What is Energy?

Energy is literally everywhere! It's all around us and even inside of us. Our whole
universe is made from energy.
Energy does all sorts of things for us. You wake up to an electric alarm clock. You take a
shower with water warmed by a hot water heater using electricity or natural gas. You listen to
music on your MP3 player as you dress. You catch the bus to school. And that’s just some of the
energy you use to get you through the first part of your day. That’s why every day of your life
you encounter energy.
Energy is part of our everyday living. It gives a lot of benefits to the people in the
community and it has a lot of uses. It does things for us. It helps our bodies grow and our minds
think. That’s why energy is defined as the ability to produce change or do work, and that work
can be divided into several main tasks we easily recognize:
 Energy produces light.
 Energy produces heat.
 Energy produces motion.
 Energy produces sound.
 Energy produces growth.
 Energy powers technology.

Every day we rely on energy to provide us with electricity, hot water, and fuel for our cars.
Most of this energy comes from fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. These are non-
renewable energy sources, which mean that if we use them all up, we can never get more
during our lifetime. They contribute greatly to global climate change by releasing carbon dioxide
into the air when they are burned.
Because fossil fuels can run out and are bad for the environment, it is important that we
start switching to other energy sources, like renewable energy sources. These are usually much
more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels. Overall, they release very few chemicals.
Renewable Sources of Energy (How it is related to science?)
Renewable energy is energy that is generated from natural processes that are
continuously replenished. This includes sun, geothermal, wind, water, and of biomass.
This energy cannot be exhausted and is constantly renewed. Currently, less than ten percent
of all the energy we use comes from renewable sources. So, you might be wondering, If
renewable energy sources do not harm the environment and will not run out, then why are we not
using them everywhere and all the time? It is because many of them are currently expensive to
harness, are inefficient, or have other disadvantages. For example, using energy from the wind
might be great in an area that is really windy all year-round, but it wouldn't work so well in an
area with very little wind.
 Solar energy is energy that comes from the sun. Every day the sun radiates, or sends
out, an enormous amount of energy. It is the cleanest and most abundant renewable
energy source available.
 Geothermal energy is a deep inside the Earth lies hot water and steam that can be used
to heat our homes and businesses and generate electricity cleanly and efficiently. The
 word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo, or "earth," and therme, meaning
"heat."
 Wind energy is a clean energy source that we can rely on for the long-term future.
One wind turbine can be sufficient to generate energy for a household. Because wind is a
source of energy which is non-polluting and renewable, the turbines create power
without using fossil fuels.
 Hydropower or hydroelectricity refers to the conversion of energy from
flowing water into electricity. Water—that is not reduced or used up in the process.
Because the water cycle is an endless, constantly recharging system, hydropower is
considered a renewable energy. 
 Biomass is organic material that comes from plants and animals, and it is
a renewable source of energy. It can be purposely grown energy crops, wood or forest
residues, waste from food crops, horticulture, food processing, animal farming, or human
waste from sewage plants.

Non-renewable Sources of Energy (How it is related to science?)

Non-renewable energy is a source of energy that will eventually run out or will not be
replenished in our lifetime. Once they are used up, they will not be restored because most of
sources of the non-renewable energy are fossil fuels and nuclear power. Fossil fuel such as coal,
oil and natural gas were formed from animals and plants that lives from a hundred of millions of
years ago. These natural resources are a major source of power of vast amount of industries. And
yet these resources are limited supply still there are numerous downsides including their negative
environmental impact because the supply comes from the Earth itself.
The Non Renewable Energy Resources are;
 Coal is a fossil fuels black or brownish-black rock with a high amount of carbon and
hydrocarbons. It created from the buried plants that lived and died hundreds of millions
of years ago in swampy forest. Layers of dirt and rock covered the plants over millions of
years. The resulting pressure and heat turned the plants into the substance we call coal
that contains the energy stored by plants. Coal is classified as a nonrenewable energy
source because it takes millions of years to form.
 Oil is a fossil fuel builds up in liquid form that is formed from the remains of tiny sea
plants and animals that died a hundred of millions years ago. It also known as petroleum,
that can be used to make products such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
 Natural gas is a non-renewable fossil fuel formed deep beneath the earth's surface from
the remains of tiny sea plants and animals that died a million years ago. Approximately
90% of natural gas is composed of methane, but it also contains other gases such as
propane and butane. Natural gas can converted into other forms of energy such as light
and heat. We use natural gas as a fuel and to make materials and chemicals.
 Nuclear Energy comes from the nucleus of atoms (the particles that make up every
object in the universe-consist of neutron, electron, and protons). The energy is released
by nuclear fusion (nuclei are fused together). This is how the Sun produces energy. The
nuclear fission (nuclei are split apart). This is the method used by nuclear plants to
generate electricity called uranium. Nuclear energy is released from an atom through
either:
Renewable Sources of Energy (Technology Used)
1. Photovoltaic (PV) panels -It is also called as solar cells, this
are electronic devices that convert sunlight directly into
electricity. This solar cells can be seen everywhere even on
roof and windows of houses and office buildings, battery
chargers and computers, new cars and airplanes, solar farms,
etc. Nowadays, PV is one of the fastest-growing and very
useful renewable energy technologies.

