Renewable/Non-renewable
Resources

Classification Of Resources

What is a non-renewable energy resource?
 An energy resource that is not replaced or is replaced only very
slowly by natural processes
 Fossil fuels are continually produced by the decay of plant and
animal matter, but the rate of their production is extremely slow,
very much slower than the rate at which we use them.
Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are considered nonrenewable
because they can not be replenished in a short period of time.
These are called fossil fuels.
Types:
 Coal
 Oil
 Nuclear
 Natural Gas
 Tar Sands and Oil Shale

Coal (fossil fuel)
• A carbon-based liquid formed from fossilized animals.
• Lakes of oil are sandwiched between seams of rock in the earth.
• Pipes are sunk down to the reservoirs to pump the oil out.
• Widely used in industry and transport.
• Ready-made fuel.
• It is relatively cheap to mine and to convert into energy.
• Coal supplies will last longer than oil or gas.
• When burned coal gives off atmospheric pollutants, including
greenhouse gases.

Coal Mining

Oil (fossil fuel)
• A carbon-based liquid formed from fossilized animals.
• Lakes of oil are sandwiched between seams of rock in the earth.
• Pipes are sunk down to the reservoirs to pump the oil out.
• Widely used in industry and transport.
• Oil is a ready-made fuel.
• Relatively cheap to extract and to convert into energy.
• When burned, it gives off atmospheric pollutants, including
greenhouse gases.
• Only a limited supply.

Pros.
•Non-renewable sources are cheap and easy to use.
You can easily fill up your car tank and power your
motor vehicle.
•You can use small amount of nuclear energy to
produce large amount of power.
•Non-renewable have little or no competition at all.
For egg: if you are driving a battery driven car your
battery gets discharged then you won’t be able to
charge it in the middle if the road rather it is easy to
find a gas pumping station.

Cons.
 Non-renewable sources will expire some day and we
have to us our endangered resources to create more
non-renewable sources of energy.
 The speed at which such resources are being utilized
can have serious environmental changes.
 Non-renewable sources release toxic gases in the air
when burnt which are the major cause for global
warming.
 Since these sources are going to expire soon, prices of
these sources are soaring day by day.

What is a renewable energy
resource?
 Renewable energy is natural energy which
does not have a limited supply.
 Renewable energy can be used again and
again, and will never run out.
Types:
 Biomass
 Hydro-electric
 Geothermal
 Solar

Solar energy
 Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the sun
harnessed using a range of ever-evolving technologies
such as solar heating, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal
energy, solar architecture and artificial photosynthesis.
 It is an important source of renewable energy and its
technologies are broadly characterized as either
passive solar or active solar depending on the way
they capture and distribute solar energy or convert it
into solar power. Active solar techniques include the
use of photovoltaic systems, concentrated solar
power and solar water heating to harness the energy.

Hydal Energy
 Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity
generated by hydropower; the production of
electrical power through the use of the
gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is
the most widely used form of renewable energy,
accounting for 16 percent of global electricity
generation –

Pros
•The sun, wind, geothermal, ocean energy are available in the
abundant quantity and free to use.
•The non-renewable sources of energy that we are using are
limited and are bound to expire one day.
•Renewable sources have low carbon emissions, therefore they
are considered as green and environment friendly.
•Renewable helps in stimulating the economy and creating job
opportunities. The money that is used to build these plants can
provide jobs to thousands to lakhs of people.
•You don’t have to rely on any third country for the supply of
renewable sources as in case of non-renewable sources.

Cons
•It is not easy to set up a plant as the initial costs are quite steep.
•Solar energy can be used during the day time and not during
night or rainy season.
•Geothermal energy which can be used to generate electricity
has side effects too. It can bring toxic chemicals beneath the
earth surface onto the top and can create environmental
changes.
•Hydroelectric provide pure form of energy but building dams
across the river which is quite expensive can affect natural flow
and affect wildlife.
•To use wind energy, you have to rely on strong winds therefore
you have to choose suitable site to operate them. Also, they can
affect bird population as they are quite high

How do we conserve energy
 Energy needs to be conserved to protect our
environment from drastic changes, to save the
depleting resources for our future generations. The
rate at which the energy is being produced and
consumed can damage our world in many ways. In
other words, it helps us to save the environment. We
can reduce those impacts by consuming less energy.
The cost of energy is rising every year. It is important for
us to realize how energy is useful to us and how can
we avoid it getting wasted. Home energy audits in
Calabasas will develop custom solutions to keep the
energy efficiency of your home at its highest level. -