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Student Profile

Name: Pratyush Agrawal

Class: X

Section: L

Roll Number: 13453

Topic: Energy Resources

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CHAPTER 1:
INTRODUCTION
Energy Resources
Energy is one of the most important components of economic infrastructure. In a
developing economy, the energy demand is high from sectors like agriculture, industry,
residential and economical. Energy resources are very much necessary for the
existence of mankind.
Energy resources are the source of power and electricity that is required in practically
every sphere of our life, both in domestic and commercial vectors.
Energy resources can be broadly classified as i) conventional
ii) non-conventional sources of energy.

1) Conventional Source of Energy: When we cannot reuse a source of energy after

using it once we call them “conventional sources of energy”. Sources such as
coal, petroleum gas and natural gas, that have been in use for a long period of
time and are still hugely used for the generation of power, are expensive,
exhaustible and cause widespread pollution. The only exception here, is
Hydroelectric power. Coal, petroleum and natural gas account for about 90% of
world’s production of commercial energy whereas hydroelectric and nuclear power
account for about 10%.

2) Non-Conventional Source of Energy: Natural resources like wind, tides solar,

biomass generate energy which is known as “non-conventional resources”.
These are pollution free and hence we can use these to produce a clean form of
energy without any wastage. Such sources of energy are renewable,
inexhaustible, cheaper and non-polluting. As the consumption of energy grows, the
population depends more and more on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas day by
day. There is a need to secure the energy supply for future since the prices of gas
and oil keep rising by each passing day.
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CHAPTER 2:
CONVENTIONAL ENERGY RESOURCES.
Advantages
1) The fossil fuels are energy rich
resources that combust easily and
release a good amount of energy
when burned, thus supporting
heavy energy requirements.
2) The power generated from the
energy resources are consistent,
and can be stored and used on
demand, helping in prevention of
wastage.
3) While there is a cost to the raw
material in the case of fossil fuels,
their high calorific value results in a
relatively low cost per unit of
energy. Hydropower is also one of
the less expensive sources of
electricity.
4) Hydropower, being a conventional
source of energy, is still renewable
as it uses a natural source, i.e.,
water. Hence, it can sustain energy
requirements for generations to
come.
5) The fossil fuel resources can be
transported easily to the areas of
power generation, by road, rail and
waterways.
Disadvantages
The energy resources aren’t eco-
friendly, except for hydropower,
since they involve huge carbon
emissions that pollute the
environment, leading to global
warming.
The mining, extraction and
combustion of fossil fuels lead to a
release of a lot of poisonous gases
into the atmosphere. This not only
poses grave risks to health but also
scars the landscape, except for
hydropower.
The conventional energy resources,
except for hydropower, are non-
renewable and this supply
challenge is one of the biggest
disadvantages. Over-utilization of
these resources over a period of
time, will deplete the current
reserves.
Though hydropower itself is
environment friendly, the dams that
are constructed to harness it, can
bring about ecological imbalances,
intense flooding and cause damage
to the environment.
These sources of energy ae not
cheap. The transportation cost of
the fossil fuels can be an expensive
proportion too.
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Chapter 3:
EXAMPLES OF CONVENTIONAL ENERGY RESOURCES.
Coal
Advantages and Uses:
• Coal is used as a heating and cooking fuel in the domestic sector, as a major
source of energy, and can be converted to gas, oil and thermal electricity.
• It forms a basic raw material for producing many products and is used in steel
industries for smelting iron-ore in blast furnaces.
• Its by-products are a number of products all of which have multifarious uses.
Disadvantages:
• Burning of coal is a major source of air pollution and greenhouse emission. The
use of coal releases Sulphur dioxide, Carbon mono-oxide and heavy metals like
Mercury.
• Coal takes millions of years to form, therefore it's a finite resource that is being
used faster than it is being replenished. Thus, it is not sustainable.
• Coal mining tends to make the land barren due to deforestation.
Distribution: Important centers for coal mining and the states they are located in:-
Raniganj(W.B.); Jharia, Bokaro, Giridih(Jharkhand); Singareni, Kothagudem
(Andhra);Korba, Rampur(Chattisgarh);Kamptee, Umrer, Wardha(Maharashtra);Peach
valley, Singrauli(M.P.);Talcher, Sambalpur(Odisha)

