Energy Resources, Introduction, Sources, Types & Map
The primary energy source on Earth is the sun. Know about Energy Resources, Conventional and non-Conventional Energy Sources & their Maps in this article for the UPSC examination.
Table of Contents
Energy Resources
The traditional definition of energy is the capacity of a system to perform labour, but as energy can take many different forms, it is challenging to come up with a single, all-encompassing definition. It is an attribute of an item that can be changed or transferred from one object to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed. Energy comes from a variety of places.
Mineral fuels are necessary for the production of electricity, which is needed by industry, transportation, and other economic sectors. The traditional energy sources include nuclear energy minerals and fossil fuels including coal, petroleum, and natural gas. These conventional sources are finite, run out and exhaust with time.
Energy Resources Types
Natural sources of energy can be divided into two categories i.e, Conventional Sources of Energy and Non-Conventional Sources of Energy.
Difference between Conventional Sources of Energy and Non-Conventional Sources of Energy
| These resources are exhaustible and run out eventually. | These resources are in-exhaustible and never run out. |
| These resources release smoke and ash, which contribute to pollution. | Typically, these resources don’t cause any pollution. |
| The upkeep, storage, and transmission of these resources are exceedingly costly. | These resources are less expensive, and they are also simple to manage. |
| Coal, natural gas, petroleum, and water power are among the examples. | Solar, biomass, wind, biogas, tidal, and geothermal energy are some examples. |
Conventional Energy Sources
One of the vital minerals, coal is primarily employed in the production of thermal energy and the smelting of iron ore. Gondwana and tertiary deposits are the two main geological eras in which coal can be found in rock sequences. In India, bituminous coal accounts for over 80% of the non-coking quality coal reserves.
The Damodar Valley is home to India’s most significant Gondwana coal deposits.They are located in the Jharkhand-Bengal coal belt, which has significant coalfields such as Raniganj, Jharia, Bokaro, Giridih, and Karanpura.The largest coal field is Jharia, followed by Raniganj. The Godavari, Mahanadi, and Sone river valleys are the others that are connected to coal. The most significant coal mining areas are Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh, Singareni in Telangana, Pandur in Andhra Pradesh, Talcher and Rampur in Odisha, Korba in Chhattisgarh, Talcher and Rampur in Odisha, Chanda-Wardha, Kamptee and Bander in Maharashtra.
Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Nagaland all have tertiary coal deposits. It is obtained from the Meghalayan regions of Darangiri, Cherrapunji, Mewlong, and Langrin; upper Assamese regions of Makum, Jaipur, and Nazira; the Arunachal Pradesh regions of Namchik-Namphuk; and Kalakot (Jammu and Kashmir). In addition, coastal regions in Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, and Pondicherry have brown coal, often known as lignite.
2. Petroleum
Hydrocarbons in liquid and gaseous forms that vary in chemical composition, colour, and specific gravity make up crude petroleum. For all internal combustion engines in automobiles, trains, and aeroplanes, it is a necessary source of energy. Petrochemical industries use its myriad byproducts to make fertiliser, synthetic rubber, synthetic fibre, pharmaceuticals, vaseline, lubricants, wax, soap, and cosmetics. Tertiary-era sedimentary rocks contain crude petroleum.
The Oil and Natural Gas Commission was established in 1956, and since then, oil exploration and production have been actively pursued. The sole oil-producing refinery until 1956 was the Digboi in Assam, but things changed after 1956. New oil reserves have been discovered in the country’s extreme western and eastern regions in recent years.
Digboi, Naharkatiya, and Moran are significant oil-producing regions in Assam. Gujarat has several significant oil reserves, including Ankleshwar, Kalol, Mehsana, Nawagam, Kosamba, and Lunej. Mumbai High, which is located 160 kilometres off the coast of Mumbai, was founded in 1973, and production there started in 1976.
In exploratory wells in the Krishna-Godavari and Kaveri basins on the east coast, oil and natural gas have been discovered. Crude oil, which has numerous contaminants, is the oil that is extracted from the wells. It can’t be used straight up. It requires improvement. India has two different kinds of refineries: (a) market-based and (b) field-based. Field-based refineries are illustrated by Digboi, while market-based refineries are illustrated by Barauni.
3. Natural Gas
In order to transport and market natural gas, the Gas Authority of India Limited was established as a public sector enterprise in 1984. It is found in all oil fields alongside oil, however, there are exclusive reserves in Tripura, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra as well as along the eastern coast (Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh).
Energy Resources Maps
Below are the Maps of the Energy Resources Maps of India
Non-Conventional Energy Sources
Coal, petroleum, natural gas, and nuclear energy all use finite raw materials as their primary energy source. Only renewable energy sources like sun, wind, hydro geothermal, and biomass are considered sustainable energy sources. These energy sources are more environmentally responsible and evenly dispersed. After the initial cost is covered, non-conventional energy sources will offer more consistent, eco-friendly, and less expensive energy.
1. Nuclear Energy
In recent years, nuclear energy has shown to be a reliable source. Uranium and thorium are significant minerals utilised in the production of nuclear energy. The Dharwar rocks contain uranium reserves. Geographically, it is known that uranium ores can be found along the Singbhum Copper belt in a number of areas. Additionally, it can be found in the districts of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, Durg in Chhattisgarh, Alwar, and Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, and Udaipur, Alwar, and Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan. Monazite and ilmenite in the beach sands of Kerala and Tamil Nadu’s coasts are the main sources of thorium. The richest monazite deposits in the world are found in the Keralan districts of Palakkad and Kollam, close to Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and near the Mahanadi river delta in Odisha.
The Atomic Energy Commission was founded in 1948, but advancements couldn’t be achieved until the Atomic Energy Institute in Trombay was founded in 1954 and later renamed the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in 1967. The significant nuclear energy projects are those at Tarapur in Maharashtra, Rahatbhata near Kota in Rajasthan, Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu, Narora in Uttar Pradesh, Kaiga in Karnataka, and Kakarapara in Gujarat.
2. Solar Energy
Solar energy is created by harnessing the sun’s rays in photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaics and solar thermal technology are two methods that are thought to be particularly effective in harnessing solar energy. Comparatively speaking, solar thermal energy has some advantages over all other non-renewable energy sources. It is affordable, environmentally friendly, and simple to build.
Solar power is 10% more efficient than nuclear power and 7% more efficient than coal or oil-based systems. Appliances like heaters, crop dryers, cookers, etc. typically use it more. Gujarat and Rajasthan in western India have the most potential for the growth of solar energy.
3. Wind Power
Wind power is a limitless, pollution-free source of electricity. The process of converting wind energy is straightforward. Through the use of turbines, wind energy’s kinetic energy is transformed into electrical energy. As a source of energy, the trade winds, westerlies, and seasonal wind patterns like the monsoon have all been exploited.
Other than these, it is also possible to generate power using local winds, land breezes, and sea breezes. India has already begun producing wind energy. It has an ambitious plan to erect 250 wind turbines with a combined 45 megawatts of power in 12 suitable spots, primarily along the coast. To reduce the cost of oil imports, India’s Ministry of Non-Conventional Sources of Energy is fostering the growth of wind energy.
