Efficiency and energy savings

Energy efficiency is the ability to reduce energy consumption to the minimum levels needed for a certain purpose.

Power stations

1.-Hydroelectric power station

Hydroelectric power stations are facilities built at the foot of a dam in order to use the potential energy of the body of water located above.  

Water is released at a high pressure (kinetic energy) through a pipe and moves a turbine. This rotating movement (mechanical energy) is transformed into electrical energy by means of an alternator, which then passes through a transformer and is transported to the places where it will be consumed.

The environmental impact of generating, transporting and using electricity

Modern day society requires energy to carry out all kinds of activities, such as transportation, lighting and heating. The machinery used in industries that produce the goods we enjoy could not operate without an energy source to move them.

Energy and Work. Renewable and non-renewable energy

1.- ENERGY AND WORK

Energy is a property of matter linked to the idea of transformation and movement. Energy is constantly being transformed into other types of energy, as stated in the law of conservation of energy, which says that energy is neither created nor destroyed, but rather transformed into other types of energy. Nevertheless, part of the energy is degraded or lost or in other words, becomes non-usable energy, which cannot be converted into work as a product of its transformation. 

UNIT 4 - Presentation

Title

Energy and its transformation

Unit description

In industrialized societies such as ours, the availability of energy is fully linked to the people’s welfare and quality of life. We are part of a generation that needs enormous amounts of energy to live; and this has led to an excessive reliance on non-renewable energy from sources such as gas, oil or coal, which are increasingly scarce and emit substances that pollute the atmosphere.

This scenario has led to the need to generate inexhaustible, cleaner energy with less environmental impact, which can arrive equitably to all users. These are called renewable energy.

Through both energy sources we can obtain one of the forms of energy most used in our society: electricity. This can easily be transformed into mechanical, thermal or luminous energy, which have many applications and uses.

From this perspective, this unit aims to give students a general but solid vision of the current energy treatment. We will begin by analysing renewable and non-renewable energy. Then, we will study nuclear energy and power stations. Finally, we will focus on the environmental impact of energy and some ways to promote energy conservation and the sustainability of the planet.