ENERGY RESOURCES: Renewable and Non-renewable

About 99% of the energy we use for heat comes from the sun and the other 1% comes mostly from burning fossil fuels.
Solar energy indirectly supports wind power, hydropower, and biomass.
About 76% of the commercial energy we use comes from nonrenewable fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal) with the
remainder coming from renewable sources.
Net energy is the amount of high-quality usable energy available from a resource after subtracting the energy
needed to make it available.
The higher the net energy ratio, the greater the net energy available. Ratios < 1 indicate a net energy
loss.
OIL
Crude oil (petroleum) is a thick liquid containing hydrocarbons that we extract from underground deposits
and separate into products such as gasoline, heating oil and asphalt.
Only 35-50% can be economically recovered from a deposit.
As prices rise, about 10-25% more can be recovered from expensive secondary extraction techniques.
This lowers the net energy yield.
Refining crude oil:
Based on boiling points, components are removed at various layers in a giant distillation column.
The most volatile components with the lowest boiling points are removed at the top.
Burning oil for transportation accounts for 43% of global CO2 emissions.
Advantages
Ample supply for 4293 years
Low cost (with huge subsidies)
High net energy yield
Easily transported within and between countries
Technology is well developed
Efficient distribution system

Disadvantages
Releases CO2 when burned
Moderate water pollution

Heavy Oils from Oil Sand and Oil Shale: Will Sticky Black Gold Save Us?
Heavy and tarlike oils from oil sand and oil shale could supplement conventional oil, but there are
environmental problems.
High sulfur content.
Extracting and processing produces:
Toxic sludge
Uses and contaminates larges volumes of water
Requires large inputs of natural gas which reduces net energy yield.
Oil shales contain a solid combustible mixture of hydrocarbons called kerogen .
NATURAL GAS
Natural gas, consisting mostly of methane, is often found above reservoirs of crude oil.When a natural gas-field
is tapped, gasses are liquefied and removed as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Coal beds and bubbles of methane trapped in ice crystals deep under the arctic permafrost and beneath
deep-ocean sediments are unconventional sources of natural gas.
Russia and Iran have almost half of the worlds reserves of conventional gas, and global reserves should last
62-125 years.
Natural gas is versatile and clean-burning fuel, but it releases the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (when
burned) and methane (from leaks) into the troposphere.

Advantages
High net energy yield
Lower CO2 emissions than
other fossil fuels

Disadvantages
Nonrenewable Resource
Releases CO2 when burned
Methane (a greenhouse gas) can leak
from pipelines

Easily transported by pipeline

Good fuel for fuel cells and gas turbines
COAL
Coal is a solid fossil fuel that is formed in several stages as the buried remains of land plants that lived 300400 million years ago.
Coal reserves in the United States, Russia, and China could last hundreds to over a thousand years.
The U.S. has 27% of the worlds proven coal reserves, followed by Russia (17%),and China (13%).
In 2005, China and the U.S. accounted for 53% of the global coal consumption.
Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel, but compared to oil and natural gas it is not as versatile, has a high
environmental impact, and releases much more CO2 into the troposphere.
Advantages
Ample supplies (225900 years)
High net energy yield
Air pollution can be reduced with improved
technology (but adds to cost): Fluidized
bed combustion - to remove sulfur

Disadvantages
Severe land disturbance, air pollution, and water pollution.
Severe threat to human health
High CO2 emissions when burned
Releases radioactive particles and toxic
mercury into air

Coal can be converted into synthetic natural gas (SNG or syngas) and liquid fuels (such as methanol or
synthetic gasoline) that burn cleaner than coal.
Costs are high. Burning them adds more
RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES

CO22

to the troposphere than burning coal.

Four widely used devices waste large amounts of energy:

Incandescent light bulb: 95% is lost as heat.
Internal combustion engine: 94% of the energy in its fuel is wasted.
Nuclear power plant: 92% of energy is wasted through nuclear fuel and energy needed for waste
management.
Coal-burning power plant: 66% of the energy released by burning coal is lost.
Using Solar Energy to Generate High-Temperature Heat and Electricity
Large arrays of solar collectors in sunny deserts can produce high-temperature heat to spin turbines for
electricity, but costs are high.
Producing Electricity with Solar Cells
Solar cells convert sunlight to electricity.
Their costs are high, but expected to fall.
Photovoltaic (PV) cells can provide electricity for a house of building using solar-cell roof shingles.