More than 50,000 megawatts of wind energy can be produced in India, of which only one-fourth is feasible to use. Conditions are favourable for wind energy in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
4. Tidal and Wave Energy
Ocean currents are a never-ending source of energy. Continuous efforts have been made from the beginning of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to develop a more effective energy system using constant tidal waves and ocean currents.
The west coast of India is known to experience large tidal waves. As a result, India has a lot of potential for tidal energy production along the coasts, but this potential has not yet been realised.
5. Geothermal Energy
Extreme heat is emitted as magma from the earth’s interior rises to the surface. It is possible to successfully harness and transform this thermal energy into electrical energy. In addition to this, thermal energy is also produced from the hot water that spews from gyser wells. It is commonly referred to as geothermal energy. These days, one of the main energy sources that can be created as a backup supply is thought to be this energy. Since the Middle Ages, people have been using the hot springs and geysers. At Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh, an Indian geothermal energy plant has been put into operation.
6. Bio-energy
Bio-energy is defined as energy produced from biological materials, such as municipal, industrial, and other wastes as well as agricultural residues. A potential source of energy conversion is bioenergy.
It can be transformed into gas for cooking, heat energy, or electrical energy. Along with processing waste and garbage, it will also generate energy. This would boost the quality of life for rural residents in developing nations, lessen environmental pollution, increase independence, and ease the demand for fuel wood. Okhla in Delhi is one such initiative that turns garbage from the city into energy.
Energy Resources Conservation
The difficulty of sustainable development necessitates fusing the pursuit of economic growth with environmental considerations. Traditional resource usage practices generate a significant amount of trash and contribute to other environmental issues. Therefore, conserving resources for future generations is necessary for sustainable growth. The necessity to save resources is critical.
Alternative energy sources including solar, wind, wave and geothermal power provide an endless source of energy. To replace the finite resources, these should be developed. Utilizing scrap metals will allow for the recycling of metals in the case of metallic minerals. Utilizing scrap is particularly important for metals like copper, lead, and zinc, where India has limited deposits. Utilizing alternatives for rare metals may also cut down on usage. Reduced export of strategic and rare minerals is necessary to extend the useful life of the current reserve.
Energy Resources UPSC
Conserving means taking care of and preserving these resources for future generations. As a UPSC aspirant, you should be well aware of the location of various oil refineries and the collaboration of India with various countries in upgrading the refineries. Also, the conservation of energy on an individual level is crucial and switching from conventional to non-conventional energy or alternative energy resources should be encouraged and emphasized. This topic of geography holds immense importance from both Prelims and Mains point of View. The details in the article would help candidates preparing for UPSC 2023.
Energy Resources FAQs
Q) What is the primary sources of energy?
Ans. Sun is the primary source of energy.
Q) What do you mean by conventional sources of energy?
Ans. These resources are exhaustible and run out eventually. Examples are Coal, Petroleum.
Q) Is Nuclear energy conventional or non-conventional resources?
Ans. Nuclear energy is a non-conventional resource Examples are Uranium and Thorium.
Q) Where is the Digboi refinery located?
Ans. It is located in Assam.
Q) What are examples of non-conventional resources?
Ans. Non-conventional resources include solar energy, bioenergy, tidal energy and wind energy.
Other Indian Geography Topics
Other Fundamental Geography Topics
| | |
| | |
Sharing is caring!
What is the primary sources of energy?
Sun is the primary source of energy
What do you mean by conventional sources of energy?
These resources are exhaustible and run out eventually. Examples are Coal, Petroleum.
Is Nuclear energy conventional or non-conventional resources?
Nuclear energy is a non-conventional resource Examples are Uranium and Thorium.
Where is the Digboi refinery located?
It is located in Assam.
What are examples of non-conventional resources?
Non-conventional resources include solar energy, bioenergy, tidal energy and wind energy.
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Trending Event
- TNPSC Group 2 Hall Ticket 2024
- RPSC RAS Notification 2024
- TNPSC Group 1 Result 2024
- CDS 2 Answer Key 2024
- NDA 2 Answer Key 2024
- SSC CGL Tier 1 Admit Card 2024
- TNPSC Group 4 Result 2024
Recent Posts
UPSC Exam 2024
- UPSC Online Coaching
- UPSC Syllabus 2024
- UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024
- UPSC Mains Syllabus 2024
- UPSC Exam Pattern 2024
- UPSC Age Limit 2024
- UPSC Calendar 2025
- UPSC Syllabus in Hindi
- UPSC Full Form
- UPPSC Exam 2024
- UPPSC Calendar
- UPPSC Syllabus 2024
- UPPSC Exam Pattern 2024
- UPPSC Application Form 2024
- UPPSC Eligibility Criteria 2024
- UPPSC Admit card 2024
- UPPSC Salary And Posts
- UPPSC Cut Off
- UPPSC Previous Year Paper
BPSC Exam 2024
- BPSC 70th Notification
- BPSC 69th Exam Analysis
- BPSC Admit Card
- BPSC Syllabus
- BPSC Exam Pattern
- BPSC Cut Off
- BPSC Question Papers
SSC CGL 2024
- SSC CGL Exam 2024
- SSC CGL Syllabus 2024
- SSC CGL Cut off
- SSC CGL Apply Online
- SSC CGL Salary
- SSC CGL Previous Year Question Paper
- SSC CGL Admit Card 2024
- SSC MTS 2024
- SSC MTS Apply Online 2024
- SSC MTS Syllabus 2024
- SSC MTS Salary 2024
- SSC MTS Eligibility Criteria 2024
- SSC MTS Previous Year Paper
SSC Stenographer 2024
- SSC Stenographer Notification 2024
- SSC Stenographer Apply Online 2024
- SSC Stenographer Syllabus 2024
- SSC Stenographer Salary 2024
- SSC Stenographer Eligibility Criteria 2024
SSC GD Constable 2025
- SSC GD Salary 2025
- SSC GD Constable Syllabus 2025
- SSC GD Eligibility Criteria 2025
IMPORTANT EXAMS
- Terms & Conditions
- Return & Refund Policy
- Privacy Policy
The Understand Energy Learning Hub is a cross-campus effort of the Precourt Institute for Energy .
Introduction to Renewable Energy
Exploring our content.
Fast Facts View our summary of key facts and information. ( Printable PDF, 270 KB )
Before You Watch Our Lecture Maximize your learning experience by reviewing these carefully curated readings we assign to our students.
Our Lecture Watch the Stanford course lecture.
Additional Resources Find out where to explore beyond our site.
Fast Facts About Renewable Energy
Principle Energy Uses: Electricity, Heat Forms of Energy: Kinetic, Thermal, Radiant, Chemical
The term “renewable” encompasses a wide diversity of energy resources with varying economics, technologies, end uses, scales, environmental impacts, availability, and depletability. For example, fully “renewable” resources are not depleted by human use, whereas “semi-renewable” resources must be properly managed to ensure long-term availability. The most renewable type of energy is energy efficiency, which reduces overall consumption while providing the same energy service. Most renewable energy resources have significantly lower environmental and climate impacts than their fossil fuel counterparts.
