Alternate Sources of Energy

Chemistry Essay
9/2/2011 10C M. Sharan Visagan

CHEMISTRY ESSAY ALTERNATE SOURCES OF ENERGY The world requires energy to do work and keep living. Energy is obtained in many ways. The primary source of energy is by the use of hydrocarbons obtained in fossil fuels and almost 93% of all energy supplied is dependent on these. Because of this, other sources of energy are commonly known as alternate sources of energy. Hydrocarbons are organic compounds that are made of Hydrogen and Carbon atoms. These hydrocarbons are widely used in day-to-day life for providing energy, in the form of fuel, electricity, etc. It is used to do work. As they are organic compounds, hydrocarbons are not renewable sources of energy. Soon, this energy will be lost and therefore poses a need for alternate sources of energy. The chart below shows how long the non-renewable sources of energy are estimated to last.

Hydrocarbons are saturated or unsaturated, and are known as alkanes and alkenes respectively. These are the most widely used sources of commercial energy. They are mostly found in crude oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear fuel and are further processed to obtain favorable results which can further be used for electricity and fuel. Different hydrocarbons are used for different purposes. For example, alkanes that range from pentane(C5H12) to octane (C8H18) are used for unleaded vehicle fuel (petrol). Alkanes that range from nonane to hexadecane are used for leaded vehicle fuel (diesel).

Energy Resources can be in two forms: Renewable and non-renewable. This means, it can either be reused or not reusable. The primary of energy: hydrocarbons, are non-renewable resources of energy. This is why there is a need for alternate sources of energy . The world s Non renewable energy sources include Fossil Fuels. These are coal, oil and natural gas. These are found as the remains of plant and sea species that took life millions of years ago. Due to their suitable properties, they are used as fuels in petrol, diesel, kerosene, etc. Most plastics are also made using this. The worlds renewable energy sources include Hydroelectric energy, wave energy, geothermal energy, solar energy and wind energy. These sources have the ability to be used an infinity number of times without being consumed or used up. For example, solar energy is based on radiating the suns heat into electricity. In this case, the suns heat is renewable as it is not used up during the process. This is similar for Hydroelectric energy where water from a dam creates kinetic energy by spinning generators, Wave energy where generators are driven by the wave motion of the sea and wind energy where generators are driven by wind turbines or windmills.

The Renewable sources of energy as mentioned above only provide a small amount of energy as compared to the non-renewable sources. This is elaborated in the pie-chart below:

Sources of Energy
Non-Renewable Energy (Fossil Fuels) Renewable Energy

The non-renewable sources of energy are finite, which means they will finish, or be consumed as time passes. Thus, these sources of energy need to be used wisely and as preservative as possible. This is because of a number of reasons. Firstly, humans have been using non-renewable sources of energy

since thousands of years and switching to renewable sources could pose as an inconvenience. Adding on, the non-renewable sources of energy are still comparatively the most suitable energy source to the renewable sources due to a number of reasons. For example, solar cells are expensive to maintain and depend on the intensity of sunlight which is variable, whereas fossil fuels are obtained for free in nature. The chart below shows statistics for the worlds energy sources:

(Statistics as of 2007 at www.wikipedia.org/)

The worlds non-renewable energy sources are estimated to run out anytime between 50 400 years from today. On the assumption that they will run out after 50 years, Solar Energy and Hydroelectric energy will be the major future energy sources. These sources do not create pollution, can be used an infinity number of times, and are efficient. The process of obtaining energy is simple. The basic raw material that is required is sunlight and running water. These renewable sources of energy not only reduce the harmful emissions into the atmosphere but also restrict a stingy approach to energy consumption. These renewable energy sources create their own energy. The key to a successful source of energy is to harness the energy in the most conservative possible way There's more than enough renewable energy sources to supply all of the world's energy needs forever. However, the challenge is to develop the capability to effectively and economically capture, store and use the energy when needed.

In the case of solar energy, the suns heat provides the energy required. This energy will be then converted to electrical energy and fuel using light emitting photons in the solar cell. The sun also provides enough energy that can be stored for use long after the sun sets and even during extended cloudy periods. For Hydroelectric energy, the force of the water current turns the turbine in a circular motion. The turbine then develops Kinetic Energy due to the revolutions and stores the energy. The most popular way of harnessing hydroelectric energy is by dams. The dams make a smaller path for the water to flow through, thus increasing pressure and finally the electricity produced due to kinetic energy. The initiation of renewable energy sources into the world would pose as a plus point to the environment, economy and the society. First of all, the environment would benefit greatly as the use of fossil fuels include the process of burning. This lets harmful gases get released and would deplete the ozone layer. Obtaining fossil fuels also includes a process called refining. This process requires fuel to be carried out and the end products are also categorized in water and air pollution. Second, the economy would have a mixed effect. As renewable energy has a wide range of fields, the scope for employment would be higher. On the other hand, the implementations of renewable energy would be relatively expensive. For example: solar energy cells are relatively expensive for the amount of energy they provide. Thirdly, the society would be beneficial because with more sources of energy, they can support energy for the rest of life on earth. The final result of energy is none other than waste. Much of this waste is harmful to the environment. Industrial waste, for example, is usually a form of fossil fuel and its waste is often hazardous. It should be ensured that this waste is disposed off correctly. The common individual and the industry should dispose off waste in a decent manner to avoid pollution, etc.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Web-Pages

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