ENERGY AND ITS TYPES

ENERGY

· It is the ability to do work.

· Power derived from the utilization of physical or chemical resources, especially to provide light and
heat to work machines. E.g., nuclear energy, solar energy, etc…

TYPES OF ENERGY

1. RENEWABLE 2. NON-RENEWABLE

RENEWABLE ENERGY

· Renewable energy is energy derived from natural resources that are replenished at a higher rate than
they are consumed. Sunlight and wind energy, for example, are such sources that are constantly
being replenished.

· Renewable resources are plentiful and all around us.

· Renewable resources are now cheaper in most countries and generate three times more jobs than
fossil fuels.

SOLAR ENERGY

· Solar energy is the most abundant of all energy resources and can in harnessed in cloudy weather.

· The rate at which the earth intercepts solar energy is about 10,000 times greater than the rate at
which humankind consumes energy.

· Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy through photovoltaic panels or mirrors that
concentrate solar radiation.

WIND ENERGY

· Wind energy harnesses the kinetic energy of moving air by using large wind turbines located on land
(onshore), sea, or freshwater (offshore).

· Wind energy has been used for millennia, but onshore and offshore wind energy technologies have
evolved over the last few years to minimize the electricity produced with taller turbines and larger
rotor diameters.

· The best location for generating wind power are sometimes remote ones, offshore wind power offers
tremendous potential.

HYDROPOWER
· Hydropower harnesses the energy of water moving from higher to lower elevations. It can be
generated from reservoirs and rivers.

· Reservoir hydropower plants rely on stored water in a reservoir, while run-off-river hydropower plants
harness energy from the available flow of the river.

· Uses- providing drinking water, water for irrigation, flood and drought control, navigation services, as
well as energy supply.

· It is currently the largest source of renewable energy.

OCEAN ENERGY

· Ocean energy is derived from technologies that use the kinetic and thermal energy of seawater
waves or currents for instance to produce electricity or heat.

· Ocean energy systems are still at an early stage of development, with a number of prototype wave
and tidal current devices being explored. The theoretical potential for ocean energy easily exceeds
present human energy requirements.

BIOENERGY

· Bioenergy is produced from several organic materials, called biomass, such as wood, charcoal, dung,
and other measures for heat and power production, and crops for liquid biofuels.

· Most biomass is used in rural areas for cooking, lighting, and space building, generally by poorer
populations in developing countries.

· Modern biomass systems include dedicated crops or trees, residues from agriculture and forestry, and
various organic waste streams.

· Energy created by burning biomass creates greenhouse gas emissions, but at lower levels than burning
fossil fuels like coal, oil, or gas.

NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY

§ Unknown renewable resource refers to a natural resource that is beneath the Earth which when
consume does not replenish at the same speed at which it is used up.

§ The resources typically take millions of years to develop. The main examples of non-renewable
resources are fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas which humans circularly draw to produce
energy.

FOSSIL FUELS

· Fossil fuels are formed due to the continuous heating and compression of organic matter buried
beneath the earth's surface.

· The organic matter mainly comprises plants and animal remains that have decomposed, heated, and
compressed over millions of years to form fossil deposits.
· The deposits are extracted through drilling or mining and they can be in liquid, gas, or solid form.

· Fossil fuels are highly combustible, making them a rich source of energy.

CRUDE OIL

· Also referred to as petroleum, is the only non-renewable source that is extracted in liquid form.

· It is found between the layers of the earth’s crust, or between the rocks.

· It is used to produce gasoline and diesel to power motor vehicles and manufacture plastics, heating
oil, propane, and jet fuels, as well as artificial food flavors.

NATURAL GAS

· It is a gaseous non-renewable resource that is found below the earth’s crust but near crude oil
deposits in the subsurface.

· Natural gas is used for heating homes, as well as for cooking in gas ovens, stoves, and grills.

COAL

· It is created by compressed organic matter, and it contains carbon and hydrocarbon matter.

· It is formed from plant-filled swamps that have been covered by sediments for millions of years.

· The main type of coal are anthracite, lignite, bituminous coal, and sub-bituminous coal.

NUCLEAR ENERGY (URANIUM)

· It is primarily obtained through the mining and refining of uranium ore, a naturally occurring
radioactive element below the earth’s surface.

· Uranium is found in small quantities, and miners often gather the uranium deposits for refining and
purification.

· The mineral generated power through a process known as nuclear fusion, which creates enough
pressure to run turbines and generate nuclear power.

PETROLEUM

· Formed by hydrocarbon (a compound made up of carbon and hydrogen) with the addition of certain
other substances, primarily sulphur.