Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy Sources

Energy

is converted from one form to another, it is not created

carbon

fossil fuels are mostly made of this

Solar power

is harnessing the sun's energy to produce electricity. Photovoltaic cells, also called panels, are used to capture this energy.

wind power

is the conversion of wind energy into a useable form by turbine, it is typically converted into electricity or mechanical energy.

What kind of energy do we use most?

petroleum, natural gas, coal, nuclear, hydroelectric, wood, biofuels, wind, biomass, geothermal and solar

examples of renewable energy source

biomass, biofuels, geothermal power, hydro electrical power, solar power, and wind power

examples of non-renewable energy source or fossil fuels

Petroleum, coal, and natural gas

biofuels

a renewable source of energy that are made from biomass. Bioethanol and biodiesel are the two main types used today. Bioethanol is made from plants. Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases.

biomass

a renewable source of energy used it can be living or recently dead biological material used for energy. This can be plants grown to generate electricity, animal matter used for production of goods, or biodegradable wastes that can be burned as fuel.

nuclear energy

can be considered non-renewable because it uses uranium, which is a non-renewable resource

non renewable energy

come from sources that will run out or will not be replenished in our lifetimes - or in many many lifetimes. These energy sources cannot be renewed, meaning they will run out before more is produced.

geothermal power

involves extracting heat from the earth to produce energy, usually for heating or electricity. It can be used on a small scale, such as heating an apartment complex. It can also be used on a larger scale for energy production through a power plant.

petroleum

is a liquid fossil fuel, that is trapped in underground rock formations. Sometimes oils bubbles up onto Earth's surface itself, but usually it is deep underground and we must drill to get it. About half of the world's oil is converted into gasoline.

natural gas

is also trapped underground. It is made up mostly of methane, like petroleum, it must be drilled since it is far underground. Unlike petroleum, it does not exist in big pockets, so a process called fracking is often used to break apart rocks and release it. We often use it for heating and cooking.

hydro electrical power

is the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. This usually involves either a dam or a water wheel. It is used for electricity

coal

is a black or brownish rock, it is mined out of the ground and then it is burned to create energy. Most electricity is generated by burning it

renewable energy

is energy that comes from a source that is not in danger of being used up because it can be recreated relatively quickly.