Energy Source Exhaustion: Characteristics, Types

Energy is essential for human life to exist on our planet and for the evolution of various life forms on earth. The resources we use to extract energy are referred to as sources of energy. Everything that we use today, be it food, clothes, vehicles, fuel, books, furniture, cooking gas, utensils, toys, roads, etc. is obtained from renewable and non-renewable resources present on the Earth. There are two categories of energy sources, renewable and non-renewable sources. Sunlight, rivers, and wind are natural and renewable sources of energy. However, we often use fossil fuels like coal and petroleum more frequently than sunlight or wind as sources of energy. This is related to a few characteristics that a good energy source should come with. Coal and petroleum levels are higher in these respects when compared to sunlight and wind-generated energy. Now, we will discuss how long an energy source will last us.

Key Takeaways: Energy, Renewable Sources, Non-renewable Sources, Fossil Fuel, Solar Energy, Wind Energy.

Also check: Potential Energy

---

Characteristics of a Good Source of Energy

[Click Here for Sample Questions]

Following are the characteristics of a good source of energy:

• A good energy source should have a high calorific value, which means that the energy output should be greater than the input energy.
• It should be easily accessible.
• It should be economical.
• It should provide energy for a maximum period of time and at a steady rate.
• It is easy to store and transport from one point to another.
• It should be sustainable and safe to use.
• It should be easily transferred into other forms.

Also check:

---

Types of Sources of Energy

[Click Here for Sample Questions]

The main energy source on Earth is the Sun. However, there are other sources of energy such as coal, geothermal energy, wind energy, biomass, petrol, nuclear energy, and many more. There are two broad categories of energy sources, namely, renewable and non-renewable sources of energy.

Also read:

Renewable sources of energy are the source of energy from natural processes and because of this, they get replenished constantly. Examples of renewable energy sources are solar energy, tidal energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, etc. The energy from the Sun, the movement of waves, the flow of the river – these are some activities that have been going on for millions of years and will continue to happen in the future as well. These sources of energy are consistent and reliable. They are also called non-conventional sources of energy.

Non-renewable energy sources are often referred to as fossil fuels, namely, coal, natural gas, and petroleum. These fossil fuels will be eventually be exhausted after a few centuries and we will not be able to regenerate them. However, we humans rely heavily on fossil fuels even now, and it accounts for about 80% of our energy requirements. Hence, these energy sources are also known as conventional sources of energy.

---

How Long will A Source Of Energy Last Us?

[Click Here for Sample Questions]

It is important for us to ask whether energy sources will last throughout our lives on Earth. As we rely heavily on fossil fuels, most of us have to ask if this energy source will last for long. We can split this discussion on renewable and non-renewable in two directions. First, we talk about how long a renewable source of energy will last us. Renewable energy resources are called ‘renewable’ because they can be constantly renewed or regenerated.

When we talk about non-renewable sources of energy, they are limited in quantity and cannot be regenerated easily once they are depleted. The formation of non-renewable sources of energy can take up to thousands of years. According to scientists, fossil fuels would not last for a long time. After a couple of centuries, we would exhaust all the natural resources like fossil fuels on Earth. If we consider the rate at which we are currently using fossil fuels, then it seems that we might exhaust these resources within just 100 years.

Therefore, it is important for us to move to non-conventional sources of energy such as sunlight, flowing rivers, and winds that have continued to enrich the earth and will continue to do so. This is because these are renewable energy and get replenished instantly. Hence, we have to start making a move towards renewable energy sources like solar energy, wind energy, and tidal energy and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. It is very important to use non-renewable energy resources in a cautious manner. If not, our future generations will not be left with any of them.

Also read:

---

Points to Remember

• Renewable sources can be generated consistently and do not cause any pollution to the environment; while non-renewable resources cannot be generated easily and cause pollution to the environment.
• Fossil fuels are said to be ‘energy-dense’ which implies it contains a lot of energy in a small amount.
• Coal formation happens after various organic matter, usually, dead plant matter is subjected to high pressure and heat for millions of years.
• Petroleum formation happens after organic matter, usually animal-based, is subjected to high heat and pressure for millions of years; it helps to run vehicles, machinery, and generate electricity.
• Natural Gas is formed when a variety of plant and animal-based organic matter is subjected to frequent pressure and heat over thousands of years.
• Biomass energy is the energy extracted from firewood, farm wastes, cow dung, stalks of plants, etc.
• It is important for us to move to renewable sources of energy because they are better for the environment and unlike non-renewable sources, they can be renewed constantly.

Also check: