Energy Resources

Non-renewable energy resources are made of:

• fossil fuels

• uranium (used in nuclear plants).

Fossil fuels add to the “greenhouse effect” and will result in a warming of the atmosphere.

Uranium fuels produce radioactive waste products that must be stored for many years.

Renewable energy resources is a term used to describe energy supplied by processes that are part of our natural environment.

These natural processes can be “tapped” to supply useful energy.

These processes include:

• wind

• wavepower,

• solar energy,

• water.

For example, windmills are machines that produce useful energy from the energy of the wind.

Materials used in these processes are replaced by natural means.

Renewable energy could provide up to 30% of our energy needs.

Non-renewable Energy Resources

Oil and gasAdvantages DisadvantagesUndersea reserves

Reserves limited

Pipeline supply

Greenhouse effect Air pollution

Coal

Advantages Disadvantages

Abundant reserves

Air pollution

Acid rain

Spoil heaps

GreenhouseEffect

Nuclear

Advantage Disadvantage

Much more energy released per kg of fuel than above

Reactor core is highly radioactive

Radioactive waste much be stored for centuries

How does a nuclear power station work?

The decay of radioactive elements like Uranium and Plutonium release a lot of energy in the form of Gamma radiation

This energy is used to boil water which turns into steam

The steam turns the turbines to generate electricity

Steam is cooled back to water and process repeated.