Sources of energy

Introduction: - When we use energy in its usable form we convert the form of energy and get our work done during
the process. Since we cannot reverse the change involved in this process so we cannot get back the original usable
form of energy. Due to this, it becomes important to think about energy shortage and the related energy crisis.
Characteristics of a good source of energy:
It should be able to do large amount of work for each unit of mass or volume.
It should be easily accessible.
It should be easily transported.
It should be economical.
Conventional Sources of Energy: The sources of energy which have been in use since a long time are called
conventional sources of energy. Coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydro energy, wind energy and nuclear energy are
considered to be the conventional sources of energy. dditionally, firewood is also a conventional source of energy
but its usage is now limited to kitchens in the rural parts of India.
Fossil Fuels! Coal and petroleum are the fossil fuels.
Coal! Coal was formed millions of years ago. The plants got buried under swamps and due to high pressure and high
temperature inside the earth" they were converted into coal. Coal is the highest used energy source in India. During
the days of steam engine, coal was used in steam engines. #oreover, coal was also used as kitchen fuel" before $%&
became popular. 'ow(a(days, coal is mainly being used in the industries.
Petroleum! %etroleum was also formed millions of years ago. The animals got buried under the ocean surface and
were converted into petroleum" in due course of time. %etroleum is the third ma)or source of energy being used
today. %etroleum products are used as automobile fuel and also in the industries. 'atural gas mainly comes from the
oil wells and is also a ma)or source of energy.
Non-renewable Sources of Energy! It takes millions of years for the formation of fossil fuels. Since they cannot be
replenished in the foreseeable future, they are known as non(renewable sources of energy.
Renewable Sources of Energy! Those sources of energy which can be replenished *uickly are called renewable
sources of energy. +ydro energy, wind energy and solar energy are e,amples of renewable sources of energy.
ydro Energy! +ydro energy is produced by utili-ing the kinetic energy of flowing water. +uge dams are built over
a source of water. Water is collected behind the dam and released. When the water falls on the turbine" the turbine
moves" because of kinetic energy of water. Thus, electricity is generated by the turbine. .lectricity" thus generated is
called hydro energy or hydroelectricity. Water in the reservoir is replenished with rainwater and so availability of
water is not a problem for hydroelectricity.

!rawbac"s of ydro Plant! /uilding large dams is not good for the ecosystem. When a large dam is built, a vast
tract of land in its vicinity gets submerged. This destroys a large part of vegetation and wildlife which does immense
damage to the ecosystem. #oreover, when the submerged vegetation decomposes" it produces a huge amount of
methane gas. #ethane is a potential greenhouse gas and thus is not good for the environment.
/uilding large dam also affects a huge section of population which lives in the surrounding areas. #any villages
need to be evacuated. lthough the government comes with some rehabilitation plan for them but the displacement
of people from their roots has its own costs involved.
#hermal Power Plant! In a thermal power plant, coal or petroleum is used for converting water into steam. The
steam is used to run the turbine" to generate electricity.
$io-mass! The plants and animals constitute the biomass. 0irewood from plants is used as kitchen fuel. If large
number of trees can be planted, then a continuous supply of firewood can be ensured. 0arm waste" such as stalks of
harvested plants and dung of cattle" can be used to generate methane. The decomposition of biomass produces
methane" which can be channeli-ed for useful purposes.
$io-gas Plant! /io(gas plant can be very useful in solving the energy need of rural areas. bio(gas plant is a dome(
like structure which is usually built from bricks and concrete. In the mi,ing tank" the slurry is made from cow(dung
and water. The slurry then goes to the digester" which is a closed chamber. Since o,ygen is absent in the digester, the
anaerobes carry on their work of decomposition. The process of decomposition produces biogas. /iogas has about
123 of methane and the rest is composed of other gases 4carbon dio,ide, hydrogen and hydrogen sulphide5. The
biogas is channeli-ed through a pipe and can be utili-ed as kitchen fuel and also as fuel for getting light. The slurry"
left behind" is removed. It is used as manure, once it dries.

%dvantages of bio-gas energy
6. /io(gas is e,cellent fuel as it contains up to 173 methane gas.
8. It burns without smoke, leaves no residue like ash in wood, charcoal and coal burning.
9. Its heating capacity is high.
:. The large(scale utilisation of bio(waste and sewage material provides a safe and efficient method of waste(
disposal.
