Renewable and Non Renewable Energy Sources

Nonrenewable Energy Sources

   A nonrenewable energy source is a natural energy source in limited supply. While these energy sources may be plentiful, they cannot be produced at all or as quickly as they are consumed. In addition to these resources being limited, not only the burning but also the extraction of these energy sources has dire consequences to our environment.

Petroleum

   Petroleum, also known as crude oil, is a naturally occurring toxic combustible liquid primarily made up of hydrocarbons. Petroleum is the result of partial decay of living organisms occurring in the rock strata of certain geological formations.

Coal

   Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock formed from fossilized plants. Coal consists of amorphous carbon with various organic and some inorganic compounds and is normally occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds.

Natural Gas

   Natural gas is a combustible mixture of hydrocarbon gases that occurs with petroleum deposits consisting primarily of methane. It is found with other fossil fuels and in coal beds and is created by the decay of methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills. Lower temperatures are likely to produce more petroleum, and higher temperatures are likely to produce more natural gas.

Nuclear Power

   Nuclear power is produced by controlled nuclear fission (splitting atoms). In most cases nuclear power plants use nuclear fission reactions to heat water, using the steam to produce electricity. Uranium, specifically, uranium -235, is one of the few elements easily fissioned.

Renewable Energy Sources

Geothermal

   Geothermal energy is power extracted from heat stored under the earth’s crust. This power source is generally cost effective, usually reliable, mostly sustainable, and generally environmentally friendly. Historically, geothermal energy extraction has been limited to areas near tectonic plate boundaries. Recent advances in technology have significantly widened the range of viable resources, especially for applications such as home heating.

Wind

   Wind power is a renewable energy that is growing at a rate of 30% a year and is virtually benign to the environment. There are three minor problems with wind energy: wind is not available in sufficient quantity everywhere all the time, the turbines can be loud, and birds sometimes fly into the propellers and get killed. New technologies are helping to solve or reduce these issues.

Solar

   Solar energy has been used by humans since ancient times. There are three types of solar energy: passive solar energy, active solar energy, and solar energy created by converting solar radiation into electricity using photovoltaic cells. Solar energy using photovoltaic cells is the fastest growing power generating technology in the world at this time. And the technology is advancing rapidly with exciting changes and much greater efficiency.

Hydropower Dams

   Hydropower to produce electricity is power created from the force of moving water. Modern large scale hydropower impacts the environment through habitat loss, changes to the riverbed downstream, disrupting spawning, and the loss of fish and other species.

Tidal Hydropower

   This is a form of hydropower where the rising tide fills a damned reservoir, then as the tide lowers, the water is released through a turbine that produces electricity. There are no significant environmental threats known with this renewable energy.

Wave Hydropower

   Wave power involves extracting energy from the surface motion of waves or from the pressure fluctuations below the surface caused by waves.

Radiant Energy

   This energy is used for heating. An obvious example is using solar to heat the water for a hot water heater or a swimming pool. Enertia homes use radiant heat from the earth to heat themselves.

BioMass

   Biomass is biological material from recently living or currently living organisms such as trees and landfill gasses and alcohol fuels. Burning grease or fuel ethanol derived from corn to run a vehicle are two common examples of biomass energy production.

 

Issue 6 | July/August 2010

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