Conventional Energy versus Renewable Energy - Case Study Example

Conventional Energy versus Renewable Energy Abstract Conventional energy and commercial energy occupies a lion’s share in global production of energy and these energies are non-renewable in nature and results in higher emission of CO2 sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide into atmosphere and due to this, there is global warming. Hence, there is an immediate need to minimize the consumption of conventional and commercial energies to save the mother Earth. Renewable energy does not generate any greenhouse gases and it can be harnessed again and again. This research essay will analyse the various forms of energy and will focus it is the renewable energy that is going to be the energy for the future thereby replacing the conventional and commercial energy thereby making the mother Earth as a safe place free from greenhouse gases . Introduction The population of the world as of 2013 is around 7 billion, and a lot of energy is being consumed and used on the daily basis by the global population. There is a close association between economic growth of a nation and the availability of energy. For modern economies, energy can be said to be the life blood. Consumption of energy in a nation has a direct impact on its GDP. (“Gross Domestic Product”). More quantity of energy sources if a nation has, higher will be the productivity, more luxurious life and greater standards of living. Energy is consumed in various guises all over the world. Agricultural residues, animal waste and fuel wood are some forms customary sources of energy, which are non-commercial fuels that cater the vast requirement by the society in earlier days. However, these non-conventional energy sources are slowly substituted by commercial fuels like lignite, coal, natural gas, petroleum products and electricity. Global revenues earned on sale of energy are estimated at $ 3 trillion dollars per annum, and about 85% of the aggregate energy consumed in US comes from fossil fuels. (Janardhan & Fesmire, 2010, p.4). This research essay will analyse the traditional source of energy and how it is impacting the societies and environment, and also will discuss in detail about the renewable energy and whether such renewable-energy impact the environment or not. “Different Sources of Energy” The energy sources can be classified as follows: Energy Resources “Types of Energy” Conventional Energy Fossil fuels which includes petroleum ,coal and natural gas , nuclear energy and water “Non –Conventional Energy “ Solar, wind, bio, hydrogen, ocean and geothermal. Commercial Fuels Lignite , coal , natural gas , petroleum products and electricity Non-Commercial fuels Farming desecrate, animal desecrate and wood used as fuel. Renewable Energy Solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy, water energy, tidal energy, bio energy and atomic energy. About 80% of world’s energy demand is being met by conventional energy sources like coal, petrol and natural gas and in USA, more than 85% of its energy comes from conventional energy sources. However, using higher quantum of conventional energy will have negative impacts too. The higher usage of fossil fuels releases dangerous emissions into earth’s atmosphere, which could cause many lung-related diseases like tuberculosis, asthma, etc. This atmospheric pollution may also lead to acid rain, excessive snow fall and unbearable temperature as what has happened in Australia in 2013 where excessive temperature made the tar roads to be unsafe for commuting. Many social workers and scientists are more worried about the quantum of carbon dioxide released into earth’s atmosphere by burning of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide (CO2) belongs to a cluster of gases which is called as greenhouse gases. The CO2 derives its name as greenhouse gas at it presence in the atmosphere, and they function like a glass wall of greenhouse, thereby trapping warm air in the outer hemisphere of the earth’s surface. Thus, CO2 functions as a greenhouse gas thereby keeping the earth’s temperature as mild as possible to support the life. Nonetheless, if larger quantum of greenhouse gasses is pumped into earth’s atmosphere due to excessive usage of fossil fuels, more heat is trapped at the earth’s surface which would result in a sudden increase in temperature to an abnormal level resulting in global warming. (“Rau, 2010, p.10”) Coal Coal is just another form of a rock. Coal is widely used in the power plants around the world which grinds the hard coal into a powder form, and then it is burned to heat the turbines to generate electricity. From the coal-based power plant, electricity is being supplied to homes and factories through a power grid which is a network of wires. Almost about half of the US electricity needs are catered by coal based power plants, and it constituted about 80% of the power generation in twelve states in the West, Midwest and in Southeast. Some of the main advantages of coal based power plant are the manufacturing cost of power would be relatively cheap and in the last decade, coal prices stayed stable as against petroleum prices. However, market and production issues may impact the supply of coal. There has been remarkable advancement in cleaner coal technology that would result in reaping in lower capital costs, higher efficiency, faster start-up times and lesser emissions. It is forecasted that U.S is having coal deposits, which would long last for another 250 years to come. (National Energy Policy Report, 2001, p.5.14). Oil Oil is liquid in nature, slicker and thicker than the water. Oil exploration companies drill the ocean and land to extract crude oil. These oils, later, refined and used for various purposes, including as fuel for automobiles, fuel for factories, etc. By-products of oil are nylon, plastics, tar, etc. Crude oil is