The data in these Fast Facts do not reflect two important renewable energy resources: traditional biomass, which is widespread but difficult to measure; and energy efficiency, a critical strategy for reducing energy consumption while maintaining the same energy services and quality of life. See the Biomass and Energy Efficiency pages to learn more.
Significance
14% of world 🌎 9% of US 🇺🇸
Electricity Generation
30% of world 🌎 21% of US 🇺🇸
Global Renewable Energy Uses
Electricity 65% Heat 26% Transportation 9%
Global Consumption of Renewable Electricity Change
Increase: ⬆ 33% (2017 to 2022)
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency measures such as LED light bulbs reduce the need for energy in the first place
Renewable Resources
Wind Solar Ocean
Semi-Renewable Resources
Hydro Geothermal Biomass
Renewable Energy Has Vast Potential to Meet Global Energy Demand
Solar >1,000x global demand Wind ~3x global demand
Share of Global Energy Demand Met by Renewable Resources
Hydropower 7% Wind 3% Solar 2% Biomass <2%
Share of Global Electricity Generation Met by Renewable Resources
Hydropower 15% Wind 7% Solar 5% Biomass & Geothermal <3%
Global Growth
Hydropower generation increase ⬆6% Wind generation increase ⬆84% Solar generation increase ⬆197% Biofuels consumption increase ⬆23% (2017-2022)
Largest Renewable Energy Producers
China 34% 🇨🇳 US 10% 🇺🇸 of global renewable energy
Highest Penetration of Renewable Energy
Norway 72% 🇳🇴 of the country’s primary energy is renewable
(China is at 16%, the US is at 11%)
Largest Renewable Electricity Producers
China 31% 🇨🇳 US 11% 🇺🇸 of global renewable electricity
Highest Penetration of Renewable Electricity
Albania, Bhutan, CAR, Lesotho, Nepal, & Iceland 100%
Iceland, Ethiopia, Paraguay, DRC, Norway, Costa Rica, Uganda, Namibia, Eswatini, Zambia, Tajikistan, & Sierra Leone > 90% of the country’s primary electricity is renewable
(China is at 31%, the US is at 22%)
Share of US Energy Demand Met by Renewable Resources
Biomass 5% Wind 2% Hydro 1% Solar 1%
Share of US Electricity Generation Met by Renewable Resources
Wind 10% Hydropower 6% Solar 3% Biomass 1%
US States That Produce the Most Renewable Electricity
Texas 21% California 11% of US renewable energy production
US States With Highest Penetration of Renewable Electricity
Vermont >99% South Dakota 84% Washington 76% Idaho 75% of state’s total generation comes from renewable fuels
Renewable Energy Expansion Policies
The Inflation Reduction Act continued tax credits for new renewable energy projects in the US.
Production Tax Credit (PTC)
Tax credit of $0.0275/kWh of electricity produced at qualifying renewable power generation sites
Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
Tax credit of 30% of the cost of a new qualifying renewable power generation site
To read more about the credit qualifications, visit this EPA site .
| Resource (Renewables) | Unsubsidized LCOE* | LCOE with ITC/PTC Tax Subsidy |
|---|---|---|
| Wind (Onshore) | $24 - $75 | $0 - $66 (PTC) |
| Solar PV (Utility Scale) | $24 - $96 | $16 - $80 (ITC) $0 - $77 (PTC) |
| Solar + Storage (Utility Scale) | $46 - $102 | $31 - $88 (ITC) |
| Geothermal | $61 - $102 | $37 - $87 |
| Wind (Offshore) | $72 - $140 | $56 - $114 (PTC) |
| Solar PV (Rooftop Residential) | $177 - $282 | $74 - $229 (ITC) |
| Wind + Storage (Onshore) | $24 - $75 | $0 - $66 (PTC) |
| Resource (Non-Renewables) | Unsubsidized LCOE* |
|---|---|
| Natural Gas (combined cycle) | $39 - $101 |
| Natural Gas Peaker Plants | $115 - $221 |
| Coal | $68 - $166 |
| Nuclear | $141 - $221 |
*LCOE (levelized cost of electricity) - price for which a unit of electricity must be sold for system to break even
Important Factors for Renewable Site Selection
- Resource availability
- Environmental constraints and sensitivities, including cultural and archeological sites
- Transmission infrastructure
- Power plant retirements
- Transmission congestion and prices
- Electricity markets
- Load growth driven by population and industry
- Policy support
- Land rights and permitting
- Competitive and declining costs of wind, solar, and energy storage
- Lower environmental and climate impacts (social costs) than fossil fuels
- Expansion of competitive wholesale electricity markets
- Governmental clean energy and climate targets and policies
- Corporate clean energy targets and procurement of renewable energy
- No fuel cost or fuel price volatility
- Retirements of old and/or expensive coal and nuclear power plants
- Most renewable resources are abundant, undepletable
- Permitting hurdles and NIMBY/BANANA* concerns
- Competition from subsidized fossil fuels and a lack of price for their social cost (e.g., price on carbon)
- Site-specific resources means greater need to transport energy/electricity to demand
- High initial capital expenditure requirements required to access fuel cost/operating savings
- Intermittent resources
- Inconsistent governmental incentives and subsidies
- Managing environmental impacts to the extent that they exist
*NIMBY - not in my backyard; BANANA - build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything
Climate Impact: Low to High
- Solar, wind, geothermal, and ocean have low climate impacts with near-zero emissions; hydro and biomass can have medium to high climate impact
- Hydro: Some locations have greenhouse gas emissions due to decomposing flooded vegetation
- Biomass: Some crops require significant energy inputs, land use change can release carbon dioxide and methane
Environmental Impact: Low to High
- Most renewable energy resources have low environmental impacts, particularly relative to fossil fuels; some, like biomass, can have more significant impacts
- No air pollution with the exception of biomass from certain feedstocks
- Can have land and habitat disruption for biomass production, solar, and hydro
- Potential wildlife impacts from wind turbines (birds and bats)
- Modest environmental impacts during manufacturing, transportation, and end of life
Updated January 2024
Before You Watch Our Lecture on Introduction to Renewable Energy
We assign videos and readings to our Stanford students as pre-work for each lecture to help contextualize the lecture content. We strongly encourage you to review the Essential reading below before watching our lecture on Introduction to Renewable Energy . Include the Optional and Useful readings based on your interests and available time.
- The Sustainable Energy in America 2024 Factbook (Executive Summary pp. 5-10) . Bloomberg New Energy Finance. 2024. (6 pages) Provides valuable year-over-year data and insights on the American energy transformation.
Optional and Useful
- Renewables 2024 Global Status Report (Global Overview pp. 10-39) . REN21. 2024. (30 pages) Documents the progress made in the renewable energy sector and highlights the opportunities afforded by a renewable-based economy and society.
Our Lecture on Introduction to Renewable Energy
This is our Stanford University Understand Energy course lecture that introduces renewable energy. We strongly encourage you to watch the full lecture to gain foundational knowledge about renewable energy and important context for learning more about specific renewable energy resources. For a complete learning experience, we also encourage you to review the Essential reading we assign to our students before watching the lecture.