2. Wind turbines -It converts the kinetic energy in the wind

into mechanical power. It is the opposite of a fan. Instead of
using electricity to make wind, like a fan, wind turbines use
wind to make electricity. The wind turns the blades, which
spin a shaft, which connects to a generator and makes
electricity.

3. Spiral Pump - also known as water wheel pump is a

hydraulic machine that pumps water without electricity.
With the global efforts to reduce carbon emissions, the
increased focus on renewable energy is making the spiral
pump a viable option for pumping water, especially in rural
areas and developing countries. Spiral pump is an
environmentally-friendly machine.

4. Dry Steam power plant -use hydrothermal fluids that are

primarily steam. The steam travels directly to a turbine, which
drives a generator that produces electricity. The steam
eliminates the need to burn fossil fuels to run the turbine (also
eliminating the need to transport and store fuels).

5. Biomass gasification - is an endothermic thermal conversion

technology where a solid fuel is converted into a combustible
gas. A limited supply of oxygen, air, steam or a combination
serves as the oxidizing agent.
Non-renewable Sources of Energy (Technology Used/ Utilized)
1. Steam Turbine Generator - is the primary power
conversion component of the power plant. The function of
the steam turbine generator is to convert the thermal
energy of the steam from the steam generator to electrical
energy. Two separate components are provided: the steam
turbine to convert the thermal energy to rotating
mechanical energy, and the generator to convert the
mechanical energy to electrical energy. Typically, the
turbine is directly coupled to the generator.

2. Oil Pump Jack - is the over ground drive for a

reciprocating piston pump in an oil well. It is used to
mechanically lift liquid out of the well if not enough
bottom holes pressure exists for the liquid to flow all the
way to the surface. The arrangement is commonly used for
onshore wells producing little oil.

3. Drilling Rig - can be massive structures housing equipment used to drill

water wells, oil wells, or natural gas extraction wells, or they can be
small enough to be moved manually by one person and such are called
augers.

4. Cooling tower - is a heat rejection device that rejects

waste heat to the atmosphere through the cooling of a
water stream to a lower temperature. Cooling towers may
either use the evaporation of water to remove process heat
and cool the working fluid to near the wet-bulb air
temperature or, in the case of closed circuit dry cooling
towers, rely solely on air to cool the working fluid to near
the dry-bulb air temperature.

Renewable Sources of Energy (Relation to Society)

What are the advantages of renewable energy? Renewable energy is a super-smart choice for
humans and the environment. Here are some of the big benefits of using renewable sources for
our energy supply:
1. They’ll never run out. That’s right. These natural energy sources can replace
themselves, making them sustainable and abundant natural resources.
 2. They don’t damage our planet. These clean energy sources are non-pollutant, produce
minimal or no waste products, and don’t contribute to global warming - great news for
the environment!

3. They’re low-maintenance energy sources. Renewable energy facilities tend to require

less maintenance than traditional generators. And as they come from natural, abundant
resources, the operating costs are generally lower too.

4. They’re good news for regional areas. As most renewable energy projects are located
in regional areas - away from the big cities - they can bring economic benefits to these
places. For example, this could come from more people using local services.

