Renewable and non-renewable resources

In a nutshell

Non-renewable energy resources cannot be replenished whereas renewable energy resources can. Fossil fuels is the biggest energy resource but they are non-renewable and contribute to global warming. This means we have to become more reliant on renewable energy resources such as solar and wind energy.

Definitions

Keyword	Definition
Carbon neutral	Equal amount of carbon that is getting emitted is also getting absorbed
Global warming	An increase in the temperature of Earth's atmosphere
Greenhouse gases	Gases which absorb and reflect energy in the atmosphere, causing global warming in the similar way to a greenhouse
Pollution	Substances released into the atmosphere which are harmful

Non-renewable energy resources

There is only a finite amount of non-renewable energy resources. Non-renewable means that they cannot be replenished, so (at some point) will run out. Most of our energy comes from fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels

The main sources of non-renewable energy resources are fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil). Fossil fuels take millions of years to form from dead organisms, and we have used them far quicker than the Earth is able to make them.

Physics; Conservation of energy; KS4 Year 10; Renewable and non-renewable resources

Advantages	Disadvantages
Reliable as there is currently enough to meet energy demand	Releases carbon dioxide when burnt into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming
Running costs of mining fossil fuels are (relatively) cheap	Sulphur dioxide is produced when coal and oil are burnt, which causes acid rain and damages plant life and habitats
Get a lot of chemical energy per kg of fossil fuel (which leads to a further reduced cost)	Oil spillages can have detrimental impacts on sea life

Nuclear energy

Using radioactive materials such as uranium and plutonium, nuclear energy is also used to generate electricity. There is a limited amount of uranium and plutonium, so one day nuclear energy will also run out.

Physics; Conservation of energy; KS4 Year 10; Renewable and non-renewable resources

However, $1\ kg$ of nuclear fuel has $14,000$ times the amount of energy compared to $1\ kg$ of fossil fuel. Nuclear energy also does not produce harmful greenhouse gases. However the radioactive waste produced is very difficult to get rid of and can be very harmful to humans (and the environment).

Renewable energy resources

Renewable energy resources do not run out. This means that as we use renewables, they can be replaced.

Most energy comes from fossil fuels. However countries around the world are trying to become more reliant on renewable energy, as fossil fuels deplete and global warming worsens.

Solar cells

Solar cells convert radiation from the Sun into electric currents. Examples of solar cells in every day uses are calculators. You can also see them on the roof of houses and 'solar farms' which are fields of solar cells.

Physics; Conservation of energy; KS4 Year 10; Renewable and non-renewable resources

Advantages	disadvantages
After manufacturing, no pollution produced	Whilst manufacturing solar cells, greenhouse gases are produced
Very reliable source of energy in sunny places	In cloudier countries, like the UK, not always a very reliable source of energy especially in the winter
Once installed, little running costs	Very expensive to initially manufacture and install solar cells
	Solar cells are not very effective at nighttime due to the lack of sunlight

Wind power

Wind turbines use kinetic energy to turn a generator that produces electricity. Wind turbines are found in remote places (for example hills or off the coast in the sea) in order to be exposed to as much wind as possible.

Physics; Conservation of energy; KS4 Year 10; Renewable and non-renewable resources

Advantages	Disadvantages
After manufacturing, no pollution produced	Some pollution produced when manufacturing and installing
No fuel costs are needed	Need lots of wind turbines to produce the same amount of electricity as a coal-fired factory which can be an eye sore
	They can be very loud
	Wind turbines won't produce electricity if there is no wind, and will also stop working if it is too windy

Bio-fuels

Bio-fuels are made from plant products or animal poop. Just like fossil fuels, they are burnt in order to transfer their chemical energy.

Physics; Conservation of energy; KS4 Year 10; Renewable and non-renewable resources

Advantages	Disadvantages
They are carbon neutral when plants are grown at the same rate they are being burnt	Growing food for bio fuel has taken over space used for farming and growing food to eat
Crops only take a short amount of time to grow	Need water for bio-fuel to be sustainable, which takes water away from other crops and animals
Bio-fuels can be stored to be used at a later to point to keep up with demand	Habitats are being destroyed in order to make room for bio-fuel farms

Geothermal power

Geothermal power uses the Earth's natural thermal energy stores. Volcanic rocks and hot springs (geysers) . The thermal energy can be used for heating homes or generating electricity.

Physics; Conservation of energy; KS4 Year 10; Renewable and non-renewable resources

Advantages	Disadvantages
Can heat homes as well as generate electricity	Only possible in volcanic areas and would not work somewhere like the UK
Very reliable source of energy
No fuel costs are needed

Hydro-electric power

Hydro-electric power transfers gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy to generate electricity. This is done by collecting rain water in a valley which has been dug into a dam. The water then runs downhill, turning turbines to generate electricity.

Physics; Conservation of energy; KS4 Year 10; Renewable and non-renewable resources

Advantages	Disadvantages
Reliable source of energy in places like the UK (where there is lots of rain)	Building a dam can have a huge negative impact on the environment as habitats and vegetation lost
Hydroelectric power stations can easily be turned on and off so can be used as and when needed	To build a dam some people are forced to move from their homes
	Vegetation which has been flooded over by a dam will rot and produce greenhouse gases

Wave power

Wave power involves waves transferring kinetic energy to turn a turbine. This is done by moving air in and out of a turbine with the force from the motion of a wave.

Physics; Conservation of energy; KS4 Year 10; Renewable and non-renewable resources

Advantages	Disadvantages
No pollution once installed	Need lots of turbines to generate enough electricity
No fuel costs are needed	Can be unreliable as wave power depends on the wind
	Can disturb the sea bed and therefore sea-life habitat

Tidal power

Tidal power is generated by using a tidal barrage containing turbines. The gravitational pull from the moon means seas, estuaries and rivers rise and fall. It is this motion that transfers kinetic energy to generate electricity.

Physics; Conservation of energy; KS4 Year 10; Renewable and non-renewable resources

Advantages	Disadvantages
Reliable source of energy (there is always a tide!)	Tidal barrages block access to boats
Tidal Barrages can easily be turned on and off so can be used as and when needed	Some people think they are an eye sore
There is no pollution once manufactured and installed	Disturb marine life habitats

Energy usage

Energy usage during the day and the year

in households, energy usage varies during the day and during the year. Energy usage is generally at its lowest during the night because people are sleeping, and at its highest when people return from work or school.

During the summer, energy usage is generally lower. This is because energy for light does not need to be used as much (because the days are longer) and less heating is needed. During the winter when it is colder and darker, more energy is generally used.

Energy usage in the UK and globally

Energy usage varies globally. This is because different countries have access to different types of energy resources.

Energy usage in the UK

Below is a pie chart to show energy usage for different resources in the UK.

Physics; Conservation of energy; KS4 Year 10; Renewable and non-renewable resources

1.	Natural gas	$35 \, \%$
2.	Petrol	$32 \, \%$
3.	Coal	$19 \, \%$
4.	Nuclear	$7 \, \%$
5.	Bioenergy	$5 \, \%$
6.	Wind and hydro	$1 \, \%$
7.	Net imports	$1 \, \%$

Energy usage globally

Below is a pie chart to show energy usage for different resources around the globe.

Physics; Conservation of energy; KS4 Year 10; Renewable and non-renewable resources

1.	Natural gas	$24 \, \%$
2.	Coal	$30 \, \%$
3.	Nuclear	$4 \, \%$
4.	Hydro	$7 \, \%$
5.	Other	$3 \, \%$
6.	Oil	$32 \, \%$