Presented by: Kirsten Stasio , Adjunct Lecturer, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University; CEO, Nevada Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) Recorded on: May 15, 2024 Duration: 68 minutes
Table of Contents
(Clicking on a timestamp will take you to YouTube.) 00:00 Introduction 02:06 What Does “Renewable” Mean? 15:29 What Role Do Renewables Play in Our Energy Use? 27:12 What Factors Affect Renewable Energy Project Development?
Lecture slides available upon request .
Additional Resources About Renewable Energy
Stanford university.
- Precourt Institute for Energy Renewable Energy , Energy Efficiency
- Stanford Energy Club
- Energy Modeling Forum
- Sustainable Stanford
- Sustainable Finance Initiative
- Mark Jacobson - Renewable energy
- Michael Lepech - Life-cycle analysis
- Leonard Ortolano - Environmental and water resource planning
- Chris Field - Climate change, land use, bioenergy, solar energy
- David Lobell - Climate change, agriculture, biofuels, land use
- Sally Benson - Climate change, energy, carbon capture and storage
Government and International Organizations
- International Energy Agency (IEA) Renewables Renewables 2022 Report .
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
- US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)
- US Energy Information Administration (EIA) Renewable Energy Explained
- US Energy Information Administration (EIA) Energy Kids Renewable Energy
- US Energy Information Administration (EIA) Today in Energy Renewables
Other Organizations and Resources
- REN21: Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century
- REN21 Renewables 2023 Global Status Report Renewables in Energy Supply
- BloombergNEF (BNEF)
- Carnegie Institution for Science Biosphere Sciences and Engineering
- The Solutions Project
- Renewable Energy World
- World of Renewables
- Energy Upgrade California
Next Topic: Energy Efficiency Other Energy Topics to Explore
Fast Facts Sources
- Energy Mix (World 2022): Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy . 2023.
- Energy Mix (US 2022): US Energy Information Agency (EIA). Total Energy: Energy Overview, Table 1.3 .
- Electricity Mix (World 2022): Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy . 2023.
- Electricity Mix (US 2022): US Energy Information Agency (EIA). Total Energy: Electricity, Table 7.2a.
- Global Solar Use (2022): REN21. Renewables 2023 Global Status Report: Renewables in Energy Supply , page 42. 2023
- Global Consumption of Renewable Electricity Change (2017-2022): Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy . 2023.
- Renewable Energy Potential: Perez & Perez. A Fundamental Look at Energy Reserves for the Planet . 2009
- Share of Global Energy Demand (2022): Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy . 2023.
- Share of Global Electricity Demand (2022): Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy . 2023.
- Global Growth (2017-2022): Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy . 2023.
- Largest Renewable Energy Producers (World 2022): International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Renewable Capacity Statistics 2023 . 2023.
- Highest Penetration Renewable Energy (World 2022): Our World in Data. Renewable Energy . 2023.
- Largest Renewable Electricity Producers (World 2022): Energy Institute. Statistical Review of World Energy . 2023.
- Highest Penetration Renewable Electricity (World 2022): Our World in Data. Renewable Energy . 2023.
- Share of US Energy Demand (2022): Energy Information Administration (EIA). Electric Power Monthly. 2023.
- Share of Electricity Generation (2022): Energy Information Administration (EIA). Electric Power Monthly. 2023.
- States with Highest Generation (2022): Energy Information Administration (EIA). Electric Power Monthly. 2023.
- States with Highest Penetration (2021): Energy Information Administration (EIA). State Profile and Energy Estimates. 2023.
- LCOE of US Renewable Resources: Lazard. LCOE. April 2023.
- LCOE of US Non Renewable Resources: Lazard. LCOE. April 2023.
More details available on request . Back to Fast Facts
FREE K-12 standards-aligned STEM
curriculum for educators everywhere!
Find more at TeachEngineering.org .
- TeachEngineering
- Renewable Energy
Lesson Renewable Energy
Grade Level: 4 (3-5)
Time Required: 45 minutes
Lesson Dependency: None
Subject Areas: Earth and Space, Physical Science, Science and Technology
NGSS Performance Expectations:
- Print lesson and its associated curriculum
Curriculum in this Unit Units serve as guides to a particular content or subject area. Nested under units are lessons (in purple) and hands-on activities (in blue). Note that not all lessons and activities will exist under a unit, and instead may exist as "standalone" curriculum.
- Water Power
- Solar Power
- Wild Wind! Making Weather Vanes to Find Prevailing Winds
- Wind Energy: Making & Testing Pinwheels to Model Wind Turbines
- Gone with the Wind Energy: Design-Build-Test Mini Sail Cars!
- Build an Anemometer to Measure Wind Speed
- Wind Power! Designing a Wind Turbine
- Windmill of Your Mind — Distributed Energy Goes to School
- Falling Water
- Waterwheel Work: Energy Transformations and Rotational Rates
- A Case of Innovation: Technical Writing about River Current Power
- Stations of Light
- Capturing the Sun's Warmth
- Cooking with the Sun: Comparing Yummy Solar Cooker Designs
- Design and Test Model Solar Water Heaters
- Design a Solar City
- Power to the People
| Unit | Lesson | Activity |
TE Newsletter
Engineering connection, learning objectives, more curriculum like this, introduction/motivation, associated activities, lesson closure, vocabulary/definitions, user comments & tips.
Engineers have a good understanding about energy, so they can harness renewable resources to create electricity for use in our everyday lives. Mechanical, electrical and civil engineers collaborate to develop new and more efficient ways to generate electricity from renewable resources. They design cleaner-burning engines and new car designs (such as hybrid cars) that require less fuel and result in improved gas mileage which in turns improves our planet.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Describe sources and uses of energy.
- Define renewable and non-renewable energy.
- Provide examples of common types of renewable and non-renewable resources.
- Understand and explain general ways to save energy at a personal, community and global level.
- Understand and explain, in general terms, how passive solar heating, hydropower and wind power work.
- Describe some general characteristics of solar power, hydropower and wind power.
- Understand the benefits and disadvantages to using renewable resources.
- Explain how engineers design more efficient ways to use generate electricity.
- Describe the role of engineers in energy conservation.
Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc .
Ngss: next generation science standards - science.
| NGSS Performance Expectation | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment. (Grade 4) Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback! | ||
| This lesson focuses on the following aspects of NGSS: | ||
| Science & Engineering Practices | Disciplinary Core Ideas | Crosscutting Concepts |
| Science explanations describe the mechanisms for natural events. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! | Energy and fuels that humans use are derived from natural sources, and their use affects the environment in multiple ways. Some resources are renewable over time, and others are not. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! | Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified and used to explain change. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! Knowledge of relevant scientific concepts and research findings is important in engineering.Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! Over time, people's needs and wants change, as do their demands for new and improved technologies.Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! |
| NGSS Performance Expectation | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4-PS3-2. Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents. (Grade 4) Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback! | ||
| This lesson focuses on the following aspects of NGSS: | ||
| Science & Engineering Practices | Disciplinary Core Ideas | Crosscutting Concepts |
| Identify the evidence that supports particular points in an explanation. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! | Energy can be moved from place to place by moving objects or through sound, light, or electric currents. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! Energy is present whenever there are moving objects, sound, light, or heat. When objects collide, energy can be transferred from one object to another, thereby changing their motion. In such collisions, some energy is typically also transferred to the surrounding air; as a result, the air gets heated and sound is produced.Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! Light also transfers energy from place to place.Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! Energy can also be transferred from place to place by electric currents, which can then be used locally to produce motion, sound, heat, or light. The currents may have been produced to begin with by transforming the energy of motion into electrical energy.Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! | Energy can be transferred in various ways and between objects. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! |
| NGSS Performance Expectation | ||
|---|---|---|
| 5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth's resources and environment. (Grade 5) Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback! | ||
| This lesson focuses on the following aspects of NGSS: | ||
| Science & Engineering Practices | Disciplinary Core Ideas | Crosscutting Concepts |
| Obtain and combine information from books and/or other reliable media to explain phenomena or solutions to a design problem. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! | Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth's resources and environments. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! | Engineers improve existing technologies or develop new ones to increase their benefits (e.g., better artificial limbs), decrease known risks (e.g., seatbelts in cars), and meet societal demands (e.g., cell phones). Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! |
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology
View aligned curriculum
Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback!
