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A brief comparison of renewable and non-renewable resources of energy

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Krishna Jaiswal
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 RESOURCES: RENWABLE AND
NONRENEWABLE
KRISHNA JAISWAL, (MEB12050) DEPT OF
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

2013

PH: 9957150353
TEZPUR ASSAM-784028
TEZPUR UNIVERSITY
 INTRODUCTION
RESOURCES: A resource is a source or supply from which benefit can be
obtained. Typically resources are materials, money, services, staff, or other assets that
are transformed to produce benefit and in the process may be consumed or made
unavailable. Benefits of resource utilization may include increased wealth, meeting
needs or wants, proper functioning of a system, or enhanced well being. From a human
perspective a natural resource is anything obtained from the environment to satisfy
human needs and wants. From a broader biological or ecological perspective a
resource satisfies the needs of a living organism.

“RESOURCE FOR ONE MAY NOT BE A

RESOURCE FOR OTHERS”
For using one resource one has to use some other resources unavailability of which
may cause the resource to become useless. E.g. In the campus of Tezpur University
there is a huge area for jogging that can be used to keep oneself healthy but only a few
uses it for their benefit. Thus the resources are resources for those people who are
using it and totally useless for the rest.

Here we are concerned about the natural resources only. The natural resources are
mainly of two types:

• RENEWABLE: They are replenished at the rate higher than the rate of
exploitation.
• NON-RENEWABLE: They are replenished at a rate much slower than the
rate of exploitation.
 CLASSIFICATION
RENEWABLE RESOURCES:
• SOLAR ENERGY.
• WIND POWER.
• HYDROPOWER.
• GEOTHERMAL ENERGY.
• BIOFUEL.

NON-RENEWABLE
RENEWABLE RESOURCES
• FOSSIL FUEL.
• RADIOACTIVE FUEL.
 RENWEABLE RESOURCES
SOLAR ENERGY
Solar energy is the most abundant and easily available renewable
resource, and has been harnessed by humans since ancient times. In
one year, the Sun delivers more than 10,000 times the energy that
humans currently use, and almost twice the amount of energy that will
ever be obtained from all of the planet's non-renewable resources.

The 19.9 MW Gemasolar solar plant in Spain features 15 hours of storage and can supply power 24 hours a day.
ADVANTAGES:

• The power source of the sun is absolutely free.

• The production of solar energy produces no pollution.
• For outdoor lighting purposes it is very cost-effective.
• With advancement of technology solar panels are now directly laid like
normal roofing materials.

DISADVANTAGES

• The primary disadvantage of solar power is the upfront cost.

• Though the cost of small scale outdoor lighting is low, the cost of
installation for lighting up the entire house is very high.
• After the high installation charges it actually give free energy for about
three decades.
 WIND POWER
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy. Most modern
electrical wind power is generated by converting the rotation of turbine blades into
electrical currents by means of an electrical generator. Wind power is being used by the
humans since ages. They have been used to draw ships across the oceans, milling the
grains in wind mills and now they are being used for getting huge amount of electrical
energy.
Advantages of wind energy:
• Wind energy is friendly to the surrounding environment, as no fossil fuels are
burnt to generate electricity from wind energy.
• They take up very less ground space (Only about a few sq. mtrs.).
• Newer technologies are making the extraction of wind energy much more
efficient.The wind is free, and we are able to cash in on this free source of
energy.
• Wind turbines are a great resource to generate energy in remote locations, such
as mountain communities and remote countryside. Wind turbines can be a range
of different sizes in order to support varying population levels.
• Another advantage of wind energy is that when combined with solar electricity,
this energy source is great for developed and developing countries to provide a
steady, reliable supply of electricity.

Disadvantages of wind energy:

• The main disadvantage regarding wind power is down to the winds unreliability
factor
• Wind turbines generally produce allot less electricity than the average fossil
fuelled power station, requiring multiple wind turbines to be built in order to make
an impact.
• Wind turbine construction can be very expensive and costly to surrounding
wildlife during the build process.
• The noise pollution from commercial wind turbines is sometimes similar to a
small jet engine. So it may cause irritation for the people living near it.
 HYDROPOWER
Hydropower or water power is power derived from the energy of falling water,
which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower
has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices,
such as watermills, sawmills, textile mills, dock cranes, domestic
lifts and paint making.
Advantages of hydropower:
• Once a dam is constructed, electricity can be produced at a constant rate.
• If electricity is not needed, the sluice gates can be shut, stopping electricity
generation. The water can be saved for use another time when electricity
demand is high.
• Dams are designed to last many decades and so can contribute to the
generation of electricity for many years / decades.
• The lake that forms behind the dam can be used for water sports and leisure /
pleasure activities. Often large dams become tourist attractions in their own right.
• The lake's water can be used for irrigation purposes.
• The buildup of water in the lake means that energy can be stored until needed,
when the water is released to produce electricity.
• When in use, electricity produced by dam systems does not produce green
house gases. They do not pollute the atmosphere.

