1.4. Energy Resources

Types of Renewable Energy Resources

1) wind 2) hydro 3) solar 4) biomass 5) biofuel 6) geothermal 7) LED energy

Coal

About 300 million years ago, enormous ferns and other prehistoric plants were common on the swamp-like earth. When those plants died and fell to the ground, they were covered with water and they slowly decomposed. As decomposition took place in the absence of oxygen, much of the hydrogen content of the matter was eroded away, leaving a material rich in carbon. The material was compressed over the years by sand and dirt, leaving the form of carbon known as coal. There are various types of coal. The nature of coal is such that the higher the carbon content, the more cleanly and brilliantly the coal burns. The states of coal, from lowest carbon content to highest, are peat, lignite, bituminous coal, and anthracite coal. If the coal is heated and compressed even more, the result is "graphite," almost completely pure carbon. Nearly all the different forms of coal are used in some way or another. For instance, peat has been used for burning in furnaces, Whereas bituminous coal is used extensively for the generation of electricity. Coke - a very pure form of coal with a high heat content is used primarily in the steel industry, where high temperatures are required.

Industry - Energy Saving Guidelines

All industrialists must prepare energy plan and undertake energy audit. Prevent leakages in order to save energy. In order to save energy get the boilers turned after every three months. All motors should be properly checked regularly. Use energy savers, energy efficient lighting, instead of conventional bulbs and tube lights Devise energy conservation plans to avoid energy losses. Arrange for regular boiler/ furnace tune ups.

Biofuel

Biofuels include a wide range of fuels which are derived from biomass. The term covers solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases. Liquid Biofuels include bio alcohols, such as bioethanol and oils, such as biodiesel. Gaseous Biofuels include biogas, landfill gas and synthetic gas. Bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermenting the sugar components of plant materials and it is made mostly from sugar and starch crops. With advanced technology being developed, cellulosic biomass, such as trees and grasses are also used as feed stocks for ethanol production. Ethanol can be used as fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as a gasoline additive to increase octane and improve vehicle emissions. Bioethanol is widely used in the USA and Brazil. Biofuels provided 2.7% of the world's transport fuel in 2010.

Biomass

Biomass is biological material derived from living or recently living organisms. In the context of biomass for energy this is often used to mean plant based material, but biomass can equally apply both animal and vegetable derived materials. Biomass is matter usually thought of as garbage. Some of it is stuff lying around; dead trees, tree branches, yard clipping, leftover crops, wood chips and bark and sawdust from lumber mills. It can even include used tires and livestock manure. Using biomass can help reduce global warming compared to a fossil fuel-powered plant. Plants use and store carbon dioxide when they grow. CO2 Stored in the plant is released when the plant material is burned. By replanting the crops, the new plants can use the CO2 produced by the burned plants. So using biomass and replanting helps close the carbon dioxide cycle. However, if the crops are not replanted, then biomass can emit carbon dioxide that will contribute towards global warming. So, the use of biomass can be environmentally friendly because the biomass is reduced, recycled and then reused. It is also a renewable resource because plants to make biomass can be grown over and over. There are a number of technological options available to make use of wide variety of bio mass types as a renewable energy source. Conversion technologies may release the energy directly, in the form of heat or electricity or may convert it to another form such as liquid biofuel or combustible biogas. Today, new ways of using biomass are still `being discovered.

Non-Renewable / Fossil Fuels

Burning coal, natural gas, and petroleum releases energy stored in the fuel as heat. The energy contained by the fuels is derived from the energy of the sun. The heat that is recovered upon combustion of the fuel can be used by us in several ways. Combustion of fossil fuels can be used to generate electricity; the fuel is burned to heat water and the steam from the boiling water spins turbines that power a generator, thereby manufacturing electricity.

Efficient Energy use / Energy Efficiency

Energy conservation refers to reducing energy through using less of an energy service. Energy conservation differs from efficient energy use, which refers to using less energy for a constant service. For example, driving less is an example of mileage vehicle is an example of energy efficiency. Energy conservation and efficiency are both energy reduction techniques. Even though energy conservation reduces energy services, it can result in increased financial capita, environmental quality, national security and personal financial security. To conserve energy everyone will have to play his role. Major sectors that use electricity are industry, transport, commercial and domestic sector, all these sectors will ha e to fulfill their duties.

Transport - Energy saving in vehicles

Get your vehicle properly tuned in order to reduce fuel consumption Switch off the engine if the traffic signal is likely to remain red for a longer duration. For travelling to the same destination use a sing vehicle instead of more, if possible. Opt for joint commuting instead of using individual vehicle. Avoid overloading. Overloading not only increases your fuel consumption but also spreads environmental pollution. Tune up your vehicles regularly.

