Energy Sources Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Energy Sources

Energy Source Classifications Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Energy Source Classifications Renewable Non-Renewable A resource that can be replaced. A resource that cannot be replaced. Inexhaustible Exhaustible A resource that will never run out. Discuss examples of each energy source. Discuss that Non-Renewable and Exhaustible are both sources that cannot be replaced.

Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Exhaustible Any source of energy that is limited and cannot be replaced when it is used, such as oil, coal, and natural gas.

Exhaustible Energy Sources Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Exhaustible Energy Sources Limited availability Cannot be replaced Currently provides 85% of energy consumed in US Examples Fossil fuels - fuels produced by deposits of ancient plants and animals (Oil, coal and natural gas) Fossil fuels include oil, natural gas, and coal.

Exhaustible Energy Sources Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Exhaustible Energy Sources It is possible that readily available oil will be used up by 2050 Foreign countries provide most US oil Oil can be used as an energy source and to make plastics Teacher should lead a discussion in what would happen if foreign countries reduced or eliminated our supply of oil.

Exhaustible Energy Sources Effect on the Environment Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Exhaustible Energy Sources Effect on the Environment Burning fossil fuel produces air pollution Acid rain is rain contaminated by the by-products of combustion which condense in our atmosphere. Acid rain kills plants and trees and pollutes ponds and lakes, killing fish and altering the ecosystem. Air pollution can cause lung cancer in humans. Continued…

Exhaustible Energy Sources Effect on the Environment Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Exhaustible Energy Sources Effect on the Environment Greenhouse effect – Greenhouse gases surround our planet, which prevents heat produced by the sun from escaping the earth’s atmosphere as easily as it once did. The greenhouse effect leads to climate change, which could cause melting of ice caps and changing weather patterns.

Renewable A resource that can be replaced when needed. Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Renewable A resource that can be replaced when needed. ©iStockphoto.com ©iStockphoto.com

Renewable Energy Sources Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Renewable Energy Sources Energy that can be replaced Biological materials that can be grown and harvested Less pollution than exhaustible energy sources Currently provides 3.5% of energy consumed in US

Renewable Energy Sources Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Renewable Energy Sources Ethanol – Plants such as corn, soybeans, seaweed, sugar beets, and sugar cane can be used to make ethanol. Methanol is made from coal or renewable sources like wood, plants, and manure. Methanol and Ethanol can be used as a substitute for gasoline.

Renewable Energy Sources Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Renewable Energy Sources Biomass – Waste products like trees, plants, grains, algae, manure, garbage, sewage, and paper can be converted into energy. Biomass conversion creates petroleum substitutes and methane gas.

Renewable Energy Sources Effect on the Environment Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Renewable Energy Sources Effect on the Environment Substituting biomass for fossil fuels reduces emissions of greenhouse gases. Combustion of biomass produces air emissions. The amount of emissions varies widely depending upon the technology being used. A major benefit of substituting biomass for fossil fuels is that, if done in a sustainable fashion, it would greatly reduce emissions of greenhouses gases. The amount of carbon dioxide released when biomass is burned is very nearly the same as the amount required to replenish the plants grown to produce the biomass. Thus, in a sustainable fuel cycle, there would be no net emissions of carbon dioxide, although some fossil-fuel inputs may be required for planting, harvesting, transporting, and processing biomass. Yet, if efficient cultivation and conversion processes are used, the resulting emissions should be small (around 20 percent of the emissions created by fossil fuels alone). And if the energy needed to produce and process biomass came from renewable sources in the first place, the net contribution to climate change would be zero. Similarly, if biomass wastes such as crop residues or municipal solid wastes are used for energy, there should be few or no net greenhouse gas emissions. There would even be a slight greenhouse benefit in some cases, since, when landfill wastes are not burned, the potent greenhouse gas methane may be released by anaerobic decay.

Inexhaustible An energy source that will never run out. Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Inexhaustible An energy source that will never run out.

Inexhaustible Energy Sources Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Inexhaustible Energy Sources Any energy source that cannot be used up Currently provides 3.5% of energy consumed in US

Inexhaustible - Solar Energy Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Inexhaustible - Solar Energy Solar energy can be captured to provide heating or electrical power Solar energy is used in homes, cars, satellites, and in the international space station.

Inexhaustible – Hydroelectric Energy Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Inexhaustible – Hydroelectric Energy Force of falling water turns giant turbines to create electricity Hydroelectric power plants are located inside dams

Inexhaustible – Geothermal Energy Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Inexhaustible – Geothermal Energy Energy stored in the earth in the form of heat Geothermal energy turns water into steam which escapes through cracks in the Earth Forms geysers and hot springs

Inexhaustible - Wind Energy Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Inexhaustible - Wind Energy Wind powers large turbine generators that generate electricity Wind farms contain several large wind turbines in a location with strong and frequent wind

Inexhaustible Energy Sources Effect on the Environment Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Inexhaustible Energy Sources Effect on the Environment Minimal pollution or hazardous waste produced Readily available, without mining or drilling Not radioactive, so transportation is not an issue

So Why Don’t We Use More Renewable and Inexhaustible Energy? Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy So Why Don’t We Use More Renewable and Inexhaustible Energy? Renewable energy tends to be remote from where the electricity is needed, thus transmission is needed. Renewable energy does have environmental impacts associated with land use. Many renewable resources are intermittent and are not always available when the electricity is needed (example: No sunlight at night for lighting homes and businesses). Unlike fossil fuels, which dirty the atmosphere, renewable energy and inexhaustible energy have less impact on the environment. However, they do have some drawbacks, mainly associated with the use of large of tracts of land that affects animal habitats and outdoor scenery. For example, solar thermal energy involving the collection of solar rays through collectors (often huge mirrors) need large tracts of land as a collection site. This impacts the natural habitat, meaning the plants and animals that live there. The environment is also impacted when the buildings, roads, transmission lines, and transformers are built. The fluid most often used with solar thermal electric generation is toxic and spills can happen. Wind power development also has a downside, mostly involving land use. The average wind farm requires 17 acres of land to produce one megawatt of electricity, about enough electricity for 300 to 400 homes. However, farms and cattle grazing can use the same land under the wind turbines. Renewable and inexhaustible energy development will result in jobs and less oil imported from foreign countries.

Sources of Energy Gateway To Technology Unit 3– Lesson 3.1 – Investigating Energy Image Resources Microsoft, Inc. (2008). Clip Art. Retrieved September 10, 2008, from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/default.aspx