Non-renewable and Renewable Sources of Energy

Non-renewable and Renewable Sources of Energy: Did you know that the world’s leading furniture retailer IKEA rely on solar power and have installed over \(75,000\) solar panels on their stores and other buildings? In a bid to tackle climate change, IKEA has pledged to undertake relevant measures to improve its impact on the environment. 

Since ancient times, we humans have used the resources available on the Earth for our survival and production of energy. Resources used to produce energy are generally classified into two main categories. These are renewable and non-renewable sources. The main differences between both source types are due to availability and renewal times, production and transportation cost, environment and human impact. Let’s explore their main features and the major differences.

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Renewable Energy Source

Renewable energy sources are generated from natural resources and can be replenished. By opting for renewable energy resources, we can help promote environmental sustainability.
A renewable energy source means it is endless, like the Sun. These kinds of energy are also known as alternative energy sources. It refers to energy sources that are alternative to the most widely employed non-sustainable sources, such as coal.

Types of Renewable Sources of Energy

1. Solar Energy

The most abundant andly available energy resource on our planet is sunlight. The energy harnessed from the sunlight is known as solar energy. It may surprise you to learn that the quantity of solar energy that reaches the Earth’s surface in one hour exceeds our planet’s annual energy requirements. However, the amount of solar energy that we can harness varies according to geographical location, the time of day and the season of the year as well.

2. Wind Energy

Wind is a clean source of renewable energy. Wind farms are an increasingly familiar sight, with wind energy making a significant contribution to the National Grid. To harness electricity from wind energy, turbines are required to drive generators which then feed electricity into the National Grid. With \({\rm{37}}{\rm{.5GW}}\) of capacity installed, our country currently ranks fourth in the world in wind power generation after China, the US and Germany 

3. Hydro Energy

Hydral energy is one of the most commercially developed renewable sources of energy. By building a dam or barrier over a large water reservoir, hydro energy can be used to generate electricity. To harness electricity from hydro energy, dams create a controlled flow of water that drives a turbine. This energy source is more reliable than solar or wind energy. The electricity generated from hydropower can be stored for future use when there is high demand.

4. Tidal Energy

Tidal energy is a renewable source of energy that is derived from the natural rise and fall of ocean tides and currents. It is another type of hydro energy that employs tidal currents to power turbine generators is tidal energy. Unlike other renewable resources, tidal energy sources aren’t constant but are highly predictable.

5. Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy refers to the natural heat energy below the Earth’s surface. This thermal energy can be used to power a generator or heat a home. Although it harnesses power directly below our feet, geothermal energy is of negligible importance. However, high or medium temperature resources are needed for electricity generation, which is usually located close to tectonically active regions.

6. Biomass Energy

Biomass is the conversion of agricultural, industrial and domestic waste into solid, liquid and gas fuel that can be further used to generate electricity. Biomass is essentially the combustion of organic materials to generate electricity, although it is now a much cleaner and more energy-efficient process.

Future of Renewable Energy

As the world population booms, the demand for energy to power our homes, businesses and communities increases. Innovation and expansion of renewable energy sources are the keys to maintaining a sustainable energy level and protecting our planet from climate change.

This will lower the cost of renewable energy, which is good for the environment and great for our wallets.

Non-renewable Energy Source

Non-renewable energy sources are sources of energy that cannot be replenished in the future. This means once consumed, it cannot be restored and will eventually run out.

There are four major types of non-renewable energy resources are: 

• Fossil Fuels

These are the remains of plants and animals buried under the Earth around \(300\) to \(360\) million years ago. With the heat of the Earth’s crust and immense pressure, these remains get converted into fossil fuels. The energy in the plant and animal remains comes from the Sun; through the process of photosynthesis. The Sun is the ultimate source of energy for all life forms. Plant tissues store solar energy, which is transferred to animals when they eat them, allowing them to add it to their own bodies. This trapped energy is released when fossil fuels are burned.  