What are the disadvantages of renewable energy? As you can see, there are plenty of
positives about using renewable energy. But what about any potential disadvantages? Here are
some of the reasons why renewable energy can sometimes present problems:
1. Unreliable weather can affect energy supply. As renewable energy often relies on
certain weather conditions, this can impact the reliability of a constant energy supply. For
example:

o Hydro generators need enough rain to fill dams for their supply of flowing water.
o Wind turbines need wind to turn their blades.
o Solar panels need clear skies and sunshine to get the heat needed to generate
electricity.
2. It’s hard to produce the same amounts as non-renewable sources. It can be difficult
to generate quantities of electricity that are as large as those produced by traditional fossil
fuel generators.
Non-renewable Sources of Energy (Relation to Society)
What's good about non-renewable energy sources?
 Lots available: Humans have invested a lot of time, effort and money into obtaining
fossil fuels, so we now have a ready supply.
 Easier to find: Fossil fuels can be found all over the world, with many areas already
identified as being rich in these resources.
 Very efficient: Fossil fuels can generate a lot of energy, even from just a small amount
of fuel.
 Simpler to transport: Fossil fuels can be easily transported, e.g. using underground
pipes to move oil and gas.
 Easy set-up: A fossil fuel plant can be set up at any location, as long as there is a large
quantity of fuel to generate power.

What's bad about non-renewable energy sources?

 Environmental pollution: Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, which is directly
linked to global warming – so fossil fuels are very damaging to the health of our planet.
  Huge amounts of fuel reserves: To keep power stations working, you need truckloads of
fuel. This can make energy generation very expensive.
 Public health issues: Because of all their nasty air pollution, burning fossil fuels can lead
to lung problems and asthma attacks in humans.
 They will run out: Once the earth's supplies of fossil fuels have been used up, they can't
be renewed (at least not for several hundred million years), so we won't be able to use
them for our rising power needs.
 Oil spills: The huge tankers transporting oil sometimes crash and spill their contents into
the sea and nearby coast. This is disastrous for the ocean and land, and can be deadly for
the animals that live there.
 Rising costs: As just a few countries hold a large amount of fossil fuels, fuel prices can
rise without warning.
 Health risks to workers: Mining for coal or drilling for oil can be very dangerous,
resulting in a large number of diseases, injuries and deaths every year.

Conclusion

Energy is a bit of mystery. Most of the time we can't see it, but it is everywhere around
us. In fact, even our thoughts, our words and our actions are using energy. Energy can be easily
explained through the use of science and it is used in science to describe how potential a physical
system has to change. Energy does all sorts of things for us. It moves our cars, cooks our food,
plays our favourite songs and provides light and heat for our homes. Energy also helps our
bodies grow and our minds think. In fact, everything we see around is actually made up of empty
space and atoms are the ones that create matter which are made up all of energy.

Energy sources can be categorized as renewable energy - is any natural resource that

can replace itself quickly and dependably such as solar, geothermal, hydro power and biomass.
While non- renewable energy - is a source of energy that will eventually run out that cannot
be easily replenished such as coal, oil, natural gas, and natural gas.

The energy easily comes through the use of some technologies that the humans have been
discovered and yet because of the energy, we usually used it in our everyday life. First, in
industrial sector – that we used facilities and equipment for manufacturing, agriculture, mining,
and construction. Second, in transportation sector – we transport through the use of vehicles such
as cars, motorcycles and so on. Third, the residential sector – we used energy in our own home
such as in cooking, charging our devices, and etc. Fourth, in commercial sector – in this sector,
we used energy because of some infrastructures such as malls, hospitals, and so on that needs to
operate their functions. Fifth, in electric power sector – it is usually our first energy we consumes
to generate the other sectors.

However, it's important to keep in mind that just because energy exists, that doesn't mean it's
necessarily available to do work. We need energy to do work. Energy cannot be made or
destroyed that’s why we need to value all these sources that comes from our earth because if we
do not care and we took granted on using it eventually our nature that has all these energy will
destroyed easily. That’s why we need to be responsible on using it because without this energy
things are nothing. It is all start in energy. That's why we need to value all these sources that
make our lives easier because it gives and help us a lot.

References:
Energy - Knowledge Bank - Solar Schools.
Accessed: January 20, 2020.
Retrieved from: https://www.solarschools.net/knowledge-bank/energy

Morse, Elizabeth (2013) . “National Society, Non-Renewable Energy: National Geographic

Society
Accessed: February 6, 2020.
Retrieved from: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/non-renewable-energy/

What is energy? explained - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)  (2019)

Accessed: February 6, 2020.
Retrieved from https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/what-is-energy/
 ENERGY

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