Renewable/Non-renewable Resources

Classification Of Resources

What is a non-renewable energy resource?

An energy resource that is not replaced or is replaced only very slowly by natural processes

Fossil fuels are continually produced by the decay of plant and animal matter, but the rate of their production is extremely slow, very much slower than the rate at which we use them.

Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are considered nonrenewable because they can not be replenished in a short period of time. These are called fossil fuels.

Types:

Coal

Oil

Nuclear

Natural Gas

Tar Sands and Oil Shale

Coal (fossil fuel)

• A carbon-based liquid formed from fossilized animals.

• Lakes of oil are sandwiched between seams of rock in the earth.

• Pipes are sunk down to the reservoirs to pump the oil out.

• Widely used in industry and transport.

• Ready-made fuel.

• It is relatively cheap to mine and to convert into energy.

• Coal supplies will last longer than oil or gas.

• When burned coal gives off atmospheric pollutants, including greenhouse gases.

Coal Mining

Oil (fossil fuel)

• A carbon-based liquid formed from fossilized animals.

• Lakes of oil are sandwiched between seams of rock in the earth.

• Pipes are sunk down to the reservoirs to pump the oil out.

• Widely used in industry and transport.

• Oil is a ready-made fuel.

• Relatively cheap to extract and to convert into energy.

• When burned, it gives off atmospheric pollutants, including greenhouse gases.

• Only a limited supply.

Pros.

•Non-renewable sources are cheap and easy to use. You can easily fill up your car tank and power your motor vehicle. •You can use small amount of nuclear energy to produce large amount of power. •Non-renewable have little or no competition at all. For egg: if you are driving a battery driven car your battery gets discharged then you won’t be able to charge it in the middle if the road rather it is easy to find a gas pumping station.

Cons.

Non-renewable sources will expire some day and we have to us our endangered resources to create more non-renewable sources of energy.

The speed at which such resources are being utilized can have serious environmental changes.

Non-renewable sources release toxic gases in the air when burnt which are the major cause for global warming.

Since these sources are going to expire soon, prices of these sources are soaring day by day.

What is a renewable energy resource?

Renewable energy is natural energy which does not have a limited supply.

Renewable energy can be used again and again, and will never run out.

Types: Biomass Hydro-electric Geothermal Solar

Solar energy

Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the sun harnessed using a range of ever-evolving technologies such as solar heating, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal energy, solar architecture and artificial photosynthesis.

It is an important source of renewable energy and its technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture and distribute solar energy or convert it into solar power. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic systems, concentrated solar power and solar water heating to harness the energy.

Hydal Energy

Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy, accounting for 16 percent of global electricity generation –

Pros

•The sun, wind, geothermal, ocean energy are available in the abundant quantity and free to use. •The non-renewable sources of energy that we are using are limited and are bound to expire one day. •Renewable sources have low carbon emissions, therefore they are considered as green and environment friendly. •Renewable helps in stimulating the economy and creating job opportunities. The money that is used to build these plants can provide jobs to thousands to lakhs of people. •You don’t have to rely on any third country for the supply of renewable sources as in case of non-renewable sources.

Cons

•It is not easy to set up a plant as the initial costs are quite steep. •Solar energy can be used during the day time and not during night or rainy season. •Geothermal energy which can be used to generate electricity has side effects too. It can bring toxic chemicals beneath the earth surface onto the top and can create environmental changes. •Hydroelectric provide pure form of energy but building dams across the river which is quite expensive can affect natural flow and affect wildlife. •To use wind energy, you have to rely on strong winds therefore you have to choose suitable site to operate them. Also, they can affect bird population as they are quite high

How do we conserve energy Energy needs to be conserved to protect our

environment from drastic changes, to save the depleting resources for our future generations. The rate at which the energy is being produced and consumed can damage our world in many ways. In other words, it helps us to save the environment. We can reduce those impacts by consuming less energy. The cost of energy is rising every year. It is important for us to realize how energy is useful to us and how can we avoid it getting wasted. Home energy audits in Calabasas will develop custom solutions to keep the energy efficiency of your home at its highest level. -