Disadvantages of hydropower:
• Dams are extremely expensive to build and must be built to a very high standard.
• The high cost of dam construction means that they must operate for many
decades to become profitable.
• The flooding of large areas of land means that the natural environment is
destroyed.
• The building of large dams can cause serious geological damage. For example,
the building of the Hoover Dam in the USA triggered a number of earth quakes
and has depressed the earth’s surface at its location.
• Although modern planning and design of dams is good, in the past old dams
have been known to be breached (the dam gives under the weight of water in the
lake). This has led to deaths and flooding.
• Dams built blocking the progress of a river in one country usually means that the
water supply from the same river in the following country is out of their control.
This can lead to serious problems between neighboring countries.
• People living in villages and towns that are in the valley to be flooded, must move
out. This means that they lose their farms and businesses. In some countries,
people are forcibly removed so that hydro-power schemes can go ahead.
 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
Geothermal energy comes from the Earth's crust and originates from the original
formation of the planet (20%) and from radioactive decay of minerals (80%). The
available energy from the Earth's crust and mantle is approximately equal to that of
incoming solar energy. Geothermal heating is the direct use of geothermal energy for
heating applications. Since Paleolithic times, naturally occurring Hot springs have been
used for bathing.Geothermal electricity is electricity generated from geothermal energy
using technologies like super heaters, flash steam power plants and binary cycle power
plants. The first geothermal power station was built at Landrello, Italy.
Advantages of Geothermal Energy:
• Low running cost. Unlike other energy sources that utilize fossil fuel, geothermal
energy saves about 80% of the fossil fuel cost.
• No fuel needed. This would not need to use fuel in order to generate power.
• Renewable. Since geothermal energy comes naturally from the earth, it becomes
renewable and does not get depleted. So you can be assured of an energy
source for a long time.
• It does not wreak havoc to the environment. Because this energy source is
renewable, it does not harm the environment in the process.
• It helps in decreasing the country’s dependence on fossil fuel, which are mostly
imported from other oil-producing countries.

Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy:

• High initial installation cost. One of the things that deter different government
agencies, as well as private capitalists to invest on geothermal energy is the high
installation cost.
• Viable areas for construction are only few. The area where geothermal plants are
built must have a good heat source.
• Carries with it the risk of releasing harmful gases trapped beneath the earth’s
surface.
 BIOFUEL
A biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation.
Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid
fuels and various biogases. Bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermentation, mostly
from carbohydrates produced in sugar or starch crops such
as corn, sugarcane or switch grass. Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils and animal
fats. Biodiesel is produced from oils or fats using transesterification and is the most
common biofuel in Europe. Biogas is methane produced by the process of anaerobic
digestion of organic material by anaerobes, etc. is also a renewable
enewable source of energy.
Advantages of Biofuel:
• Using biofuels can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted. They are a
much cleaner source of energy than conventional sources.
• As more and more biofuel is created there will be increased energy security for
the country producing it, as they will not have to rely on imports or foreign volatile
markets.
• First generation Biofuels can save up to 60% carbon emissions and second-
generation biofuels can save up to 80%.
• Biofuels will create a brand new job infrastructure and will help support local
economies. This is especially true in third world countries.
• There can be a reduction in fossil fuel use.
• Biofuel operations help rural development.

Disadvantages of Biofuel:
• The capital cost is over 700 million dollars to develop secondary biofuel
processes which would yield a better quality and more efficient fuel and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions even more.
• Biofuels are neither carbon neutral or negative as all the processes which are
used to create them such as transportation, fertilizer manufacturing, and fuel
used for machinery, etc.
• Sometimes the production of some biofuels actually leads to greener house gas
emissions then they decrease such as in the case of rapeseed corn.
• The techniques used to find out how good biofuels are for the environment
usually do not take into account other gasses emitted such as nitrous oxide
which sometimes happen to be more prominent after biofuels have been used.
• Biofuel may raise the price of certain foods, which are also used for biofuel such
as corn.
 NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES
FOSSIL FUEL
Natural resources such as coal, petroleum and natural gas take thousands of years to
form naturally and cannot be replaced as fast as they are being consumed. Eventually
fossil-based resources will become too costly to harvest and humanity will need to shift
its reliance to other sources of energy. These resources are yet to be named.
At present, the main energy source used by humans is non-renewable fossil fuels.
Since the dawn of internal combustion engine technologies in the 17th century,
petroleum and other fossil fuels have remained in continual demand. As a result,
conventional infrastructure and transport systems, which are fitted to combustion
engines, remain prominent throughout the globe. The continual use of fossil fuels at the
current rate is believed to increase global and cause more severe climate change.
Advantages of Fossil Fuel:
• A major advantage of fossil fuels is their capacity to generate huge amounts of
electricity in just a single location.
• Fossil fuels are very easy to find.
• When coal is used in power plants, they are very cost effective. Coal is also in
abundant supply.
• Transporting oil and gas to the power stations can be made through the use of
pipes making it an easy task.
• Power plants that utilize gas are very efficient.
• Power stations that make use of fossil fuel can be constructed in almost any
location. This is possible as long as large quantities of fuel can be easily brought
to the power plants.

