Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Resources

Outcomes:

Classify a range of renewable and non-renewable resources.
outline features of some non-renewable resources including metal ores and fossil fuels.
investigate strategies used to conserve and manage non-renewable resources.

Types of energy resources

There are two types of energy: renewable and non-renewable.

Non-renewable energy includes coal, gas and oil. Most cars, trains and planes use non-renewable energy. They are made by burning fossil fuels to create energy.

Renewable energy includes solar, hydro and wind energy. Wind energy is made when the wind moves the blades on a wind turbine. This movement creates wind energy which is converted into electrical energy.

Non-renewable Energy Sources

FOSSIL FUELS

Coal, oil, and gas are called fossil fuels because they were formed from the remains of animals and plants that were buried by layers of sediment millions of years ago. Most of the energy used today comes from burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy, which means that once they have been used they can never be replaced.

OIL AND GAS

Many of the world’s oil and gas supplies are found in rock under the sea, from where they are extracted through pipes drilled into the seabed from production platforms. Where oil and gas are found together, they were formed from the bodies of microscopic marine organisms. Oil is a source of chemicals as well as fuel.

COAL

Coal is formed by the burial of plant remains before they rot completely. Surface deposits of vegetation form layers of peat that become lignite and coal as they are more deeply buried over time. Burial compresses the plant remains and squeezes out any water. Further pressure turns coal into anthracite.

NUCLEAR

Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions that release nuclear energy to generate heat, which most frequently is then used in steam turbines to produce electricity in a nuclear power plant.

INSIDE A NUCLEAR POWER STATION

Nuclear reactions take place in the fission reactor of a nuclear power station. Coolant (cold water) is pumped around the reactor and is turned to steam by the heat generated by the reactions. The steam drives an electricity-generating machine called a turbine.

non-renewable energyNon-renewable energy comes from sources that will eventually run out, such as oil and coal. 

Renewable Energy Sources

Long after fossil fuels have run out, the tides will still be turning, the wind will still be blowing, and the Sun will still be shining. Ocean, wind, and solar power is called renewable energy because it never runs out. Using renewable energy is better for the environment. Unlike fossil fuels, it produces no harmful pollution and does not add to the problem of global warming.

Solar

Solar energy is made when solar cells (or solar panels) convert sunlight into electrical energy. The cells were invented in the 1880s. Once set up they have no carbon emissions and no negative environmental impacts. However they are still quite expensive and there are some environmental impacts in their construction and disposal.

A solar panel can be made up of many small solar photovoltaic cells. A photovoltaic cell is an electronic device that converts light into electricity. When sunlight falls on the cell, it makes electrons move from one layer of the cell to the other. The movement of electrons makes electricity flow through the cell, and out through wires to be used or collected in a battery.

Wind

Wind power, which uses windmills to transform wind energy into electricity. It is used for less than 1% of the world’s energy needs. But wind energy is growing fast. Every year, 30% more wind energy is used to create electricity.

Wind can be used instead of steam to spin a turbine in a generator. It is natural and renewable and many wind turbines exist in long rows on wind farms

Tidal

It has been estimated that wave energy alone could power the entire Earth five times over! The only problem has been working out how to do it. Wave energy uses the energy of waves to drive air turbines to produce electricity.

Tidal energy can be used to drive turbines in the water to generate electricity. The major drawback of tidal power is that it only provides a relatively small amount of electricity and has a negative impact on the nearby natural environment.

As the tides ebb and flow, they make water move back and forth in rivers that end in estuaries at the coast. A tidal power generator is a type of bridge that blocks the mouth of an estuary so the tide has to move through it. Each time the water flows in or out, it turns a turbine inside the power generator and produces electricity.

Hydropower

Hydro-electric energy (hydro means water) is produced by falling water that turns turbines to produce electricity. It accounts for about 19% of the world’s energy production. Hydro-electric schemes need a constant water supply and are often built in high-altitude areas such as in the mountains. The water supply is held in dams and then released to cause fast-flowing water, which turns the turbines efficiently. Hydro-electric power in Australia meets about 4.5% of our electricity needs. The main installations are in Tasmania and in the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales.

Hydropower, which uses the energy of moving water to turn turbines (similar to windmills) or water wheels, that create electricity. This form of energy produces no waste or pollution. It is a renewable resource.

Biomass

Biomass is the mass of biological organisms. It is usually used to describe the amount of organic matter in a trophic level of an ecosystem. Biomass production involves using organic matter ("biomass") from plants to create electricity. Using corn to make ethanol fuel is an example of biomass generated energy. Biomass is generally renewable.

We get our own energy to power our bodies from the foods we eat. This includes both plants and animals. However, we may also obtain some of our other energy requirements from living things. Some petrol stations in Australia offer a greener type of petrol for cars called E10. This contains 10% of a chemical called ethanol. Most cars that run on regular unleaded fuel can use E10 without any modifications to the car. Worldwide, the use of ethanol-blended petrol is increasing, with Brazil and the United States being the largest users.

The ethanol used in petrol is known as a biofuel and is a form of renewable energy. It can be made from crops such as sugar cane, potato and corn. These crops can be grown over and over using the sun’s energy and so the fuel is considered renewable. Some companies plan to increase the ethanol content up to 85% (only 15% petrol) but only some cars could use this at present. The plan is to improve technology in order for E85 to be created from household waste.

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy comes from heat beneath the surface of the Earth. The superheated liquid rock under the Earth’s surface is called magma. Magma heats the layers of rock above and below it. This heat is geothermal energy and some of it is released as steam. The steam can be used to turn a turbine and generator, creating electricity. Australia is very geologically stable (we have no active volcanoes on the mainland of Australia), as a result, Australia’s only geothermal power station is in the town of Birdsville in western Queensland.

This form of energy is not generated by the Sun. It is made by the nuclear reactions taking place all the time deep inside the Earth. These make heat energy in the Earth’s core, and the heat moves around inside the Earth by convection. Volcanoes and hot geysers release geothermal energy at the Earth’s surface.

GEOTHERMAL PLANT- A geothermal energy plant takes its power from the Earth’s heat. It works by pumping cold water down a hole drilled into the Earth. The Earth’s geothermal energy heats up the water and it returns to the surface as hot water and steam. The hot water can be pumped to homes and factories nearby. The steam is used to drive a turbine and make electricity.

Questions

Construct a table listing renewable and non-renewable resources. Add a description of the features of each type of resource.
Identify the sphere each resources is extracted from in another column of your table.
What is a renewable resource? Give two examples.
What does sustainable mean?
What are three ways that renewable resources can be used to generate energy?
Compare and contrast nonrenewable and renewable energy resources.
Argue for the use of any two renewable energy resources.

Research Task

Choose one renewable and one non-renewable source of energy: solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear, coal, petrol, natural gas, tidal, wood, hydroelectric

Research the following for each energy source and write a one-page summary in your exercise book.

Energy type (name)
Is this a renewable or a non-renewable type of energy? Explain your answer.
Describe how this source of energy is produced.
Describe two advantages of using this energy source.
Describe two disadvantages of using this energy source.
Do you think this energy source should be a major source of energy in Australia? Why or why not?

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