State Standards
Colorado - science.
Brainstorm a list of ideas about where and when we use energy. (Answer: We use energy all the time. Humans use energy to be active – to walk, talk, play basketball, etc. We use energy to power our appliances, vehicles, lights, etc. Cells use energy to perform the most basic life functions. Life as we know it would not be possible without energy production and consumption.)
Energy is everywhere! Although sometimes you can hear energy (sound), feel energy (wind), taste energy (food), and see energy (light), most often it is hard to figure out exactly where energy is.
Energy can move and change, but it cannot be destroyed. Almost every form of energy can be converted into other forms. It is similar to the heat you feel coming off a light bulb while it is on. The warmth is light energy changed to heat energy. Whatever form it is in, energy is essentially the ability for making something happen or, as scientists put it, "doing work."
Where do we get our energy? Well, a lot of energy originally comes from the sun. We get some energy directly from the sun when we use solar panels; however, most energy comes from fossil fuels (coal and oil), which got their energy from fossilized plants and other organisms that obtained their energy directly from the sun by a process called photosynthesis that occurred many years ago. There are many different types of energy, as we brainstormed earlier. Some of these types of energy are called renewable , or can be re-used, such as energy from the sun, wind or water. Other energy is called non-renewable because once it is used up, it is gone, like coal and oil.
Now, imagine yourself having surgery in a hospital and the power goes out. This scenario would be terrible. Fortunately, hospitals have backup generators (designed by engineers!) to prevent this from ever happening. Generators are like storage houses for energy and are usually powered by electricity from coal or fossil fuels. Generators are not normally attached to things like stoplights, railcars or computer networks, which is why we sometimes see stoplights that have gone out. Now, imagine that all of the above mentioned things are backed up with solar energy power or another type of stored renewable energy. This stored power, especially in the form of solar power, never becomes overloaded (which is what happens when the lights in your house or neighborhood go out). The renewable source is always supplying more energy; i.e., the sun is almost always shining on some part of the Earth, wind is always blowing, and rivers are always running. Storing renewable energy for power failures is a better idea because those energy supplies will never run out.
Engineers know all about energy and are currently designing new and more efficient ways to generate electricity using renewable resources. They are designing cleaner engines that use less fuel and new car designs that use electric motors. Today, we are going to look at how engineers can use sun, wind and water power to create electricity to run our homes, cars and everything else. Wow! What incredible engineering creativity!
Lesson Background and Concepts for Teachers
What Is Power?
Energy is the ability to do work (applying a force over a distance), to make things happen, to cause change, or to start motion (a change in position of an object with time). It is the capacity for vigorous activity.
Energy can move (be transferred) and change (be transformed), but it cannot be destroyed. Interactions produce changes in a system, although the total quantities of energy remain unchanged. For example, a power station produces electricity by changing the energy from fuel into electrical energy. A gas-fired power station burns gas, converting the gas' chemical energy into heat. Almost every form of energy can be converted into other forms. But whatever form it is in, energy is essentially the capacity for making something happen or, as scientists put it, "doing work."
Energy comes from many sources, directly or indirectly: power plants, people, food, light, windmills, turbines, fires, electrical circuits, the sun, machines, etc. All energy originally comes from natural resources, most of which originate from the sun.
We use energy to heat houses and buildings, provide light, heating water, break down food, play sports, do activities, operate vehicles, etc.
What are the Different Types of Energy?
- Biomass is the combustion of materials that originate from living things.
- Chemical is used to fuel automobiles and other vehicles.
- Electrical drives many small machines and keeps lights glowing.
- Geothermal taps steam from water heated underground (like geysers) and uses it to spin turbines.
- Hydrogen power uses electricity to break down water into hydrogen gas. The amount of energy released is less than the energy used to break it apart, so not currently feasible.
- Hydroelectricity generates electricity by harnessing the power of flowing water (a renewable resource as long as there is rain). Refer to the associated activity Water Power for students to observe and learn about water related methods of harvesting energy.
- Kinetic is the energy of motion. A spinning top, a falling object, and a rolling ball all have kinetic energy. The motion, if resisted by a force, does work. Wind and water both have kinetic energy. Refer to the associated activity Wind Power to give students an understanding of how wind energy is harvested and used.
- Light energy is generated from light bulbs and computer screens, the sun.
- Nuclear fusion imitates the method the sun uses to produce energy. It involves the joining together of the nuclei of hydrogen atoms.
- Nuclear fission is when energy is given off from splitting nuclei of uranium atoms.
- Potential energy is the energy stored by an object as a result of its position. For example, roller coaster at the top of a hill.
- Sound energy is created, for example, when a door slams, it releases sound energy.
- Solar energy occurs from the sun (light). Refer to the associated activity Solar Power for students to explore this energy form.
- Thermal energy (or heat) boils water, keeps us warm and drives engines.
- Tidal energy is when the energy from ocean tides is harnessed.
Other energy sources, for example, include energy created from old car tires: this source fuels five power stations in the U.S. Also, engineers are trying to design new gas power stations (gas drives the electricity generators and then is reused to heat the plant). Lastly, methane that is produced in sanitary landfills may be used to make power.
How are Energy Sources Categorized?
| Natural gas | Wind |
| Coal | Water |
| Oil | Solar |
| Other Fossil Fuels |
What are Engineers Doing to Improve Our Energy Sources?
Current uses of fossil fuels have catastrophic effects on our environment. Obtaining and using them destroys natural habitats and pollutes the air, water, and land. We can reduce this consumption of fossil fuels by finding alternative, renewable methods of energy production. Engineers are involved in many new technologies that will save our precious resources from devastating long-term effects.
And, engineers are improving the design of factories and products to make even more efficient use of our resources. They are designing cleaner engines that use less fuel and new car designs that run by electric motors. They are studying corals because they very efficiently use low levels of phosphate in the water for energy. Corals have fractal surfaces, and scientists believe that fractal surfaces could make many chemical reactions more efficient. They are working to make machines smaller and more efficient (industrial engineers/designers). For example, they developed fiber optics (thin glass cables to replace heavy metal ones for phones). These efforts contribute to a better, cleaner planet for all inhabitants. Wouldn't it be great to be an engineer making such an important difference in our lives?
