One of the most studied topics in today’s world is that of forms of energy that can replace those we currently use, which, in addition to producing harmful effects on our planet, are beginning to threaten to run out. Today we could not imagine our lives without electricity. That is why, at Green Ecology we have considered it interesting to tell you what other alternatives exist and are beginning to be developed, the so-called renewable energies; as well as tell you a little about these non-renewable energies that we are exploiting excessively. Continue reading if you want to know more about renewable and non-renewable energies, with examples and a summary . Take note!
What are renewable energies?
When we talk about renewable energies, we are referring to those energies that come from natural and almost inexhaustible sources, either because of the amount of energy they contain or because of their capacity to regenerate naturally. We say “almost” because these energy sources are subject to a renewal period, so their exploitation must respect these periods for them to truly function as unlimited energy sources .
These types of energy were considered as alternative energies in the 1970s. However, they are still more expensive than conventional energy sources. Another disadvantage is that in order to take advantage of these energy sources, very large spaces are needed, and for this reason the possibility of having these large plots of land is not always guaranteed.
But at this point, it is worth highlighting one detail. The fact that they are renewable energies does not mean that they are not polluting . Renewable energy sources are therefore classified as polluting and non-polluting or clean.
Among the non-polluting or clean sources we find the following:
- The wind, which generates wind energy.
- The heat coming from the interior of the earth is geothermal energy.
- Rivers and freshwater streams generate hydraulic or hydroelectric energy.
- The Sun produces solar energy .
- Seas and oceans generate tidal energy.
- Waves provide wave energy.
- The union of freshwater masses and saltwater masses is blue energy.
On the other hand, polluting renewable energies are those that come from biomass or organic matter. These can be used directly as fuel by burning or can be used once converted into bioethanol or biodiesel. As they are polluting energies, the problem with these types of energies is the same as the problem with polluting energies: the emission of carbon dioxide from their combustion.
Examples of renewable energy
Now that we know what renewable energies are and what types there are , let’s delve into some examples of these forms of energy, which, as we have seen, vary depending on the source that generates them.
- Wind energy: energy obtained from the force of the wind or air currents. Wind turbines transform the energy of the movement of these currents into electrical energy.
- Geothermal energy : the energy source is found inside the Earth, since the thermal phenomena that occur under the Earth’s crust are used.
- Solar energy: the best known, that which is obtained from solar radiation and collected through solar panels.
- Hydroelectric or hydraulic energy: comes from the energy created by the “waterfalls” that occur in rivers, which operate certain turbines that produce the movement of an electric generator that generates energy.
- Blue energy : also known as osmotic power, this energy is obtained due to the difference between the salt concentrations of river water and sea water. It is especially useful in regions where rivers have high flow rates, as greater amounts of energy will be produced. The only waste generated is brackish water.
- Tidal energy : This type of energy harnesses the energy produced by waves (wave energy), tides, salinity gradients (osmotic energy) or differences in ocean temperature.
- Biomass: This type of energy uses organic matter that is formed due to biological processes in living beings such as plants or animals, as well as their remains and waste. These generated products can be burned (combustion) and obtain energy or transformed into other substances such as fuel or food that can be used later.
- Biofuels: These are derived from the previously mentioned form of energy. They are mixtures of substances of organic origin that are used as fuels. These biofuels can be obtained from different types of plants such as corn, soybeans, sunflowers, palm trees and even eucalyptus and pine trees.
What are non-renewable energies?
Non-renewable energies, as we mentioned above, refer to conventional forms of energy , those whose resources from which they are obtained are limited, that is, they do not self-regenerate like renewable energies.
Most commonly, these energy sources are generated by burning fossil fuels , which in their combustion cause the emission of a large amount of greenhouse gases . These gases are today one of the main causes of climate change, as their quantity in the atmosphere is increasing very rapidly.
Examples of non-renewable energy
Within this type of non-renewable energy we can find two main groups:
Fossil fuels
Fossil fuels , such as petroleum (liquid form), coal (solid) and natural gas (gaseous). These fossil fuels come from biomass generated millions of years ago that have been converted into such fuels after undergoing suitable pressure and temperature conditions.
- Petroleum: Petroleum is an organic compound composed of a mixture of hydrocarbons that are insoluble in water and that was formed from the transformation of organic matter that accumulated in the form of sediments.
- Coal: Coal is a sedimentary rock, again, of organic origin formed from plant remains that decompose and accumulate in swampy areas.
- Natural gas: in this case, it is a hydrocarbon resulting from the mixture of gases of natural origin, mainly methane, and formed by the decomposition of various layers of plants and animal matter exposed to intense heat and pressure for millions of years.
Nuclear energy
The other group of non-renewable energies is nuclear energy . Matter is composed of atoms, which are formed by a nucleus and one or more electrons distributed in layers (electron cloud) above the nucleus, which in turn is composed of one or more protons and an equal number of neutrons.
But what does all this have to do with nuclear energy? The atomic nucleus of some elements, such as uranium, can be disintegrated and release energy, which is used by thermonuclear power plants to produce electricity. In other words, nuclear energy is obtained by breaking apart the atoms of some radioactive minerals (fission). However, the nuclear waste produced takes a long time to lose its radioactive properties, and it can take a long time for many to disappear.
Summary of renewable and non-renewable energy
To conclude this article, we will now summarize all the information presented in the previous sections.
As we said, renewable energies are those that come from almost unlimited natural sources, but that need a renewal period to be able to replenish. There are non-polluting or clean renewable energies and polluting renewable energies.
Among clean renewable energies we highlighted wind energy, solar energy, hydroelectric energy, geothermal energy, tidal energy, wave energy and blue energy. As polluting renewable energies we highlighted those whose source is biomass or organic matter. Their problem is that, as with conventional energies, their combustion produces carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.
On the other hand, we said that non-renewable energies , unlike renewable ones, are obtained from resources that are limited and do not have the capacity to regenerate themselves. Most commonly, these energies are obtained, above all, from the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, coal or natural gas. The combustion of these materials contributes to current climate change by emitting a large amount of greenhouse gases.
There is another group of non-renewable energies, that of nuclear energy. Nuclear energy comes from the fission process, the process by which the atomic nucleus of atoms disintegrates to subsequently release energy, used by thermonuclear power plants for the production of electricity. The major drawback of nuclear energy is that nuclear waste takes a long time to disappear and lose its radioactivity.
