hello! Good question. There is no straight answer though – it depends on the situation. If you live somewhere sunny like Spain, solar energy is a good choice. In the UK it can get really windy, so wind turbines are good… it’s best to have a mixture of different energy sources that fit with your environment.

    • Photo: Tadhg O'Donovan

      Tadhg O'Donovan answered on 15 Jun 2015:

      Hi, Yasmin is right, there is no straight answer but solar can be very good for the UK too! There are two main types: those that create electricity (Photovoltaic or PV Panels) and those that heat water (solar thermal). Because we have a lot of need for heat in the UK, solar thermal panels are a really good option! But it all comes down to resource and demand. In Scotland we have lots of wind and wave energy too whereas in Iceland they have lots of Geothermal (from hot springs). In Spain, India etc they have lots of sun – but no need for heat.

      A mix is also very important – the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow…

Comments

  • Photo: Hilly

    Hilly commented on :

    I agree with my fellow engineers!
    Its important we have a mix, but its not just about ensuring supply, its about the correct supply and demand!

    I was at a really old power station in Edinburgh where I learnt something I had never really thought about (its now getting demolished, but it was fascinating!)

    The electricity you use in your house is constantly aiming to be at 50 hertz, which was set by the European Union! but that means that if we create too much (or too little!) electricity things won’t work differently!

    For example, an alarm clock that is plugged into the wall.. if we relied on solar power once it reached night time, the clock would stop (assuming no solar power was generated at night) so what we need is lots of different sources of energy, to allow us to control the frequency of the system, keeping the clocks at the right time! ensuring that you make your double period of maths on a Friday morning! 😀