• Crude Oil 

It is also known as liquid fossil fuel is found in rocks below Earth’s surface. It is mostly used to produce gasoline and diesel fuel for vehicles and the manufacturing of plastics. 

• Natural Gas 

It comprises mostly methane and is found in oil deposits below Earth’s surface. It is commonly used for cooking and heating homes. 

• Coal 

It is a solid fossil fuel that is used for cooking, heating homes and generating power plants. It is found in fossilized swamps buried beneath sediment layers. It’ll have to be dug out of the ground.

Non-renewable Energy and Climate Change

When natural gas, oil and coal are burnt, they emit greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. These gases trap heat and drive climate change, and the failure to address this problem is what’s catalyzing the current climate crisis.

Fossil fuels are hydrocarbon-containing materials found in the Earth’s crust. These sources of energy account for the majority of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. The world’s life would be hampered by such a rise in temperature, which would result in severe water shortages, increased air pollution, rising sea levels, habitat loss, heat waves, melting ice sheets, and the destruction of the world’s coral reefs.

Over the past century, humans have been the creators of these gases in the atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuels such as driving a car is the largest source of these emissions.

Nuclear Debate

Experts debate whether nuclear energy should be considered a renewable or non-renewable energy resource.

Supporters of nuclear energy argue that nuclear energy should be considered clean energy. This is because it doesn’t emit carbon dioxide or create any air pollution. Hence, it should be considered renewable. 

However, critics of this strategy argue that uranium mining and processing, as well as the construction of nuclear power plants, are also energy-intensive processes. Moreover, the uranium deposits on the planet are limited, and the production of harmful waste from nuclear reactors will result in radioactive waste.

For these reasons, the US Energy Information Administration considers it as a non-renewable energy resource.

Summary

Our human society is mostly dependent on non-renewable resources as its primary source of energy. We depend on fossil fuels because they are energy-efficient and relatively cheap to process. However, relying too heavily on non-renewable energy sources is non-sustainable. But a major problem with non-renewable resources, aside from their being in limited supply, is that burning them releases heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. Rising levels of these gases in the atmosphere are the main cause of global warming. This page explains what renewable and non-renewable sources are and how one can opt for alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar energy.

FAQs

Q.1. What is a renewable and non-renewable source of energy?
Ans: Renewable resources can replenish themselves at the rate it is used, while a non-renewable resource has a limited supply, i.e., once it is used, it cannot be restored. Renewable resources include Hydral, wind, and solar, while non-renewable resources include coal and natural gas.

Q.2. Can chemical energy be renewable?
Ans: Chemical energy is the stored energy in a chemical substance that allows it to proceed through a chemical reaction or transition into other chemical substances. Chemical energy can be renewable or non-renewable. An example of renewable chemical energy is the process of photosynthesis.

Q.3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of non-renewable energy?
Ans:
Advantages of non-renewable energy
Non-renewable resources are cost-effective and have high energy content compared to renewable. These resources are easy to use and are very easily available. Non-renewable resources involve extracting, transporting and refining; hence they provide employment.
Disadvantages of non-renewable energy
Non- renewable energy can cause severe respiratory problems due to the emission of harmful gases such as carbon monoxide. When burnt, fossil fuels release a large number of greenhouse gases, rapidly destroying the ozone layer. These gases cause acid rain, which is harmful to wildlife as well as human beings.

Q.4. What are the different sources of renewable energy?
Ans: The major types of sources of renewable energy are:

• Solar energy from the Sun.
• Geothermal energy from the heat inside the Earth.
• Wind energy.
• Biomass from plants.
• Hydropower from flowing water.

Q.5. Which source of energy is called non-conventional energy?
Ans: Renewable sources of energy generated by using wind, solar, small hydro, tides, geothermal heat and biomass are known as non-conventional energy. All these sources are the renewable process of energy generation and do not cause environmental pollution.

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