Energy

Energy is the capacity to do work. Modern civilization has been built on our
increasingly effective harnessing of sources of energy to do work, from simple
machines, steam, coal, oil, and beyond.

To make something move we must charge it with

energy, for example for a golf ball to move we must
give the ball energy by hitting it.

When energy is used we refer to it as work being

done.

Understanding the role of energy and human energy use is critical to an analysis of environmental
issues. A number of environmental problems are attributed to our reliance on fossil fuels, yet
increased use of energy is a primary signal that a country is developing a higher standard of living.
Where does energy come from?

All energy ultimately comes from the sun; the food we eat, the petrol used in cars, the hydrogen in
rocket fuel. Some energy, such as coal and oil, was stored many thousands of years ago, other
energy is still reaching the earth today in the form of sunlight. If we could only capture 1/1000th of the
solar energy falling on the earth we would have more than sufficient power for all our needs.
Energy sources can be classified in two forms:
Capital
Income

Capital Energy Sources

Capital energy sources are energy sources that once used, cannot be replaced. This energy store
was created over many millions of years. The fuels are in a very concentrated form and are easily
converted into readily useable energy. For example a lump of coal could have taken 10 million years
to form. However, it only takes minutes to burn.

Fossil Fuels (Non renewable)

Fossil fuels, such as oil, natural gas, and coal, are the most readily available sources to power cars,
boats, and almost all our transportation needs, but there are costs. Concerns about environmental
impacts, reliance on foreign supplies, and depletion of domestic reserves have led to calls for
increased research and development of alternative sources of energy. Alternative sources, such as
wind, solar, and water energy, have been used in one form or another for many centuries but require
further development before they are cost-competitive. Extensive research and development is
underway to develop new energy technologies, but which will be the most viable sources is not known
with certainty. For more info http://www.enviroliteracy.org/category.php/4.html
Fossil Fuels (Non renewable)

Coal

Coal is a combustible, solid, dark-colored fossil fuel found in

deposits of sedimentary rock. Coal was formed by the
decomposition of large plants which existed 350 million years
ago. When they died they formed a large mass of vegetable
material. These plants grew in a swamp environment which
slowly dried out to become solid land. This was in turn
covered by sand and rock washed down from the mountains
to the valley bottom.
The pressure of the layers
compressed the material,
squeezing out the moisture
to form a rock like material.
Later earth movements
have caused some of these
layers to become folded
and buried deep beneath
the earths surface.

For more info http://www.wci-coal.com

Fossil Fuels (Non renewable)

Oil

Oil was formed in the shallow seas around land masses. The sea bed was covered with the remains
(dead bodies) of plants and animals that lived in the water. As the land was washed into the sea
these remains became covered with sandy material. Under the pressure of the accumulating sand
and rock, these sea bed remains were converted to oil and gas.

At the beginning of the 20th century, global oil output was about 150 million barrels of oil; that amount
is currently extracted globally in just two days. Petroleum-based technologies have transformed the
global economy, it has made possible the manufacture and availability of a vast number of relatively
inexpensive consumer products, and has contributed in numerous ways to advances in health and
quality of life that has more than doubled longevity over the course of a century. Petroleum currently
provides 90 percent of energy used for transportation. For more info http://science.howstuffworks.com/oil-drilling1.htm
Fossil Fuels (Non renewable)

Gas

Gas was formed the same time as oil, trapped in the pocket at the top of the oil. This resource needs
very little processing before it is ready to be piped to the house, factory or power station to be burned
to provide energy.

Peat
Peat is a resource that is burned on open fires and also in large
power stations in Ireland where it is found in large deposits.
Peat is formed by mosses which grow around the edges of
lakes and slowly cover the whole surface. After many hundreds
of years the moss rots and sinks into the lakes, while new moss
has been growing on the surface

Eventually the lake

becomes a peat bog, a
very wet, rich dark
sludge. The bog is
then drained and the
peat cut and dried
ready for burning.
Non Fossil Fuels (Non renewable)

Nuclear Fuel

Uranium is the source that is used to produce heat energy in nuclear fission reactors. The energy is
released by splitting the atoms of the isotope uranium U-235. Uranium is a very concentrated source
of energy , 1 kg can produce the same amount of energy as 1 million kg of coal. A problem with this
type of fuel is that the waste produced is very harmful and remains so for many hundreds of years. It
must be disposed of in a very safe manner.
More info http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/students.html
Income Energy Sources

Income energy sources are sources that are being replaced at a faster rate than they can be used.
All income energy comes from the sun, and will last as long as the sun. We can extract energy by
direct and indirect methods. The sun can provide energy directly by means of solar panels,
photosynthesis, wind, waves, tides and water

Non Fossil Fuels (Renewable)

Geothermal Energy

When the earth was formed, many millions of

years ago, it was liquid. It cooled and formed a
crust on which we live and the core is still cooling
today . The centre many miles below the surface
is still extremely hot. However, in areas where
there is volcanic activity this heat is closer to
earths surface. By drilling down we can reach
these hot spots. If we pump water down to these
hot rocks we can harness the energy, either by
heating the water or turning it into steam to power
turbines.