7. Slurry left behind acts as e,cellent manure.
&ind Energy! Wind energy has been in use since ages. The sail boats of the pre(industriali-ation era used to run on
wind power. Windmills have been in use" especially in +olland" since the medieval period. 'ow(a(days, windmills
are being used to generate electricity. The kinetic energy of wind is utili-ed to run the turbines" which generate
electricity.
t present, &ermany is the leading country in terms of wind energy production and India comes at number five. In
India, Tamil 'adu is the largest wind energy producing state. The largest wind farm in India is near ;anyakumari" in
Tamil 'adu" which generates 9<2 #W of electricity.
'imitations of &ind Energy:
Wind farms can only be established at those places where the wind speed is high enough and is more than
67 km=hr for most parts of the year.
Wind farms need to be established on large tracts of land.
The fan of the windmill has many moving parts" so cost of maintenance and repair is *uite high. Initial cost
of establishing a wind farm is very high.
.stablishment of wind energy farms re*uires large area of land. 0or a 6 #W generator, the farm needs
about 8 hectares of land.
Non-conventional Sources of Energy! .nergy sources which are relatively new are called non(conventional
sources of energy, e.g. nuclear power and solar energy.
Solar Energy! The sun is the main source of energy for all living beings on this earth. .ven the energy in the fossil
fuels has come from the sun. The sun has an endless reservoir of energy which would be available as long as the
solar system is in e,istence. Technologies for harnessing the solar energy have been developed in recent times.
Solar Coo"er! Solar cooker is very simple in design and mode of function. It is usually made from mirrors. %lain
mirrors are placed inside a rectangular bo,. The light reflected from the plain mirrors concentrates the solar energy
inside the solar cooker which generates enough heat to cook food.
Solar Furnace! Solar furnace is made like a concave mirror. $arge solar furnace has many smaller mirrors to
compose a very large conve, mirror. The thing to be heated is place near the focus of the mirror.
Solar Cells! large number of solar cells are, combined in an arrangement called solar cell panel that can deliver
enough electricity for practical use. Solar cells are made from silicon. The solar panel converts solar energy into
electrical energy which is stored in a battery" for later use. typical cell develops a voltage of 2.7>6 ? and can
produce about 2.1 W of electricity when e,posed to the Sun.
%dvantages of Solar energy
Solar cells have no moving parts, re*uire little maintenance and work *uite satisfactorily without the use of
any focusing device.
%ollution free 4eco(friendly5
'imitations of Solar Energy:
Though silicon is abundant in nature, availability of the special grade silicon for making solar cells is
limited.
The entire process of manufacturing solar panels is *uite high.
Cannot be used in cloudy days
%((lications of solar energy
rtificial satellites and space probes like #ars orbiters use solar cells as the main source of energy.
@ Aadio or wireless transmission systems or T? relay stations in remote locations use solar cell panels.
@ Traffic signals, calculators and many toys are fitted with solar cells.
Energy from Sea
Tidal .nergy! Due to the gravitational pull of the moon, tides happen near seashores. Water rushes up near the
seashore during a high tide and goes down during a low tide. Dams are built near seashores to collect the water
which comes during a high tide. When the water runs back to the ocean, the flow of water can be utili-ed to generate
electricity.
&ave Energy! Waves can also be a good source of energy. #any devices are being designed and tested to produce
wave energy. 0or e,ample" a hollow tower is built near the seashore. When water gushes in the tube because of
wave, it forces the air upwards. The kinetic energy of air in the tube is used to run a turbine. When the wave goes
down" air from up goes down the tube which is also used in running the turbine.
)cean #hermal Energy! The water at sea surface is hot during daytime, while the water at lower level is cold. The
temperature differential in water levels can be utili-ed to generate energy. If the temperature differential is more than
82BC, then ocean thermal energy can be utili-ed from that place. 0or this, a volatile li*uid" like ammonia" is boiled
using the heat from the hot water at the surface. The steam of the volatile li*uid is utili-ed to run the turbine to
generate electricity. Colder water from the surface below is utili-ed to condense ammonia vapour which is then
channeli-ed to the surface to repeat the cycle.
?arious methods of harnessing energy from the sea are still at e,perimental stages.
*eothermal Energy! The molten rocks from the inside of the earth are pushed in certain regions of the earth. Such
regions are called the hot spots of the earth. When groundwater comes in contact with such hot spots, lot of steam is
generated. This steam can be harnessed to produce energy. #any power plants in 'ew Cealand and DS operate on
geothermal energy.
