What is Energy?

Energy is the amount of force or power when applied can move one object from one position to
another or Energy defines the capacity of a system to do work. Energy exists in everybody whether
they are human beings or animals or nonliving things for e.g.: Jet, Light, Machines etc..

Energy can have many forms: kinetic, potential, light, sound, gravitational, elastic, electromagnetic or
nuclear. According to the law of conservation of energy, any form of energy can be converted into
another form and the total energy will remain the same. When you charge your mobile phone, the
electrical energy is converted into the chemical energy which gets stored inside the batterys
molecules.

What are the Sources of Energy?

Energy is broadly classified into two main groups: Renewable and Non-renewable.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is the energy which is generated from natural sources i.e. sun, wind, rain, tides and
can be generated again and again as and when required. They are available in plenty and by far most
the cleanest sources of energy available on this planet. For eg: energy that we receive from the sun can
be used to generate electricity. Similarly, energy from wind, geothermal, biomass from plants, tides
can be used to fulfill our daily energy demands.

Here are some of the pros and cons of using renewable sources of energy:-

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 millions of people.

You dont have to rely on any third country for the supply of renewable sources as in case of non-
renewable sources.

Renewable sources can cost less than consuming the local electrical supply. In the long run, the
prices of electricity are expected to soar since they are based on the prices of crude oil, so renewable
sources can cut your electricity bills.

Various tax incentives in the form of tax waivers, credit deductions are available for individuals and
businesses who want to go green.

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.
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 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.

Non-Renewable Energy

Non-Renewable energy is the energy which is taken from the sources that are available on the earth in
limited quantity and will vanish fifty-sixty years from now. Non-renewable sources are not
environmental friendly and can have serious affect on our health. They are called non-renewable
because they cannot be re-generated within a short span of time. Non-renewable sources exist in the
form of fossil fuels, natural gas, oil and coal.

Here are some of the pros and cons of using non-renewable sources of energy:-

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 eg: if you are driving a battery driven car
your battery gets discharged then you wont be able to charge it in the middle if the road rather it is
easy to find a gas pumping station.

They are considered as cheap when converting from one type of energy to another.

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.

Why Should 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.

To start saving energy is not a big thing at all. We can start saving the energy from our home itself,
just by turning off the lights during day hours, washing clothes in cold water or using public transport
instead of using our own vehicle and later can implement these things on much wider scale at society
level, then at city level then district level and finally at country level. The experienced service
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You might notice a small change in your monthly bills by implementing these changes as they would
be getting decreased more and more. With so many alternatives and so many techniques about there, if
millions of people like us start doing these things, it will help us to save much more money and also
help the environment. Dissertation Writing Service works with great academic experts and helps PhD /
Master students.

What is renewable energy?

Unlike fossil fuels, which are finite, renewable energy sources regenerate.

There are five commonly used renewable energy sources:

Biomassincludes:
o Wood and wood waste
o Municipal solid waste
o Landfill gas and biogas

Collecting and using biogas from landfills - deponija

Landfills for municipal solid waste can be a source of energy. Anaerobic bacteriabacteria that can
live without the presence of free oxygenliving in landfills decompose organic waste to produce a gas
called biogas. Biogas contains methane. Methane is the same energy-rich gas found in natural gas,
which is used for heating, cooking, and producing electricity.

Landfill biogas can be dangerous to people and the environment because methane is flammable, and it
is a strong greenhouse gas. In the United States, regulations under the Clean Air Act require landfills
of a certain size to install and operate a landfill gas collection and control system.

Source: Adapted from National Energy Education Project (public domain)

Some landfills control the methane gas emissions simply by burning or flaring methane gas. Methane gas can
also be used as an energy source. Many landfills collect biogas, treat it, and then sell the methane. Some
landfills use the methane gas to generate electricity.

Using biogas from animal waste

Some farmers produce biogas in large tanks called digesters where they put manure and used bedding
material from their barns. Some farmers cover their manure ponds (also called lagoons) to capture
biogas. Biogas digesters and manure ponds contain the same anaerobic bacteria found in landfills. The
methane in the biogas can be used for heating and for generating electricity on the farm.

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 o Ethanol

Ethanol made from corn and other crops (usjevi)

Ethanol is a clear, colorless alcohol made from the sugars found in grains such as corn, sorghum, and
barley, as well as potato skins, rice, sugar cane, sugar beets, and yard clippings. Ethanol is a renewable
fuel because it is made from plants. Ethanol can be made from these sources in several ways.

USDA researchers adding yeast to begin ethanol fermentation

The most common ethanol production processes today use yeast to ferment the sugars and starch in
corn. Corn is the main ingredient for fuel ethanol in the United States because of its abundance and
low price. Most ethanol is produced in corn-growing states in the Midwest. The starch in the corn is
fermented into sugar, which is then fermented into alcohol.