converted into gasoline for driving the cars, as diesel for transporting trucks and used as fuel for jet planes also. (“Rau, 2010, p.1”). Petroleum is employed increasingly in industries, aviation, transportation, etc. Diesel is one of the by-products of petroleum and is widely used in transportation, in power plants for drawing water. Petroleum remains as the main source of the transportation system of any country. High volatility in oil prices makes the world economy weaker as the majority of the nations around the world need oil for their economic activities. The price of the oil per barrel was quoted around $130 per barrel in the year 2006 whereas the current price is around “$91.78 per barrel”. As per IEA (2001), the exploration site cost of a barrel of oil at Saudi Arabia will be around $1.60 per barrel to take it from the ground, and it would cost another $1.40 per barrel for bringing the same to the market. (Mobbs, 2005, p.49). Natural Gas Natural gas is actually a combination of different gases. Oil companies around the world also drill out natural gases, which are highly inflammable in nature and is widely used in power plants around the world for manufacturing electricity. (“Rau, 2010, p.1”). When there is a successful exploration of natural gas, butane and propane gases are liquefied and transported as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Burning of natural gas will also result in the emission of CO2 in the atmosphere, but it is relatively lesser quantum as compared to what is being emitted by coal, oil sand or oil shale. Natural gas has many advantages like abundant resources , high net energy yield , lower air pollution and CO2 emission , lesser land use , can be easily transported through pipeline and is being used as fuel for motor vehicles , fuel cells and gas turbine. (Miller, Scott & Spoolman, p.198). Some of the disadvantages of natural gas are non-renewable in nature, the possibility of methane leakage from the pipeline which is greenhouse gas, and it is arduous to transfer from one nation to another nation. (Miller, Scott & Spoolman, 2008, p.198). Data on Energy Use in USA “Types of Energy “ “% of Usage “ Oil 40% Natural Gas 24% Coal 23% Nuclear 8% Renewable Energy 7% Electricity import 0.1% Biomass & Ethanol 3.6% Hydroelectric 2.4% Geothermal 0.35% Wind 0.3% Solar 0.08% Source- (Rau, 2010, p.10) Types of Energy in USA as of 2011 Statistics on Energy Consumption in USA as of 2011 Source- Annual Energy Review by DOE/ EIA as of September 2012 Details of Production and consumption of Energy in USA as of 2011 Further, about 20 million barrels of crude oil is being used daily by United States, and about 1.1 billion tons of coal is being produced at the U.S mines per annum, and about 20 trillion cubic feet of natural gas is consumed per annum. (Horn & Voege, 2010, p.6). Dictation of Fossil Fuel in US Energy Usage U.S Energy Information Administration (EIA) in its annual energy review of 2011 stated that in 2011, the U.S manufactured a record of 78 quadrillions Btu (quads) of energy and whereas the consumption of energy in the U.S in the year 2011in excess of 97 quads of energy in different guises. Unfortunately, about 80% of the US energy consumption comes from the non-renewable fossil fuels. One of the solacing facts is that consumption of petroleum and natural gas in USA has come down in the year 2011 which was about 35.3 quads as compared 40.4 quads in the year 2005. Nuclear energy consumption in USA in the year 2011 was at 8.3 quads as compared to renewable-energy consumption in the year 2011 with 9.1 quads. (EIA, 2012). Fossil Fuels and Future Demand The demand for fossil fuels on the global level is soaring as each year, more and more power plants are being constructed around the world. Further, more numbers of cars are being offered to consumers now, and hence, there is a more demand for fossil fuels now. In the year 1980, the global consumption of oil per day was about 63 million barrels whereas in the year 2007, the production of oil was increased to 86 million barrels per day. USA consumes about 20 million barrels of oil per day and about 40% of the oil so consumed is being produced within the USA, and the balance is being imported from other countries. Likewise, demand for natural gas on the global level doubled between 1980 and 2007 and global consumption of coal soared to about 75 %.( Horn & Voege, 2010, p.8). Resources of Renewable Energy Solar Energy Solar energy is being harnessed by absorbing and storing temperature or heat from the Sun, and it can be used for manufacturing electricity and heat. Solar energy is a sustainable energy as it will long last and there is no depletion of the energy from sun as in the case of conventional energy. Solar energy is renewable and sustainable in nature. By using less energy, solar energy helps to minimise the damages to the atmosphere. (Richards, 2009, p.34). Solar energy is a gorgeous complementary energy which is available throughout the year, and some nations are offering more fiscal incentives to use more solar-energy resources. For instance, Cyprus has the track record of largest per-capita usage of solar energy where almost 90% of its houses and its hotels are using solar water heaters. Geothermal Energy Geothermal energy employs the internal-combustion heat of the earth as it is clean and a very good renewable-energy resource. It is generated when heat in the underground of the earth is transferred by water that is combusted as it moves through burning rocks or shallow magma bodies. Hot water or steam is brought to surface of the earth through bore wells. Geothermal energy is not only capital intensive, but it is commercially viable as compared to skyrocketing crude oil prices. (“Gupta, 2006, p.9”). Wind Energy Wind energy is being harnessed for the last 3000 years, and it has been widely harnessed in Mediterranean, China, Middle East and in Europe from time immemorial. Wind energy, in ancient days, was used to pump water, to power boats and to grind corn. At present days, wind turbines are employed to generate power. Worldwide installed capacity of wind energy was estimated at 40000 MW in 2003, which soared to 94000 MW in the year 2007 with an average annual growth rate of 25%. Presently, Europe is the global leader in the wind energy sector. In USA, in 2011, wind energy constituted” 2.1% of its total energy consumption. (European Wind Energy Association 2012).’ Tidal Energy This energy is harnessed from the ocean tides which are caused due to gravitational pull of the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. The rising up and receding of tidal waves occurs two times in a day and results in huge movement of water. The rise of ocean water is known as the high tide whereas the fall is known as the low tide. The tidal energy is harnessed by construction of small dams in the coastal areas where waters gush into the dam during high tide and gush out of the dam during low tide, which makes the turbine to rotate and thus electricity is produced from tidal waves. Tidal energy has many advantages like it is one of the renewable-energy sources, it does not generate any greenhouse gases, higher efficiency as compared to the solar, coal or wind energy, it does not need any fuel to run the turbine and long gestation period of the tidal power plant and tidal energy’s density is higher as compared to other renewable energies. Some of the disadvantages are high capital intensiveness of tidal power plants, it may impact aquatic life very badly, the technology is yet to be proved as cost-effective and involves higher transmission cost. Hydro electricity The process of transforming the kinetic energy of flowing water from the dam into electricity is known as hydro power. Hydro power falls under renewable energy as the same water from the dam can be harnessed again and again to produce hydro power and there is no emission of hazardous gases into the atmosphere. Though, it is a high capital intensive but its cost of generation is very low. Harnessing of hydro power can be fine tuned so as to meet the higher or lower demand due to seasonal fluctuation without any loss of energy. Atomic Energy As of today, about sixteen percent of global energy is being produced by about 439 nuclear power plants all around the world. Over 40% of the energy needs of nine nations have been catered through the atomic power plants. Nuclear energy can be said to be one of the clean energy as there is no emission of sulphur dioxide, CO2 and nitrogen oxide. Nuclear energy is reliable energy as it does not bank upon weather scenarios, and plant can run continuously for about 700 days without any refueling. It requires very little raw material like uranium but can produce higher quantum of electricity. Conclusion “Conventional Energy vs Renewable Energy” All industrialized nations are wholly dependent of fossil fuels for their energy resources as fossil fuels are non-renewable energy, they may be exhausted all of a sudden in the near future. Energy is manufactured from the process of combustion of fossil fuels and this combustion process release higher CO2 in the atmosphere thereby resulting in global warming. High consumption of fossil fuels is resulting in global warming, environmental degradation, air and water pollution and results in excessive emission of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which is proven to be toxic to mankind, animal and plants. The whole cycle of fossil-fuel discovery, drawing out, processing, movement and consumption of fossil fuels have well known effects on the ecosystem and humans. (Jaccard, 2005, p.1) Renewable energy means those natural reserves which are non-depletable or inexhaustible in nature and can be employed again and again to manufacture energy like solar energy, wind energy, etc. When employed in fast breeder reactor technology, atomic energy becomes the non-depletable energy source. Those energy resources which are depletable in nature and cannot be substituted or replaceable once they are consumed are called as conventional energy and some illustrations of this kind energy are coal, petrol, gas, which altogether constitutes about 98% of the aggregate of global energy demand as of today. (Chauhan, 2007, p.4). Thus, renewable energy will be the future energy for the global power needs as it is likely to safeguard the environment and prevent the Mother Earth is being deteriorated due to global warming. References Chauhan, D S. (2007). Non-Conventional Energy Resources. New York: New Age International European Wind Energy Association (2012). Wind Energy Facts Brussels: Routledge. Gupta, H K & Roy S. (2006). Geothermal Energy: An Alternative Energy for the 21st Century. New Delhi: Elsevier Horn, G M & Voege, D. (2010). Coal, Oil and Natural Gas. New York: Infobase Publishing. Jaccord, MK (2005) Sustainable Fossil Fuels: The Unusual Suspect in the Quest. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Janardhan, V & Fesmire. (2010). Energy Explained: Conventional Energy and Alternative. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Miller GT, Scott, Jr & Spoolman, E. (2008). Sustaining the Earth: An Integrated Approach. New York: Cengage Learning. Mobbs, P. (2005). Energy Beyond Oil. New York: Troubador Publishing Ltd. National Energy Policy Report (2001) Reliable, Affordable and Environmentally Sound Energy For America’s Future. New York: U.S Government Printing Office Rau, D M. (2010). Alternative Energy: Beyond Fossil Fuels. New York: Capstone. Richards. (2009). Solar Energy. South Yarra: Marshall Cavendish U.S EIA, (December 14, 2012) Energy Perspectives: Fossil Fuel Consumption dominates US energy Consumption. http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=9210 > retrieved on 11th February 2013 Read More