Watch this activity on YouTube
Ask the students to describe some sources of renewable energy? (Answer: sun, wind, water) Can they list three specific ways that engineers are involved with renewable resources? (Possible answers: engineers study renewable resources to develop better ways to use these resources for energy generation; engineers design cars that run off renewable resources; engineers design generators that store the energy gathered from renewable resources; engineers develop wind farms to generate electricity for us to use; engineers develop hydropower plants to generate electricity for us to use; engineers are developing machines that are more efficient to reduce the amount of energy, renewable or non-renewable, that gets used; and engineers work to inform communities about what they can do to help conserve energy and use renewable resources.) Engineers work at developing new technologies that use renewable sources to contribute to greater health, happiness and safety of our Earth's inhabitants.
absorb: To be taken into a material without transmission or reflection.
active solar system: Solar power systems that use electrical or mechanical components, such as fans, pumps, and electrical controls in circulating fluids. These systems can be used for heating water or heating/cooling buildings.
anemometer: An instrument for measuring the velocity of wind.
convection: The transfer of thermal energy in a fluid (gas or liquid) by the circulation of currents in the heated fluid causing warmer packets to rise while cooler packets sink.
electromagnetic radiation: Electromagnetic energy transmitted in the form of waves or particles (photons); the electromagnetic spectrum, in order of increasing energy: radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, x-rays, gamma rays, cosmic-ray photons.
generator: A device that transforms mechanical energy into electrical energy.
heat exchanger: A device, such as an automobile radiator, that transfers heat from one liquid to another without allowing them to mix.
heat-transfer fluid: A fluid circulated in a heat exchanger; this fluid gains energy from one region and transfers it to another region.
hydraulic head: The difference in depth of a liquid at two given points; the pressure of the liquid at the lower point expressed in terms of this difference.
insulation: A material used to prevent the passage of heat, electricity, or sound (i.e., a non-conducting material).
passive solar system: Solar power systems that do not require electrical or mechanical components; these systems can be used for heating water or heating/cooling buildings.
penstock: A pipe or conduit used to carry water to a water wheel or turbine.
photovoltaic system: This is a system which converts solar energy into electricity.
reflect: This is when something such as sound waves or light waves bend back or return upon striking a surface.
regenerate: To re-grow or replace.
renewable energy: Energy that is made from sources that can be regenerated or reused is renewable.
rotor: The rotating part of an electrical or mechanical device is the rotor.
thermal mass: Materials that store thermal energy, such as water, concrete, brick, stone, adobe, tile, etc.
transmit: To allow the passage through a material.
turbine: A machine in which the kinetic energy of a moving fluid is converted into mechanical energy by causing a series of buckets, paddles, or blades on a rotor to rotate.
Pre-lesson assessment
Brainstorming: Ask students to brainstorm ideas about where and when we use energy. (Possible answers: We use energy all the time. Humans use energy to be active – to walk, talk, play basketball, etc. We use energy to power our appliances, vehicles, lights, etc. Cells use energy to perform the most basic life functions. Life as we know it would not be possible without energy production and consumption.)
Post-introduction assessment
Guess the Amount!: Ask students the following questions and ask them to guess at the different percentages of energy use. Discuss and explain the answers.
- What percent of the energy the world uses today is derived from fossil fuels (e.g., coal, oil, natural gas)? (Answer: 80-85%. This means that only 15-20% of the energy we use is from renewable energy sources such as sun, wind and water.)
- The U.S. has less than 5% of the world's population. What percent of the world's energy do we use? (Answer: Around 17%. This means that the U.S. uses a lot more energy than other countries. Why do the students think that is? Discuss the amount of toys, appliances and other electric powered items in a single person's home.)
- What percent of the electricity consumed in the U.S. is used for light bulbs? (Answer: 5%. This means that we leave a lot of light bulbs on when unused. Can the students think of a time where they could save some electricity by turning off a light bulb?)
Discussion: Ask students the following questions. Discuss the answers.
- How do we know the energy is there? (Answer: We can see it, feel it, hear it, etc.)
- Ask students to describe where this energy comes from. (Answer: ultimately all of it comes from natural resources (renewable and non-renewable), but it is often moved (transferred) and changed (transformed) in the process. You may want to give an example here like coal being mined from the earth, sent to power plants where it is burned to produce steam. The steam turns a turbine and produces electricity that is sent to our houses via power lines, and used in our electrical items like a refrigerator. Or how solar energy is used by plants to create food so they can grow and then we, in turn, use the plants as food to provide energy for our bodies.)
- Ask students to describe where they get their energy. (Answer: from food) Ask them to describe what might happen if suddenly there was no more food. (Note: this is a stretch for some because generally food is considered a renewable resource and because the food supply often seems unlimited to people in the U.S.). What would they do? (Answer: Become hungry, eventually starve, engineer some new source of nutrients, etc.) How would they feel? (Answer: Hungry, sad, scared, motivated to find a way to survive, etc.)
- What if there was only a tiny bit of food? How would it get distributed? Who would decide? What are some other consequences? (Answer: equal world-wide distribution, war, the rich get it, others die, new source of nutrients discovered/engineered, etc.)
Lesson summary assessment
Future Timeline: Ask students to work in a group to imagine what today would be like if there were no electricity (permanently, not just a blackout situation). Ask them to develop a timeline describing what this typical day might be like. Ask them to really consider how they would feel and what they would do. Ask each group to present their timeline to the class.
Venn Diagram: Ask students to create a Venn Diagram to compare/contrast a form of renewable energy and a form of non-renewable energy. They should provide as many facts and details as they can.
Save a Watt: Ask students to engage in two energy saving activities before the next class period. Ask them to describe in detail the impact these actions had during the next class. You can have the students list the activities or write a paragraph and turn the assignment in.
Lesson Extension Activities
- Write and illustrate a children's story for 8-10 year olds about life in the year 2100. It should describe life without fossil fuels and should identify the energy sources used in everyday life as well as some type of conservation measures.
- Discuss what is happening with our world energy supply from fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources. (Examples: fossil fuels are being dangerously depleted, the rich countries receive a larger share of the energy and are more wasteful with it, wars are developing; e.g., the Gulf War, scientists and engineers are researching and developing renewable energy sources, etc.)
- Check out the awesome information and activities/games at Environmental Education for Kids (EEK) website from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources at dnr.wi.gov
- Check out some of the activities at Watt Watchers: https://www.watt-watchers.com/student-activities/
- Check out some of the activities and games about energy online
- Play energy-themed games at NASA's Climate Kids website: https://climatekids.nasa.gov/menu/energy/
- Learn more about renewable energy at Alliant Energy's website: https://www.alliantenergykids.com/RenewableEnergy/RenewableEnergyHome
- Read, color, and solve puzzles in the "Saving Energy in My Home Coloring and Activity Book" at https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/consumer/saving-energy-home.pdf
- Try a Nuclear Chain Reaction activity at http://nuclearconnect.org/in-the-classroom/for-teachers/nuclear-chain-reaction-using-dominoes
Students explore the outermost planets of our solar system: Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. They also learn about characteristics of Pluto and its interactions with Neptune. Students learn a little about the history of space travel as well as the different technologies that engineers develop to make spa...
