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anyone got any facts that could help with info report
its very much appreciated
--_-- Ella

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Solar

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Hydro

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Biomass

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Kyden,Monique and Georgia

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Wind

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did you now lake eildon is a hydro power dam

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Geothermal by Brodie, Riley, Dylan and Holly

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does anyone know anything about hydroelectric energy any positives thanks rylan

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Hi guys I found a website that might help with the PMI for biomass: https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages_disadvantages_biomassenergy.php -Spike

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hey has anyone found any interesting things from the wind video?
_Flynn

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does anyone have any pluses for geothermal energy
thanks brodie

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Definition: Organic matter used as a fuel, especially in a power station for the generation of electricity.

-Spike

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interesting fact the biggest solar farm is in queensland
Ella

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Does anyone know any negatives for geothermal

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Does anyone have any negatives about biomass?
-Summer

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Hey, has anyone found some information on how long it takes to make a solar panel? it takes a day

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Drag the PMI chart onto the desktop of your computer. Once it is complete you can drag it onto this padlet. Happy reading and researching. I hope you learn a lot.
Remember- the more you learn, the more you wonder.
Miss Senior

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The sun's sizzling energy rains down on Australia every day. It's a bit of a shame that so much of it is wasted on getting hot and sweaty or trying to soak up some Vitamin D. But what if you could catch that energy and put it to better use?

Well that's what solar power is all about. You see that bubbling, fizzing mass in the sky that we call the sun is constantly shooting out photons. They're the tiny things that make up light. But they are also little packets of energy.

When photons hit Earth the power stored in them helps to heat the planet. Plants also convert photons into the energy they need to grow. Ok but how can we grab them and turn them into electricity? Well that's what these things are for: solar panels.

Here's how they work. Inside solar panels is an element called silicon, which can absorb a photon's energy. When that happens the photon knocks a negatively charged electron off the silicon. As more electrons build up on one side of the panel they start to flow through wires. That flow of electrons is what we call electricity, and it can power just about anything.

So should we be collecting more solar energy? Well solar is a green renewable energy, meaning it's great for the environment. And you probably don't even notice them when they're around - they can just sit on the roof of your home or your school absorbing the sun's energy for years.

And finally silicon which is used to make the panels is commonly found in sand, and there's obviously plenty of that around! But there are also a few problems with using solar. The main one is that turning silicon into a sophisticated solar panel takes a lot of work and money.

So it can cost a lot more than other energy resources to set up. Another problem is reliability. If we're counting on the sun's rays to fuel everything then a cloudy day or even night-time can be a big problem.

But scientists and engineers around the world are getting better at making the panels, meaning the cost is coming down and they're now much better at catching and converting the sun's energy too.

Meaning giant solar farms are starting to pop up all around the world. In Australia there are already small solar farms up and running across the country. But now one of the biggest in the world has just been approved in Queensland. This giant farm will be built near Toowoomba, and when it's finished it'll power half a million Aussie homes.

Many people are predicting the solar energy industry will keep growing too. So maybe that extra sunny power will finally be put to some better uses.

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Queensland is set to become home to what could be the world biggest solar farm. The project has just been approved and when finished it's expected to collect enough energy to power half a million homes. But how do solar farms even work?

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The world's first grid-connected wave energy farm has just been switched on in Western Australia. It amazingly converts the power of ocean waves into electricity. But how? Carl explains.

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ELOISE FUSS, REPORTING: They're taller than a 20 story building, with blades, heaps longer than a bus. They're wind turbines, and these ones happen to sit pretty close to this school.

Rapid Bay Primary School is here, in South Australia. And just here, is the Starfish Hill Wind Farm.

ANIKA: There are about 23 wind turbines there, and they generate electricity.

NICHOLAS: Not many schools would have wind turbines nearby so it's pretty rare to have.

The wind farm helps fund this school, and for these kids, use it as a chance to learn more about wind energy.

BRUCE: I made a wind turbine out of cardboard tubing and some Lego.

ANGUS: We have a poster tube, covered that with paper and we have a drink bottle lid and some cut out pieces of cardboard.

They also know exactly how wind turbines work.

ANGUS: The wind comes in from the front to make it turn, it goes into the generator and then gets sent down through to the power station. It works opposite to a fan, so it creates energy instead of using energy to make it spin.

But what happens if the wind isn't blowing?

Angus: Well when there's no wind, you're out of luck!

Over the past few years, wind farms have popped up in many places across the country. They only work in places that are windy enough. But there's now about 70 farms nation-wide, with close to 1700 wind turbines on them. All up, they produce enough energy to power 1.3 million homes. They'll never provide power all day, every day, but they are pretty effective in the right conditions.

But whether we'll see many more wind farms, has been a hot topic of discussion lately. Because some politicians, like the Prime Minister, have said they really don't like them.

PRIME MINISTER, TONY ABBOTT: Up close they're ugly. They're noisy.

The kids from Rapid Bay primary say they've heard similar things.

NICHOLAS: Some people don't like wind farms because they look ugly and not natural for the environment.

ANGUS: Some people don't like them because they're noisy and when you're living near them they can be a bit annoying.

But, they've also heard people say they have different opinions too.

NICHOLAS: Some people think the opposite, like they look good and they're good for the environment, because instead of burning coal you're just harnessing the power of the wind.

BRUCE: I reckon they're good for the environment because they make lots of energy and it's not like coal which can make massive black clouds.

NICHOLAS: To me they remind me of helicopters.

By 2020, the Government has promised that 20% of Australia's energy will come from clean or renewable energy, that's things like solar and wind power, which can never run out.

NICHOLAS: I think we'll see more in the future when people start realising that they're a good thing for the environment.

So that's how these kids feel about wind farms. But what about you? Let us know on our website.

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Now to wind farms which were a hot topic of conversation last week after the Prime Minister said they "make a lot of noise" and are "visually awful". He also suggested that he wished there were fewer of them in Australia. But how many are there and how do they actually work?