Geothermal Energy

Hot water and steam from underground can be used to drive turbines: this is called geothermal energy. Several types of rock contain radioactive substances such as uranium. Radioactive decay of these substances releases heat energy, which warms up the rocks. In volcanic areas, the rocks may heat water so that it rises to the surface naturally as hot water and steam. Here the steam can be used to drive turbines and electricity generators. Geothermal power stations exists in places such as Iceland, California and Italy. In some places, rocks are hot, but no hot water or steam rises to the surface. In this situation deep wells can be drilled down to the hot rocks and cold water pumped down. The water runs through fractures in the rocks and is heated up. It returns to the surface as hot water and steam, where its energy can be used to drive turbines and electricity generators. Geothermal energy is a renewable energy resource and there are no fuel costs. No harmful polluting gases are produced. But most parts of the world do not have suitable areas where geothermal energy can be exploited.

Energy

It is the capacity of matter to perform work as the result of its motion or its position in relation to forces acting on it. Energy associated with motion is known as kinetic energy, and energy related to position is called potential energy. Example: a swinging pendulum has maximum potential energy at the terminal points; at all intermediate positions it has both kinetic and potential energy in varying proportions. Energy exists in various forms, including: 1.Mechanical (Mechanics), 2.Thermal (Thermodynamics), 3.Chemical (Chemical Reaction), 4.Electrical (Electricity), 5.Radiant (Radiation), 6.Atomic (Nuclear Energy).

Wind Power

It is the energy contained in the force of the winds blowing across the earth's surface. Airflows can be used to run wind turbines. Wind energy can be converted into mechanical energy for performing work such as pumping water, grinding grain, and milling lumber. Modern utility-scale wind turbines range from around 600kW to 5 MW of rated power. Areas where winds are stronger and more constant, such as offshore and high altitude sights are preferred locations for wind farms.

Hydropower / Waterpower

It is the power derived from the fall of water from a higher to a lower level, and extracted by means of waterwheels or hydraulic turbines. Waterpower is a natural resource, available wherever a sufficient volume of steady water flow exists. Its development requires extensive construction, including storage lakes, dams, bypass canals, and the installation of large turbines and electric generating equipment. Since water is about 800 times denser than air, even a slow flowing stream of water or moderate sea swell can yield considerable amount of energy. There are many forms of water energy: 1) Hydro-electric energy: It is a term usually reserved for large-scale hydroelectric dams. Examples are the Tarbela dam and Mangla Dam. 2) Micro-hydro systems They are hydroelectric power installations that typically produce up to 100 kW of power. They are often used in water rich areas as a remote-area power supply. 3) Run-of-the-river It is hydroelectricity systems derive kinetic energy from rivers and oceans without creation of a large reservoir. 4) Tidal power /tidal energy: It is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into used forms of power - mainly electricity. Tides are more predictable than wind energy and solar power. Although not yet widely used, tidal power has potential for future electricity generation.

Solar Energy

It is the radiation produced by nuclear fusion reactions deep in theSun's core. The Sun provides almost all the heat and light, Earth receives and therefore sustains every living being. Solar energy applied energy from the sun in the form of solar radiation for heat or to generate electricity. Solar powered electricity generation uses either photovoltaic's or heat engines (concentrated solar powers). A partial list of other solar applications includes: -Space heating and cooling through solar architectures, -Day lighting, -Solar hot water, -Solar cooking -High temperature process heat for industrial purposes. Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques: Include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy. Passive solar techniques: Include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favourable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.

Energy Conservation tips for Gas Consumers.

Minimize the use of heaters. Turn on geyser only in the morning. Repair gas leakages immediately Switch off the stove after use

Natural Gas

Natural gas is almost always found in deposits of petroleum. When the petroleum is drilled, natural gas is also recovered. Wells with only natural gas also exist. Once the natural gas is recovered, other fuels are extracted by processes called condensation or absorption. The remaining gas is piped directly for commercial and residential applications. Many houses, offices and other buildings are heated by natural gas heats. The western hemisphere, Europe and parts of Africa contain the largest natural gas deposits. The gas is usually transported by pipelines. Compared to petroleum and coal, natural gas is relatively clean-burning. Because it contains only trace portions of Sulphur and Nitrogen, emissions of the harmful by-products associated with combustion of other fossil fuels are minimal.