Sugar cane and sugar beets are the most common ingredients used to make ethanol in other parts of the
world. Because alcohol is created by fermenting sugar, sugar crops are the easiest ingredients to
convert into alcohol. Brazil, the world's second-largest fuel ethanol producer, makes most of its
ethanol from sugar cane. Most of the cars in Brazil are capable of running on pure ethanol or on a
blend of gasoline and ethanol.

Cellulosic ethanol

Ethanol can also be produced by breaking down cellulose in woody fibers. Cellulosic ethanol is
considered an advanced biofuel and involves a more complicated production process than the process
used to make conventional ethanol.

Trees and grasses are potential feedstocks (the raw material needed to make a product) for cellulosic
ethanol production. Trees and grasses require less energy, fertilizers, and water to grow than grains do,
and they can also be grown on lands that are not suitable for growing food. Scientists have developed
fast-growing trees that grow to full size in 10 years. Many grasses can produce two harvests a year for
many years without annual replanting.

History of ethanol
Model T car

Source: Stock photography (copyrighted)

In the 1850s, ethanol was a major lighting fuel. During the Civil War, a liquor tax was placed on
ethanol to raise money for the war. The tax increased the price of ethanol so much that it could no
longer compete with other fuels like kerosene. Ethanol production declined sharply because of this tax,
and production levels did not begin to recover until the tax was repealed in 1906.

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The Model T ran on ethanol

In 1908, Henry Ford designed his Model T, a very early automobile, to run on a mixture of gasoline
and alcohol. Ford called this mixture the fuel of the future. In 1919, when Prohibition began, ethanol
was banned because it was considered an alcoholic beverage. It could only be sold when mixed with
petroleum. Ethanol was used as a fuel again after Prohibition ended in 1933.

Ethanol is once again used to fuel automobiles

Ethanol use increased temporarily during World War II when oil and other resources were scarce. In
the 1970s, interest in ethanol as a transportation fuel was revived as oil embargoes, rising oil prices,
and growing dependence on imported oil increased interest in alternative fuels. Since that time, ethanol
use and production has been encouraged by tax benefits and by environmental regulations that require
cleaner-burning fuels.

In 2005, Congress enacted a Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) that set minimum requirements for the
use of renewable fuels, including ethanol. In 2007, the RFS renewable fuel use targets were set to rise
steadily to a level of 36 billion gallons by 2022. In 2015, about 14 billion gallons of ethanol were
added to the gasoline consumed in the United States.

o Biodiesel

Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils and animal fats

Vegetable oil in a bottle

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel that can be used instead of the diesel fuel made from petroleum.
Biodiesel can be made from vegetable oils and animal fats.

In 2015, soybean oil was the source of about 67% of the total feedstock (raw material) used to produce
biodiesel in the United States. Canola oil and corn oil provided about 25% of the total feedstock, and
animal fats provided about 9% of the total feedstock. Rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, and palm oil are
other major sources of the biodiesel that is consumed in other countries.

Biodiesel is most often blended with petroleum diesel in ratios of 2% (B2), 5% (B5), or 20% (B20).
Biodiesel can also be used as pure biodiesel (B100). Biodiesel fuels can be used in regular diesel
engines without making any changes to the engines. Biodiesel can also be stored and transported using
diesel fuel tanks and equipment.

History of biodiesel

Before petroleum diesel fuel became popular, Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine in 1897,
experimented with using vegetable oil (biodiesel) as fuel.

Hydropower
Geothermal
Wind
Solar

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What role does renewable energy play in the United States?

Up until the mid-1800s, wood supplied nearly all of of the nation's energy needs. As more consumers
began using coal, petroleum, and natural gas, the United States relied less on wood as an energy
source. Today, the use of renewable energy sources is increasing, especially biofuels, solar, and wind.

In 2016, about 10% of total U.S. energy consumption was from renewable energy sources (or about
10.2 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu)1 quadrillion is the number 1 followed by 15 zeros).
About 55% of U.S. renewable energy use is by the electric power sector for producing electricity, and
about 15% of U.S. electricity generation was from renewable energy sources in 2016.

Renewable energy plays an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. When renewable
energy sources are used, the demand for fossil fuels is reduced. Unlike fossil fuels, non-biomass
renewable sources of energy (hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar) do not directly emit
greenhouse gases.

The consumption of biofuels and other nonhydroelectric renewable energy sources more than doubled
from 2000 to 2016, mainly because of state and federal government mandates and incentives for
renewable energy. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that the use of
renewable energy in the United States will continue to grow through 2040.

Why don't we use more renewable energy?

In general, renewable energy is more expensive to produce and to use than fossil fuel energy.
Favorable renewable resources are often located in remote areas, and it can be expensive to build
power lines from the renewable energy sources to the cities that need the electricity. In addition,
renewable sources are not always available:

Clouds reduce electricity from solar power plants.

Days with low wind reduce electricity from wind farms.
Droughts reduce the water available for hydropower.