Nuclear Energy! 'uclear fission is the process during which two nuclei fuse to form one nucleus. The process
generates a huge amount of energy. This phenomenon is utili-ed in nuclear power plants. 'uclear power is safest for
the environment but the risk of damage due to accidental leaks of radiation is pretty high. 0urther, storage of nuclear
waste is a big problem because of potential risk of radiation involved. 'onetheless, many countries are using nuclear
power in a big way. India too has built many nuclear power plants. Aecent accidents in the nuclear power plants in
Chernobyl and Eapan have forced the policymakers to rethink about the nuclear power.
'C.AT! .,ercise and Solution
Fuestion! 6. solar water heater cannot be used to get hot water on
a. sunny day
b. cloudy day
c. hot day
d. windy day
nswer! 4b5 cloudy day
Fuestion! 8. Which of the following is not an e,ample of a bio(mass energy sourceG
a. Wood
b. &obar(gas
c. 'uclear energy
d. Coal
nswer! 4c5 'uclear energy
Fuestion! 9. #ost of the sources of energy we use represent stored solar energy. Which of the following is not
ultimately derived from the SunHs energyG
a. &eothermal energy
b. Wind energy
c. 'uclear energy
d. /io(mass
nswer! 4c5 'uclear .nergy
Fuestion! :. Compare and contrast fossil fuels and the Sun as direct sources of energy.
nswer! Sun is the direct source of energy, while fossil fuels are formed because of the solar energy stored in them.
When green plants prepare food, they convert the solar energy into chemical energy which is stored in the form of
biomass. The same biomass gets transferred to the animals. Thus, the energy in the form of biomass which is stored
in fossil fuels has come from the sun.
Fuestion! 7. Compare and contrast bio(mass and hydroelectricity as sources of energy.
nswer! /iomass and hydroelectricity are different in many aspects. +ydroelectricity is generated using the kinetic
energy from moving water, while the energy from biomass is generated by decomposition of farm waste. Since
biomass is composed of organic compounds so energy from biomass results in air pollution. +ydroelectricity, on the
other hand, is pollution free.
Fuestion! I. what are the limitations of e,tracting energy fromG
4a5 Wind
nswer! $arge tract of land is re*uired for establishment of wind farms. They can be established only at those places
where wind speed is high enough. Initial cost of establishing a wind farm is very high and the cost of maintenance is
also high. #inimum speed of wind should be more than 67 km=hr
4b5 Waves
nswer! .nergy from waves can be harnessed only at selected places" only in coastal areas.
4c5 Tides
nswer! .nergy from tides can be harnessed only at selected places" only in coastal areas. Technologies for
harnessing energy from waves and tides are still at e,perimental stage and hence are less efficient and very costly.
Fuestion! 1. Jn what basis would you classify energy sources as!
a. Aenewable and non(renewable
b. .,haustible and ine,haustible
re the options given in 4a5 and 4b5 are the sameG
nswer! Jptions given in 4a5 and 4b5 are almost same. n energy source which can be *uickly renewed is called
renewable or ine,haustible. Jn the other hand, the energy sources which cannot be renewed in foreseeable future are
called non(renewable or e,haustible.
Fuestion! <. What are the *ualities of an ideal source of energyG
nswer! Characteristics of an ideal source of energy!
It should be able to do large amount of work for each unit of mass or volume.
It should be easily accessible.
It should be easily transported.
It should be economical.
It should be environmental friendly
Fuestion! K. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a solar cookerG re there places where solar
cookers would have limited utilityG
nswer! dvantages of Solar Cooker!
They are environment friendly.
Dse of a solar cooker does not involve recurring e,penses on fuel.
Disadvantages of Solar Cooker!
Solar cooker can work only during summer months and is useless during winters and on cloudy days.
Solar cooker can be useful at those places which receive plenty of sunshine. This is useless in colder
climates.
Though silicon is abundant in nature, availability of the special grade silicon for making solar cells is
limited.
The entire process of manufacturing solar panels is *uite high.
Fuestion! 62. What are the environmental conse*uences of increasing demand for energyG What steps would you
suggest to reduce energy consumptionG
nswer! .nvironmental conse*uences of increasing demand for energy are as follows!
Dse of fossil fuels is increasing air pollution which is not good for our health.
ir pollution is causing much damage to the ecosystem.
&reenhouse effect has resulted in global warming which is manifesting itself in strange changes in the
weather pattern around the world.
Too much e,ploitation of fossil fuels is going to create a situation when there would be not fossil fuel.
Steps to reduce energy consumption!
Eudicious use of energy is the only way.
Dse public transport instead of private modes of transport.
Dse bicycle whenever possible.
Walk for short distance commute.
void unnecessary use of modern gadgets which consume lot of energy.
&et a solar water heater installed for winter.