Renewable vs. Non-Renewable ENERGY! Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Energy: the ability to do work Forms of Energy: light, heat, sound, motion Categories: Kinetic and Potential

Non-Renewable Renewable Defined: Defined: Examples: Examples : Limited supply – may run out and will not be replaced in our lifetimes. May never run out, or it can be replenished in a human lifetime. “non-depletable” Fossil Fuels Oil (Petroleum) Coal Natural Gas Solar Wind Water (hydroelectric) Geothermal Biomass / Ethanol Nuclear? Humans ;) Hydrogen Fuel Cells…

Renewable energy can be rapidly regenerated, and some can never be depleted, no matter how much of them we use.

All Solar? The Sun is the ultimate source of almost all types of energy! The Sun is the ultimate source of almost all types of energy!

Energy Usage In the United States, each person averages 10,000 watts of energy use continuously —24 hours per day, 365 days per year

Electricity Generation The burning fuel from coal transfers energy to water, which becomes steam. The kinetic energy contained within the steam is transferred to the blades of a turbine, a large device that resembles a fan. As the energy in the steam turns the turbine, the shaft in the center of the turbine turns the generator. This mechanical motion generates energy. How a Coal Plant works (click here for video)

Energy Resources Coal 49% (for electricity) Make a pie-graph with this data: Coal: 49% Natural Gas: 20% Nuclear: 20% Hydroelectric: 7% Petroleum: 1.5% Other Renewables (remainder) It will look something similar to… Coal 49% Coal, natural gas, and nuclear power plants together account for about 90 percent of current U.S. electricity production.

Energy Resources (for electricity) Fuels used for electricity generation in the United States.  Coal is the fuel most commonly used for electricity generation.  [Data from U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, 2009.] However… most coal burning power plants are only about 35% efficient.

Process of Energy Use The efficiency of the transfer of energy from a fuel to electricity is approximately 35%. Another 30% is lost during “electricity transmission” from the generator to the user.

Energy Resources How do these graphs compare to the previous slide? (these represent all energy - not just for electricity)

History of Consumption OPEC = Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries For the majority of human history, the predominant fuel source has been wood.