Nonrenewable and Renewable Energy

Resources
There are nine major areas of energy resources. They fall into two categories: nonrenewable
and renewable.
Nonrenewable energy resources, like coal, nuclear, oil, and natural gas, are available in limited
supplies. This is usually due to the long time it takes for them to be replenished.
Renewable resources are replenished naturally and over relatively short periods of time. The
five major renewable energy resources are solar, wind, water (hydro), biomass, and
geothermal.
Since the dawn of humanity people have used renewable sources of energy to survive wood
for cooking and heating, wind and water for milling grain, and solar for lighting fires. A little
more than 150 years ago people created the technology to extract energy from the ancient
fossilized remains of plants and animals. These super-rich but limited sources of energy (coal,
oil, and natural gas) quickly replaced wood, wind, solar, and water as the main sources of fuel.
Fossil fuels make up a large portion of todays energy market, although promising new
renewable technologies are emerging. Careers in both the renewable and nonrenewable energy
industries are growing; however, there are differences between the two sectors. They each have
benefits and challenges, and relate to unique technologies that play a role in our current energy
system. For a range of reasons, from the limited amount of fossil fuels available to their effects
on the environment, there is increased interest in using renewable forms of energy and
developing technologies to increase their efficiency. This growing industry calls for a new
workforce.
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 We use a variety of Earth's resources, but not all of them will be around forever. This lesson explains
the difference between resources that can be regenerated for our use and those that are gone after
they are used once.

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We All Need Resources

You can renew your lease when it runs out at the end of the year. You can renew your driver's
license and license plate on your birthday. You can also renew a library book when your
allotted time with it has expired. All sorts of things get renewed in our everyday lives when
they 'run out' or expire. These are easy to renew because you don't have to create a new one,
you just renew the ability to use whatever it is you are using.
You can apply this same principle to natural resources. We use all kinds of natural resources:
minerals, wood, coal, natural gas, wind, water, plants, animals and many more. Some of these
are renewable and some are non-renewable. The difference is that some renew at faster rates
than others, making them more sustainable than those that do not renew very fast.

Renewable Resources
Renewable resources are resources that are replenished by the environment over relatively
short periods of time. This type of resource is much more desirable to use because often a
resource renews so fast that it will have regenerated by the time you've used it up.
Think of this like the ice cube maker in your refrigerator. As you take some ice out, more ice
gets made. If you take a lot of ice out, it takes a little more time to refill the bin but not a very
long time at all. Even if you completely emptied the entire ice cube bin, it would probably only
take a few hours to 'renew' and refill that ice bin for you. Renewable resources in the natural
environment work the same way.
Solar energy is one such resource because the sun shines all the time. Imagine trying to harness
all of the sun's energy before it ran out! Wind energy is another renewable resource. You can't
stop the wind from blowing any more than you can stop the sun from shining, which makes it
easy to 'renew.'
Any plants that are grown for use in food and manufactured products are also renewable
resources. Trees used for timber, cotton used for clothes, and food crops, such as corn and
wheat, can all be replanted and regrown after the harvest is collected.
Animals are also considered a renewable resource because, like plants, you can breed them to
make more. Livestock, like cows, pigs and chickens, all fall into this category. Fish are also
considered renewable, but this one is a bit trickier because even though some fish are actually
farmed for production, much of what we eat comes from wild stocks in lakes and oceans. These
wild populations are in a delicate balance, and if that balance is upset by overfishing, that
population may die out.
Water is also sometimes considered a renewable resource. You can't really 'use up' water, but
you also can't make more of it. There is a limited supply of water on Earth, and it cycles
through the planet in various forms - as a liquid (our oceans), a solid (our polar ice caps and
glaciers) and a gas (as clouds and water vapor).
Liquid water can be used to generate hydroelectric power, which we get from water flowing
through dams. This is considered a renewable resource because we don't actually take the water
out of the system to get electricity. Like sunshine and wind, we simply sit back and let the
resource do all the work!
Geothermal energy is a renewable resource that provides heat from the earth - 'geo' means
'earth' and 'thermal' means 'heat.' You know all of those volcanoes on Earth that spew hot lava
when they erupt? That lava has got to come from somewhere, right? It's actually sitting
underneath the earth's surface as incredibly hot rock and magma.
We find the most heat in places like plate boundaries because these are like large cracks under
Earth's surface where the heat can escape as well as places on Earth where the crust is
relatively thin. Old Faithful and other natural springs and geysers are the result of geothermal
energy and that water can be hotter than 430F!
Biofuels are renewable resources that are fuels made from living organisms - literally
biological fuels. Ethanol is a biofuel because it's derived from corn. Biodiesel is vehicle fuel
made from vegetable oil, and I bet you didn't know that people can actually run their cars on
used oil from restaurants! Firewood, animal dung and peat burned for heat and cooking
purposes are also biofuels because they come from living (or once-living) organisms.
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