Advantages
1.Fairly high net energy

Disadvantages
1.Need electricity storage system or backup

2. No CO2 emissions

2.High land use (solar-cell power plants)

3. Work on cloudy days

could disrupt desert areas

4. Reduces dependence on fossil fuels

3. DC current must be converted to AC

PRODUCING ELECTRICITY FROM THE WATER CYCLE

Water flowing in rivers and streams can be trapped in reservoirs behind dams and released as needed to spin turbines
and produce electricity.
There is little room for expansion in the U.S. Dams and reservoirs have been created on 98% of suitable rivers.
Advantages

Disadvantages

1.High efficiency (80%)

1.High construction costs

2. No CO2 emissions during operation in temperate areas

2. Converts land habitat to lake habitat

3. Moderate to high net energy

3. High environmental impact from

4. Low-cost electricity

flooding land to form a reservoir

PRODUCING ENERGY FROM BIOMASS

Plant materials and animal wastes can be burned to provide heat or electricity or converted into
gaseous or liquid biofuels.
Solid Biomass Fuels
Wood logs and pellets
Charcoal
Agricultural waste
(stalks and other plant debris)
Timbering wastes
(branches, treetops, and wood chips)
Animal wastes (dung)
Aquatic plants (kelp and water hyacinths)
Urban wastes (paper, cardboard),
And other combustible materials

Conversion to gaseous
and liquid biofuels

Direct burning

Gaseous Biofuels

Liquid Biofuels
Ethanol
Methanol
Gasonol
Biodiesel

Synthetic natural gas

(biogas)
Wood gas
Advantages
1.Large potential supply in some areas
2. No net CO2 increase if harvested and burned sustainably
3. Can make use of agricultural, timber, and urban wastes

Disadvantages
1. Nonrenewable if harvested
unsustainably
2. Often burned in inefficient and
polluting open fires and stoves.

Converting Plants and Plant Wastes to Liquid Biofuels: An Overview

Motor vehicles can run on ethanol, biodiesel, and methanol produced from plants and plant wastes.

The major advantages of biofuels are:

Crops used for production can be grown almost anywhere.
There is no net increase in CO

emissions., Widely available and easy to store and transport.

2

Crops such as sugarcane, corn, and switchgrass and agricultural, forestry and municipal wastes can be converted
to ethanol.
10-23% pure ethanol makes gasohol which can be run in conventional motors.
85% ethanol (E85) must be burned in flex- fuel cars.
Processing all corn grown in the U.S. into ethanol would cover only about 55 days of current driving.
Biodiesel is made by combining alcohol with vegetable oil made from a variety of different plants..

Advantages

Disadvantages

Reduced CO2 emissions (78%)

Slightly increased emissions of nitrogen oxides

Reduced CO emissions

Low yield for soybean crops

Reduced hydrocarbon emissions

Loss and degradation of biodiversity from crop plantations

Better gas mileage (40%)

Hard to start in cold weather

High yield for oil palm crops

Potentially renewable
WAYS TO IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Industry can save energy and money by producing both heat and electricity from one energy source and by using
more energy-efficient electric motors and lighting. Industry accounts for about 42% of U.S. energy consumption.
We can save energy in transportation by increasing fuel efficiency and making vehicles from lighter and stronger
materials.
We can save energy in building by getting heat from the sun, superinsulating them, and using plant covered green
roofs.
We can save energy in existing buildings by insulating them, plugging leaks, and using energy-efficient heating and
cooling systems, appliances, and lighting.

Improving Energy Efficiency

Increase fuel-efficiency standards for vehicles, buildings, and appliances
Mandate government purchases of efficient vehicles and other devices
Provide large tax credits for buying efficient cars, houses, and appliances
Offer large tax credits for invest-ments in energy efficiency
Reward utilities for reducing demand for electricity
Encourage independent power producers
Greatly increase energyefficiency research and development
Energy Use and Waste ( What can you do?)
Drive a car that gets at least 15 kilometers per liter (35 miles per gallon) and join a carpool.

Use mass transit, walking, and bicycling.

Turn off lights, TV sets, computers, and other electronic equipment when they are not in use.
For cooling, open windows and use ceiling fans or whole-house attic or window fans.
Buy the most energy-efficient homes, lights, cars, and appliances available.