Energy is transferred between organisms in food webs from producers to consumers. The energy is used by organisms to carry out complex tasks. The vast majority of energy that exists in food webs originates from the sun and is converted (transformed) into chemical energy by the process of photosynthesis in plants.

what happens to energy as it flows through a web? as you move through the food web, energy is lost at each trophic level.

The chemical energy storied as nutrients in the bodies and wastes of organisms flows through ecosystems from one trophic level to the next and through this flow energy also is lost as heat. During this process with every transfer of energy between organisms, some energy is released as heat.

Energy decreases as it moves up trophic levels because energy is lost as metabolic heat when the organisms from one trophic level are consumed by organisms from the next level. Trophic level transfer efficiency (TLTE) measures the amount of energy that is transferred between trophic levels.

Different types of generators are used to create energy. Electrical energy is caused by moving electric charges called electrons. In power stations, turbines are turned using energy from sources such as heat, wind and moving water. Generators are machines for converting motion energy into electricity.

Our energy supply comes mainly from fossil fuels, with nuclear power and renewable sources rounding out the mix. These sources originate mostly in our local star, the Sun.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, most of the nation’s electricity was generated by natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy in 2019. Electricity is also produced from renewable sources such as hydropower, biomass, wind, geothermal, and solar power.

• Energy in the United States comes mostly from fossil fuels: in 2010, data showed that 25% of the nation’s energy originates from petroleum, 22% from coal, and 22% from natural gas.
• The United States was the second-largest energy consumer in 2010 after China.

California

The most popular renewable energy sources currently are:

• Solar energy.
• Wind energy.
• Hydro energy.
• Tidal energy.
• Geothermal energy.
• Biomass energy.

Nuclear Has The Highest Capacity Factor As you can see, nuclear energy has by far the highest capacity factor of any other energy source. This basically means nuclear power plants are producing maximum power more than 93% of the time during the year.

nuclear energy

Pros of Hydroelectric Energy

• It’s Good for the Environment.
• It’s a Renewable Resource.
• It’s Reliable and Highly Efficient.
• It’s Flexible.
• It’s Safe.
• It’s Economical.
• It’s Great for Recreational Use.
• It’s a Fundamental Vehicle for Development.

Disadvantages of Hydroelectric Energy

• Impact on Fish. To create a hydro plant, a running water source must be dammed.
• Limited Plant Locations.
• Higher initial Costs.
• Carbon and Methane Emissions.
• Susceptible to Droughts.
• Flood Risk.

Advantages of Hydroelectricity: It is a clean and non-polluting source of energy. No fuel is required….Disadvantages of Hydroelectricity:

• Highly expensive.
• Large areas of human habitation and agricultural fields are submerged.
• Dams can be made in limited areas.

Pros and cons of hydropower

Hydroelectric power is not perfect, however, and does have some significant disadvantages: Hydropower is non-polluting, but does have environmental impacts. Hydroelectric power plants can cause a loss or modification of fish habitat, and lead to the entrapment of fish and the restriction of their passages.

Hydropower fell out of favor in the ’90s because of the harm it can cause to communities and ecosystems. However, a recent push from the World Bank for more hydro projects worldwide, especially in developing countries, could lead to a resurgence of hydropower plants, the Washington Post reports.

Hydroelectric powerplants are the most efficient means of producing electric energy. The efficiency of today’s hydroelectric plant is about 90 percent.

In the U.S., hydropower is produced for an average of 0.85 cents per kilowatt-hour (kwh). This is about 50% the cost of nuclear, 40% the cost of fossil fuel, and 25% the cost of using natural gas.

Three Ways to Increase Hydropower Efficiency and Revenues

1. Method 1: Operational Improvements. Existing plants are eligible for several operational changes.
2. Method 2: New Technologies.
3. Method 3: Electricity Market Opportunities.
4. Next Steps for Hydropower.