Types of Energy Resources - Energy resources can be put into two categories either renewable or nonrenewable. Resources that are nonrenewable are used faster than they can be replaced. Other resources that are called renewable will never run out. In most cases, these resources are replaced as quickly as they are used.
In a way, the difference between nonrenewable and renewable resources is like the difference between ordinary batteries and rechargeable ones. If you have a flashlight at home that uses ordinary batteries, and you accidentally leave the flashlight on all night long, you will need to buy new batteries once the ones in the flashlight have died.
The energy in the ordinary batteries is nonrenewable. But if the flashlight has rechargeable batteries, you can put them in a battery charger and use them in the flashlight again. In this way, the energy in the rechargeable batteries is “renewable.”
Fossil fuels are the most common example of nonrenewable energy resources. Renewable energy resources include solar, water, and wind power. If you traced the energy in all of these resources back to its origin, you would find that almost all energy resources not just solar energy come from the sun.
Fossil fuels are made of the remains of plants and animals that stored the sun’s energy millions of years ago. These plants and animals got all of their energy from the sun, either directly or indirectly. The sun heats some areas more than others, which causes wind. The sun’s energy drives the water cycle, which moves water over the surface of the Earth. Both wind and water power can be used as renewable resources.
Types of Nonrenewable Resources
Fossil fuels, which include coal, oil, and natural gas are nonrenewable resources. Millions of years ago, plants used energy from the sun to form sugars, carbohydrates, and other energyrich carbon compounds that were later transformed into coal, oil, or natural gas.
The solar energy stored in these fuels is a rich source of energy, but while fossil fuels took millions of years to form, we are using them up in a matter of decades and will soon run out. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources. The burning of fossil fuels also releases large amounts of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
Types of Renewable Resources
Renewable energy resources include solar, water, wind, biomass, and geothermal power. These resources can usually be replaced at the same rate that we use them. Scientists know that the sun will continue to shine for billions of years and we can use the energy from the sun as long as we have a sun. Water flows from high places to lower ones and wind blows from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.
We can use the flow of wind and water to generate power and we can count on wind and water to continue to flow. Some examples of biomass energy are burning something like wood or changing grains into biofuels. We can plant new trees or crops to replace the ones we use. Geothermal energy uses water in the rocks that has been heated by magma. The magma will heat more water in the rocks as we take hot water out.
Even renewable resources can come with problems, though. We could cut down too many trees or we might need grains to be used for food rather than biofuels. Some renewable resources have been too expensive to be widely used or cause some types of environmental problems.
As the technology improves and more people use renewable energy, the prices may come down. And, as we use up fossil fuels, they will become more expensive. At some point, even if renewable energy is expensive, nonrenewable energy will be even more expensive. Ultimately, we will have to use renewable sources (and conserve).
Important Things to Consider About Energy Resources
With both renewable and nonrenewable resources, there are at least two important things to consider. One is that we have to have a practical way to turn the resource into a useful form of energy. The other is that we have to consider what happens when we turn the resource into energy.
For example, if we get much less energy from burning a fuel than we put into making it, then that fuel is probably not a practical energy resource. On the other hand, if another fuel gives us large amounts of energy but also creates large amounts of pollution, that fuel also may not be the best choice for an energy resource.
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