Disadvantages of Fossil Fuel:

• Pollution is a major disadvantage of fossil fuels.
• Coal also produces carbon dioxide when burned compared to burning oil or gas.
Additionally, it gives off sulphur dioxide, a kind of gas that creates acid rain.
• Environmentally, the mining of coal results in the destruction of wide areas of
land. Mining this fossil fuel is also difficult and may endanger the lives of miners.
Coal mining is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.
• Power stations that utilize coal need large amounts of fuel. In other words, they
not only need truckloads but trainloads of coal on a regular basis to continue
operating and generating electricity. This only means that coal-fired power plants
should have reserves of coal in a large area near the plants location.
• Use of natural gas can cause unpleasant odors and some problems especially
with transportation.
• Use of crude oil causes pollution and poses environmental hazards such as oil
spills when oil tankers, for instance, experience leaks or drown deep under the
sea. Crude oil contains toxic chemicals which cause air pollutants when
combusted.
 RADIOACTIVE FUEL
The use of nuclear technology requires a radioactive fuel. Uranium ore is present in the
ground at relatively low concentrations and mined in 19 countries. This mined uranium
is used to fuel energy-generating nuclear reactors with fissionable uranium-238 which
generates heat that is ultimately used to power turbines to generate electricity. Nuclear
power provides about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity.
Advantages of Radioactive Fuel:
• Nuclear Power is a highly reliable form of energy almost as good as other fossil
fuel energy forms like coal, gas etc. Nuclear Power Plants except in drastic
situations continue to run reliably for the whole day without any changes.
• Large amounts of Nuclear Energy can be produced from the fission on
radioactive elements like uranium. The cost of nuclear fuel is relatively very low
compared to other energy sources like coal and gas.
• The Electricity produced from Nuclear Power is quite low at around 3-5c/Kwh
making it very attractive to construct hydro plants. Nuclear Plants also have
long lives of between 40-60 years which means that they are extremely profitable
once constructed within reasonable costs
• Nuclear electricity does not produce any GHG emissions or cause air pollution
from the combustion of fossil fuels unlike coal, oil or gas.
• - Nuclear Power Plants have very high load factors in excess of 80%.They can
generate power almost 24/7 and only require shutdown for periodic
maintenance.

Disadvantages ofRadioactive Fuel:

• This is the biggest con for Nuclear Energy and has been repeated 3 times in the
last 30 years in Japan, Russia and USA .The fear of a repeat is so great that
despite all the safety arrangements touted by the nuclear equipment operators
and suppliers, Nuclear Energy faces an uncertain future.
• Again a massive problem as the spent Nuclear Rods of Nuclear Reactors is
prohibitively costly and difficult to dispose of. Spent nuclear fuel is initially very
highly radioactive and so must be handled with great care and forethought
• The nuclear industry also produces a large volume of low-level radioactive waste
in the form of contaminated items like clothing, hand tools, water purifier resins,
and (upon decommissioning) the materials of which the reactor itself is built.
• Many countries have used the ruse of nuclear energy programs to generate fuel
for developing nuclear weapons. Currently there is a major international
controversy with regards to the Iranian Nuclear Energy Program. Nuclear
Reactors are targets for rogue state actors who can steal the fuel for creating
radiation weapons.
• Uranium which is the main fuel used in Nuclear Fission Power Plants is limited
to a few countries and suppliers. Its use and transport is regulated by
international treaties and groups. India which came under sanctions because of
testing of nuclear weapons had to shut many of its nuclear plants because of
embargoes.
 CONCLUSION
After discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the above
resources it can be really a tough decision to point out the most suitable
source of energy for the future.

Although after thorough investigation of the above sources of energy it

can be said that solar energy wind energy and biofuels are the leaders
in this race for the favorable energy source for the future.

It is an obvious fact that mankind could not survive with only these
sources of energy. Scientists all round the world are trying to develop
technologies to find alternative sources of energy. Nuclear fusion
energy, fuel cell (H2O), plasma gasification of waste products are the
arenas in which the future of mankind is dependent.

Bibliography

1. www.Wikipedia.org
2. www.Powersourcesolar.com
3. www.clean-energy-ideas.com
4. www.technologystudent.com
5. www.energyformankind.org
6. www.greenlivinganswers.com
7. www.spartansaving.com
8. www.Alternativeenergysecret.com
9. www.greenworldinvestor.com

Special thanks to:

Miss Sumi Handique, Assistant Professor, EVS, Tezpur University

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