For more information http://geothermal.marin.org

Non Fossil Fuels (Renewable)

Solar Heating
The sun's energy can be captured and harnessed. There are three main ways of doing this:
Passive solar design ensures that a building's form and materials capture the sun's energy and
reduces the need for artificial light and heating.
Active solar water heating converts solar radiation into heat which can be used directly or stored.
Photovoltaics (PV’s) convert sunlight into electricity.
A flat-plate collector consists
chiefly of an insulated box
covered by one or more layers
of clear glass or plastic. Inside
the box is a plate of black metal
or black plastic. The plate
absorbs sunlight and converts it
to heat, which becomes trapped
under the glass. Air or water
circulates through tubes welded
to the plate and absorbs heat
from the plate. The heated fluid
then flows to a heat exchanger,
where it transfers its heat to
water.
http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewable
Non Fossil Fuels (Renewable)

Solar Thermal Power

Solar Thermal Plants use solar heat to heat up
water and boil it, then the steam created goes
through the turbines. The steam from the boiling
water, is pushed through large turbines or fans.
The turbines are connected to a generator, like
other electricity makers.

Photovoltaics (PV) involve the conversion of

energy from the sun into electricity by means
of semiconductors. The solar energy excites
electrons so that they break free from their
atoms, allowing the electrons to flow through
the semiconductor material to produce
electricity. There are a number of PV
technologies including polycrystalline, mono-
crystalline and thin-film.
http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewable
Non Fossil Fuels (Renewable)

Hydro-electric Power

Hydro-electric power plants convert the kinetic energy contained in falling water into electricity. The
energy in flowing water is ultimately derived from the sun, and is therefore constantly being renewed.
Energy contained in sunlight evaporates water from the oceans and deposits it on land in the form of
rain. Differences in land elevation result in rainfall runoff, and allow some of the original solar energy
to be captured as hydro-electric power.

Hydro power is currently

the world's largest
renewable source of
electricity, accounting for
6% of worldwide energy
supply or about 15% of the
world's electricity.

In Canada, hydroelectric
power is abundant and
supplies 60% of their
electrical needs.

http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewable
Non Fossil Fuels (Renewable)

Tidal

Tidal power works rather like a hydro-electric

scheme, except that the dam is much bigger.
A huge dam (called a "barrage") is built across a
river estuary. When the tide goes in and out, the
water flows through tunnels in the dam.

The ebb and flow of the tides can be used to turn

a turbine, or it can be used to push air through a
pipe, which then turns a turbine. Each turbine is
connected to a generator by a large shaft.

Enclosed inside these generators are magnets,

which are in turn surrounded by many wire coils.
These spinning magnets generate energy inside
the wire coils and then transfers it out through the
cables. These stations would obviously work best
where there are large estuaries, due to the
increased ability to contain large amounts of
water which is then passed through the turbines.

http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewable
Non Fossil Fuels (Renewable)

Wind Power
Wind power is the world’s fastest growing source of energy because of its
economic and environmental characteristics. In many applications, wind
is already competitive with conventional options for generating electricity.
Better yet, wind technology produces electricity without creating air
pollution, water pollution, greenhouse gases, or hazardous wastes.

For thousands of years, flowing air has powered human endeavors by

filling sails and turning windmills. Modern turbines are fueling wind
energy’s current renaissance. Some countries rely on these high-tech
machines to meet a significant percentage of their demands for
electricity.

Denmark, for example, gets some 20% of its

electricity from wind. In Germany, which has
more than twice as much installed wind capacity
as any other country, wind turbines produce
about 6% of the electricity.

European and other nations have also

established ambitious targets for expanding the
role of wind and other renewable resources for
their future power
Non Fossil Fuels (Renewable)

Biomass
Biomass, also known as biofuels or bioenergy, is obtained from organic matter either directly from
plants or indirectly from industrial, commercial, domestic or agricultural products.
Biomass falls into two main groups:
Woody biomass - forest products, untreated
wood products, waste wood etc.
Non-woody biomass - human and animal wastes.

Woody biomass involves combustion to produce

Also high energy crops such as wheat, barley,
sugar cane and maize can be processed to
produce the biofuels, bioethanol and biodiesel.
http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewable
energy, which can be used to heat anything from
a domestic stove or hot water system, to an
entire community.
Non-woody biomass decomposes to produce a
gas that is a mixture of carbon dioxide and
methane. The methane content gives it the
potential as a fuel which can then be used to
generate electricity or to provide process heat.
Non Fossil Fuels (Renewable)

Fuel cells

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices which

directly convert hydrogen, or hydrogen-rich fuels
into electricity without combustion. This process
is much more efficient than traditional thermal
power plants, converting up to 80% of the
chemical energy in the fuel into electricity
(compared to a maximum of 40% for conventional
power plants). Although their structure is
somewhat like that of a battery, fuel cells never
need recharging or replacing and can
consistently produce electricity as long as they
are supplied with hydrogen and oxygen.

The purpose of a fuel cell is to produce an

electrical current that can be directed outside the
cell to do work, such as powering an electric
motor or illuminating a light bulb or a city.
Because of the way electricity behaves, this
current returns to the fuel cell, completing an
electrical circuit.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/fuel-cell2.htm
Electric Power Production.

The great majority of electric power stations are steam-turbine plants. All nuclear power stations and
almost all those fuelled by coal, gas, or oil are steam-turbine plants. They use high-pressure steam to
generate electricity. The steam spins the wheels of turbines, which drive the generators that produce
electricity.