Students are introduced to the fabulous planet on which they live. They learn how engineers study human interactions with the Earth and design technologies and systems to monitor, use and care for our planet's resources wisely to preserve life on Earth.
Students are introduced to the International Space Station (ISS) with information about its structure, operation and key experiments.
Students learn the metric units engineers use to measure mass, distance (or length) and volume. They make estimations using these units and compare their guesses with actual values. To introduce the concepts, the teacher needs access to a meter stick, a one-liter bottle, a glass container that measu...
American Wind Association, www.awea.org
Boulder Community Network, Environmental Center, bcn.boulder.co.us/environment/
California Energy Commission, www.energyquest.ca.gov/
Energy Information Administration, Energy Kid's Page, www.eia.gov/kids/
Hewitt, Paul G. Conceptual Physics, Boston, MA: Addison Wesley Publishing Company, 2004.
Goswami, D. Yogi, Kreith, Frank, and Kreider, Jan F. Principles of Solar Engineering, Taylor & Francis Group, 2nd edition, 2000.
Graham, Ian, Taylor, Barbara, Fardon, John, Oxlad, Chris and Parker, Steve. Science Encyclopedia, Miles Kelly, 2000.
Milton Hydro, https://www.miltonhydro.com/Residential/Community/Power-Kids
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, www.nrel.gov
Snow, Theodore. The Dynamic Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy, Minnesota: West Publishing Company, 1988.
Steen, Anthena S., Steen, Bill, Bainbridge, David and Eisenberg. The Straw Bale House, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 1994.
Texas State Energy Conservation Office, www.infinitepower.org/lessonplans.htm
U.S. Department of Energy, energy.gov
U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, www.eere.energy.gov
Contributors
Supporting program, acknowledgements.
The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed under a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. 0338326. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the Department of Education or National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
Last modified: January 19, 2024
Introduction to Work, Energy, and Energy Resources
Chapter outline.
Energy plays an essential role both in everyday events and in scientific phenomena. You can no doubt name many forms of energy, from that provided by our foods, to the energy we use to run our cars, to the sunlight that warms us on the beach. You can also cite examples of what people call energy that may not be scientific, such as someone having an energetic personality. Not only does energy have many interesting forms, it is involved in almost all phenomena, and is one of the most important concepts of physics. What makes it even more important is that the total amount of energy in the universe is constant. Energy can change forms, but it cannot appear from nothing or disappear without a trace. Energy is thus one of a handful of physical quantities that we say is conserved .
Conservation of energy (as physicists like to call the principle that energy can neither be created nor destroyed) is based on experiment. For example, scientists Willem ’s Gravesande and Émilie du Châtelet undertook (separate) experiments where they dropped heavy lead balls into beds of clay. Du Châtelet showed that the balls that hit the clay with twice the velocity penetrated four times as deep into the clay; those with three times the velocity reached a depth nine times greater. This led her to develop a more accurate concept of energy conservation, expressed as E = 1 2 m v 2 E = 1 2 m v 2 . Even as scientists discovered new forms of energy, conservation of energy has always been found to apply. Perhaps the most dramatic example of this was supplied by Einstein when he suggested that mass is equivalent to energy (his famous equation E = mc 2 E = mc 2 ).
From a societal viewpoint, energy is one of the major building blocks of modern civilization. Energy resources are key limiting factors to economic growth. The world use of energy resources, especially oil, continues to grow, with ominous consequences economically, socially, politically, and environmentally. We will briefly examine the world’s energy use patterns at the end of this chapter.
There is no simple, yet accurate, scientific definition for energy. Energy is characterized by its many forms and the fact that it is conserved. We can loosely define energy as the ability to do work, admitting that in some circumstances not all energy is available to do work. Because of the association of energy with work, we begin the chapter with a discussion of work. Work is intimately related to energy and how energy moves from one system to another or changes form.
This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.
Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.
Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/college-physics-2e/pages/1-introduction-to-science-and-the-realm-of-physics-physical-quantities-and-units
- Authors: Paul Peter Urone, Roger Hinrichs
- Publisher/website: OpenStax
- Book title: College Physics 2e
- Publication date: Jul 13, 2022
- Location: Houston, Texas
- Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/college-physics-2e/pages/1-introduction-to-science-and-the-realm-of-physics-physical-quantities-and-units
- Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/college-physics-2e/pages/7-introduction-to-work-energy-and-energy-resources
© Jul 9, 2024 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.
- Natural Sources Of Energy
Sources of Energy
The sun is the main source of energy on Earth. Other energy sources include coal, geothermal energy, wind energy, biomass, petrol, nuclear energy, and many more. Energy is classified into various types based on sustainability as renewable sources of energy and non-renewable sources of energy.
What Is Energy?
The classical description of energy is the ability of a system to perform work, but as energy exists in so many forms, it is hard to find one comprehensive definition. It is the property of an object that can be transferred from one object to another or converted to different forms but cannot be created or destroyed. There are numerous sources of energy. In the next few sections, let us discuss the about different sources of energy in detail.
Sources Of Energy
Sources of energy can be classified into:
- Renewable Sources
- Non-renewable Sources
Renewable sources of energy are available plentiful in nature and are sustainable. These resources of energy can be naturally replenished and are safe for the environment.
Examples of renewable sources of energy are : Solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy, biomass, hydropower and tidal energy.
A non-renewable resource is a natural resource that is found underneath the earth. These type of energy resources do not replenish at the same speed at which it is used. They take millions of years to replenish. The main examples of non-renewable resources are coal, oil and natural gas.
Examples of non-renewable sources of energy are: Natural gas, coal, petroleum, nuclear energy and hydrocarbon gas liquids.
Difference between Renewable and Non-renewable Sources of Energy
| The resources that can be renewed once they are consumed are called renewable sources of energy. | The resources that cannot be renewed once they are consumed are called non-renewable sources of energy. |
| These resources do not cause any environmental pollution. | These resources cause environmental pollution. |
| Renewable resources are inexhaustible. | Non- Renewable resources are exhaustible. |
| Renewable resources are not affected by human activities. | Non- Renewable resources are affected by human activities. |
| Examples of Renewable resources- Air, water and solar energy. | Examples of Non-renewable resources- natural gas, coal and nuclear energy. |
Natural Sources of Energy
During the stone age, it was wood. During the iron age, we had coal. In the modern age, we have fossil fuels like petroleum and natural gas. So how do we choose the source of energy?
Good sources of energy should have the following qualities:
- Optimum heat production per unit of volume/mass used
- Easy to transport
- Least Polluting
Types of Natural Sources of Energy
There are two types of natural sources of energy classified by their popularity and use,
- Conventional Sources of Energy
- Non-Conventional Sources of Energy
Difference between Conventional and Non-conventional Sources of Energy
| These resources are exhaustible. | These resources are inexhaustible. |
| These resources cause pollution as they emit smoke and ash. | These resources are usually pollution-free. |
| These resources are very expensive to be maintained, stored and transmitted. | These resources are less expensive for local use and can easily be maintained. |
| Examples- coal, natural gas, petroleum, and water power. | Examples- solar, biomass, wind, biogas, and tidal, geothermal. |
In this article, you learned about natural resources, energy sources, and what makes a good source of energy. Explore more such articles at BYJU’S, which provides detailed solutions to the questions of NCERT Book for the energy source so that one can compare their answers with the sample answers given for this chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
What sources of energy are renewable.
