Energy Resources
- Energy resources are large stores of energy that can be transferred from one form into electrical energy that can be used by society
- Generating energy reliably requires the use of a range of different energy resources
- A renewable energy resource is defined as
An energy source that is replenished at a faster rate than the rate at which it is being used
- As a result of this, renewable energy resources cannot run out
- Renewable resources include:
- Solar energy
- Wind
- Bio-fuel
- Hydroelectricity
- Geothermal
- Tidal
- Bio-fuels
- Non-renewable energy resources are those that cannot replenish faster than they are used
- Non-renewable resources include:
- Petrol (gasoline)
- Diesel
- Coal
- Natural gas
- Nuclear fission
Energy Resources Table
Uses of Energy Resources
- The three main uses of energy resources include:
- Transport
- Electricity generation
- Heating
Types of energy resources
Transport
- The majority of vehicles in the world are powered by petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene
- These resources all originate from crude oil, which is a fossil fuel
- A growing number of vehicles are now being powered by electricity
- The advantage of this is that while the vehicle is being driven, it produces zero carbon emissions
- The disadvantage is that when the vehicle is being charged, it is connected to the National Grid, which currently uses a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy sources
- Vehicles can also be powered by biofuel
- The advantage of biofuel is that it is a renewable resource
- However, the claim that biofuels are carbon-neutral is largely controversial
Electricity Generation
- Electricity plays a bigger role in people's lives than ever before
- With almost 8 billion people in the world, this means the demand for electricity is extremely high
- To keep up with this demand, a combination of all the energy resources available is needed
- On the downside, the majority (84%) of the world's energy is still produced by non-renewable, carbon-emitting sources
- This has an enormous negative impact on the environment
- Currently, scientists are working hard to develop more and more efficient ways to produce electricity using more carbon-neutral energy resources
Pie chart of global energy consumption
Heating
- Most homes in cold countries are fitted with central heating systems
- These utilize natural gas in order to heat up water which can be pumped around radiators throughout the home
- Unfortunately, gas is a non-renewable energy resource
- In geologically active countries, such as Iceland, they are fortunate to be able to heat their homes using geothermal energy