Petroleum
Advantages and Uses:
• It is used as a source of power and fuel for automobiles, aircrafts and ships.
• It is used for the generation of thermal power.
• Its by-products include lubricants, paraffin wax, petroleum jelly, tar, asphalt etc.
• It can be used to form petrochemical products such as plastics, paints etc.
Disadvantages:
• Burning of petroleum products releases high amounts of CO2 and other
greenhouse gases making them the primary contributors to climate change.
• Its resources are limited and are non-renewable.
• Oil-spills during transportation and offshore exploration of petroleum can cause
pollution of land and water. Marine ecosystem too gets affected due to oil spills.
Distribution: In India, the resources in petroleum are small and they are confined to
Nahar-Katia-Moran area in Upper Assam, Digboi, Bombay High and off the Bassien
structure.
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CHAPTER 4:
NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY RESOURCES
Advantages
These resources are all clean
energy resources that are co-
friendly, reduce our carbon
footprint and do not emit
greenhouse gases that pollute the
environment.
They are based on natural
resources and waste resources
that are free to use, thus they are
economically beneficial.
Natural resources such as the
sun, wind, tides and geothermal
energy are all inexhaustible and
hence can provide a sustainable
source of energy for all times.
Sources such as nuclear energy
are extremely energy-efficient with
1 ton of uranium providing more
energy than 3 million tonnes of
coal.
Disadvantages
Wind turbine farms create noise
pollution. Nuclear reactors create
toxic wastes that are harmful to
living things, thus making storage,
transport and disposal a serious
challenge.
When the supply is in-consistent
and unreliable, large quantities of
power might not be generated from
these energy sources. This is
problematic if a country wants to
depend on the energy source to
meet the demands of powering an
entire nation.
Wind energy farms are notorious for
harming species of birds, bats and
insects with windmill blades. The
construction of facilities to take
advantage of ocean energy can
destabilize marine ecosystems,
adversely affecting both nesting
grounds and hunting grounds,
threatening the future of entire
species.
If unfavorable economics exist,
these non-conventional energy
sources can turn out to be too costly
and in-efficient to be relied upon.
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CHAPTER 5:
EXAMPLES OF NON- CONVENTIONAL ENERGY RESOURCES
Solar Energy
Generation:
Solar radiation may be converted directly into electricity by solar cells
(photovoltaic cells). In such cells, a small electric voltage is generated when light
strikes the junction between a metal and a semi-conductor (such as silicon) or the
junction between two different semi-conductors.
USES:
• It is renewable and inexhaustible as long as the sun continues to shine.
• It is a clean source of fuel.
• It reduces pressure on fossil fuels and cuts down on electricity bills.
DISTRIBUTION: Solar power generation is picking up pace in areas with favorable
solar radiation conditions such as Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra,
who are trailed by states such as Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Bihar, Kerala, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha in installed solar energy
capacity.
WIND ENERGY
GENERATION: Wind energy is usually generated with the help of wind turbines.
Wind turbines use blades to collect the wind’s kinetic energy. Wind flows over the
blades creating lift, which causes the blades to turn. The blades are connected to
a drive shaft that turns an electric generator, which produces (generates)
electricity.
Uses:
• It is clean, sustainable and cost effective in the long run.
• It produces no greenhouse gases or any other waste.
DISTRIBUTION: Generated in coastal states with fast moving, steady winds, such
as Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Other states include Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan.
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CHAPTER 6:
CONCLUSION
Our lives today are hugely dependent on energy, and the covid-19 pandemic has
highlighted our need for sustainable, renewable and consistent supply of energy.
We need energy produced from these various sources to get through the ‘new
normal’ that has been created by this pandemic. However, the pandemic is not
the only crisis mankind is facing, as we are also involved in a battle against global
warming, which has brought a drastic change to Mother Earth and her climate.
Therefore, it is important that we as students, understand the different types of
energy sources, examine their pros and cons, and come to a rational and well
thought-out conclusion for our future, and the future of many generations to
come.