- Biomass energy
- Wind energy
- Tidal energy
- Hydro energy
What is the main source of energy in India?
What are the sources of energy in india.
Following are the sources of energy in India:
- Natural gas
- Thermal energy
- Mineral oil
Can any source of energy be pollution-free?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of wind power.
- There are no harmful gases released into the environment.
- It is a way for the generation of revenue in the local communities.
- It is one of the clean sources of energy.
Disadvantages:
- The storage of energy needs to be improved.
- The initial setup requires a lot of investment.
- Numerous lands will be used up.
List the examples of sources of energy
- Biofuel energy
- Geothermal energy
- Solar energy
- Nuclear energy
Watch the video and find out conservation measures we can take to save the natural resources depleting at an alarming rate.
Stay tuned with BYJU’S for more such interesting articles. Also, register to “BYJU’S – The Learning App” for loads of interactive, engaging Physics-related videos and unlimited academic assistance.
Put your understanding of this concept to test by answering a few MCQs. Click ‘Start Quiz’ to begin!
Select the correct answer and click on the “Finish” button Check your score and answers at the end of the quiz
Visit BYJU’S for all Physics related queries and study materials
Your result is as below
Request OTP on Voice Call
| PHYSICS Related Links | |
Leave a Comment Cancel reply
Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Post My Comment
Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs
Register with byju's & watch live videos.
Energy Resources, Economics and Environment
| Course Status : | Completed |
| Course Type : | Elective |
| Duration : | 12 weeks |
| Category : | |
| Credit Points : | 3 | Undergraduate/Postgraduate |
| Start Date : | 22 Jan 2024 |
| End Date : | 12 Apr 2024 |
| Enrollment Ends : | 05 Feb 2024 |
| Exam Registration Ends : | 16 Feb 2024 |
| Exam Date : | 27 Apr 2024 IST |
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
The primary energy source on Earth is the sun. Know about Energy Resources, Conventional and non-Conventional Energy Sources & their Maps in this article.
Several activities are included to teach and research the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources and various energy resources. Students work with a quantitative, but simple model of energy resources to show how rapidly finite, non-renewable energy sources can be depleted, compared to the ongoing availability of renewable resources. Then they complete a homework assignment ...
Energy resources are all forms of fuels used in the modern world, that can produce heat, power life, move objects, generate electrical energy, or for other forms of energy conversion processes.
Energy Resources Assignment 1) Nuclear energy is sometimes classified as a renewable source. However, it also has aspects that classify it as non-renewable. Describe how nuclear energy is both renewable and non-renewable. 2) Imagine that you are part of a team deciding which energy resource, coal or wind, should power your community's ...
With an introduction to the ideas of energy, students discuss specific energy types and practical energy sources. Associated hands-on activities help them identify energy types in their surroundings and enhance their understanding of the concept of energy.
An introduction to energy resources Understanding energy resources involves considering all types of energy source from various scientific and technological standpoints, with a focus on the uses, limitations and consequences of using energy that is available to humanity. This course sets the scene by considering how much energy human society uses and the basic concepts of energy, work, power ...
The term "renewable" encompasses a wide diversity of energy resources with varying economics, technologies, end uses, scales, environmental impacts, availability, and depletability. For example, fully "renewable" resources are not depleted by human use, whereas "semi-renewable" resources must be properly managed to ensure long-term ...
In this lesson, students are introduced to the five types of renewable energy resources by engaging in various activities to help them understand the transformation of energy (solar, water and wind) into electricity. Students explore the different roles engineers who work in renewable energy fields have in creating a sustainable environment - an environment that contributes to greater health ...
Some of the example of energy resources include: (1) Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are non-renewable sources of energy. It is formed from the remains of plants and animals ...
Energy plays an essential role both in everyday events and in scientific phenomena. You can no doubt name many forms of energy, from that provided by ou...
The energy supply sector involves complex processes for extracting energy resources (such as coal or oil), for converting these into more desirable and suitable forms of energy (such as electricity or gasoline), and for delivering energy to places where demand exists.
Why is geothermal energy one of the cheapest energy sources? It uses heat already made naturally inside Earth. What are the most common forms of solar energy? Heat, light and electricity through photovoltaic cells. What are some energy resources? Sunlight, wind, water, wood, coal, gasoline and oil.
These resources of energy can be naturally replenished and are safe for the environment. Examples of renewable sources of energy are: Solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy, biomass, hydropower and tidal energy. A non-renewable resource is a natural resource that is found underneath the earth. These type of energy resources do not ...
Energy Resources Assignment 1) Research the energy resources below. For each type of energy resource, classify as renewable or nonrenewable.
Chapter 5: Energy Resources 136 A comprehensive account of the world's energy resource endowment is essential for any long-term energy assessment. Energy resources exist in different forms— some exist as stocks and so are exhaustible, others exist as flows and are inexhaustible, and a third form is based on exhaustible
Energy Resources, Economics and Environment. About the course:This course will equip students with the tools necessary for economic analysis and quantification of impacts of energy systems. We will review the availability of energy resources and study methods for quantification of resource depletion and scarcity.
0 An Assignment on ALOK KUMAR CHANDRAK AR M. Phil Environment & Sustainable Development Central University of Gujarat, Sec. 30, Gandhinagar 1 Energy Resources: Indian S cenario
This course will equip students with the tools necessary for economic analysis and quantification of impacts of energy systems. We will review the availability of energy resources and study methods for quantification of resource depletion and scarcity.
The map locates energy resources: uranium, thorium, coal, geothermal occurrences, oil and gas wells and pipelines, electric powerlines, and hydroelectric dams. (See also Information Circular 36, Bibliography of Energy Resources for Idaho.)
Given the centrality of energy resources in Russian stra-tegic approaches, this article examines how Russian policy-makers view the challenge of climate change in the broader context of debates on national strategy, security and the future of Russia as a key regional and global energy player.
Russia: Many of us want an overview of how much energy our country consumes, where it comes from, and if we're making progress on decarbonizing our energy mix. This page provides the data for your chosen country across all of the key metrics on this topic.
541 Birchwood Dr, Moscow Mills, MO 63362 is pending. Zillow has 1 photo of this 3 beds, 3 baths, 2,059 Square Feet single family home with a list price of $371,312.
1572 Driftwood Ln, Moscow Mills, MO 63362 is pending. Zillow has 1 photo of this 3 beds, 3 baths, 2,059 Square Feet single family home with a list price of $337,898.
Zillow has 46 photos of this $649,000 4 beds, 2 baths, 1,795.85 Square Feet single family home located at 1026 Moscow Rd, Stone Mills, ON K0K 3N0 MLS #40632849.
Zillow has 40 photos of this $989,000 4 beds, 3 baths, 2,560 Square Feet single family home located at 125 Moscow Rd, Holden, MA 01520 built in 2024. MLS #73281377.