Petroleum

Petroleum or "Crude Oil", is a liquid fuel that is present in various locations throughout the world. It has many uses from the generation of electricity to the manufacture of medicines, plastics and other commercial items. Much like coal, petroleum is formed from remains of biodegraded organic material. When animals that lived in the sea millions of years ago died underwater, their remains were gradually covered by layers of very fine dirt known as silt on the ocean floor. Then, as the years passed, pressure from the layers built up and compressed the organic material, forming the oil. Petroleum has many different "viscosities" or thicknesses. The viscosity depends on the amount of gases and solids that are present in the oil. Often, natural gas is dissolved in the liquid and can be extracted for other uses. Petroleum takes three main forms: paraffin, asphaltic and mixed-base. These forms are based upon the chemical makeup of the hydrocarbon-based oil.

Why is renewable energy important?

Renewable energy still has a long way to go in order to replace fossil fuels and become primary source of energy consumption -Positive environmental impact greenhouse gas emissions decreased -strong boost to economy in form of new jobs. The number of people employed within the renewable energy industry is rapidly growing -Renewable energy can improve our energy security by reducing the need for foreign oil import. -Renewable energy offers variety of different options to choose from. What this means is that countries can choose between sun, wind, biomass, geothermal energy, water resources etc. depending on the potential of each of these sources (abundant supply) -Renewable energy can help in the fight against poverty by playing part in electrification of many rural areas in developing world.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy that comes from resources which are continually replenished such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides waves and geothermal heat. New renewables such as, small hydro, modern biomass, wind, solar, geothermal and biofuels accounted for another 3% and are growing very rapidly. The share of renewable energy in electricity generation is around 19%, with 16% of electricity coming from hydroelectricity and 3% from new renewable. Renewable energy replaces conventional fuels in four distinct areas: -Electricity generation: About 16% of global energy consumption comes from renewable resources, with 10% of all energy from traditional biomass, and 3.4% from hydroelectricity. -Hot water/ Space heating: Worldwide, total installed solar water heating systems meet a portion of the water heating needs of over 70 million households. -Motor fuels: The 93 billion liters of biofuels produced worldwide in 2009 displaced the equivalent of an estimated 68 billion liters of gasoline, equal to above 5% of world gasoline production. -Rural (off-grid) energy services

Domestic Users- Energy Saving Guidelines

Switch off all unnecessary light save electricity, this our national duty. Use energy savers instead of conventional bulbs and tube lights in order to reduce your electricity bill. Adjust cooling of refrigerators according to the atmospheric conditions to reduce your electric bill Use electrical appliances of good quality. Remember, that poor quality appliances increase electric consumption. Turn off computer, TV and radio when not in use and Switch off AC after the room has been cooled and use fan. Educate your children regarding energy saving tips to enable them to be part of the national energy saving campaign.

Types of Energy Sources

The energy sources have been split into three categories: Renewable sources Fossil fuels / Non-renewable sources Nuclear sources.

Electricity Consumers

With energy prices rising, it's important to make our home more fuel efficient. Use energy savers. Change your light bulbs to fluorescent. They are bit more expensive to buy than standard light bulbs but much cheaper to operate. Use lower wattage bulbs, especially in rooms where bright light is not necessary If you have a lamp that uses three 60 watt light bulbs, try using three 40 watt light bulbs. The effect will be almost undetectable in terms of light but should help the power meter slow down. Use daylight to the maximum Turn off your lights when leaving the rooms. When you are not using something like a lamp or a toaster or a computer, but it is still plugged in that uses energy, switch these off. Keep the thermostat of refrigerator and air-conditioner low and instead of air conditioners, use fans because they use 10 times less energy. Avoid ironing at peak hours in the evening or morning.

Energy Conservation

energy conservation refers to different methods and processes that have the main purpose in reducing the total amount of energy that is currently being used by industry, households and various other sectors of our society. significance: -important from the environmental point of view because we are still heavily dependent on fossil fuels, and by reducing our energy needs we are also reducing the global level of greenhouse gas emissions that contributed to climate change and global warming, (countries developing!) -scarce fossil fuels: energy conservation is vital to ensure reliability of future energy delivery -In addition to developing alternative sources of energy, energy supplies can be extended by the conservation (the planned management) of currently available resources. Three types of possible energy conservation practices may be described. -The first type is curtailment that is, doing without—for example, closing factories to reduce the amount of power consumed or cutting back on travel to reduce the amount of gasoline burned. -The second type is overhaul, that is, changing the way people live and the way goods and services are produced—for example, slowing further suburbanization of society, using less energy-intensive materials in production processes, and decreasing the amount of energy consumed by certain products (such as automobiles). -The third type involves the more efficient use of energy, that is, adjusting to higher energy costs—for example, investing in cars that go farther per unit of fuel, capturing waste heat in factories and reusing it, and insulating houses.

LED Energy

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