As the world longs for an eco-friendly and sustainable environment, it is paramount to understand the various sources of energy mother earth has gifted us. The Earth’s energy sources could be classified as non-renewable and renewable.
Non-renewable energy is derived from substances that cannot be readily replaced by natural means at a pace to keep up with its usage. A typical example is fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels formed millions of years ago as dead plants and animals were subjected to extreme heat and pressure in the earth’s crust. This natural process converted the organic matter into carbon-rich substances that when burned to generate energy. There are three main fossil fuels: petroleum, coal, and natural gas.
Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished continuously such as solar, ocean, wind, biomass, biofuels, and geothermal sources.
Solar power harnesses the sun’s energy by converting the sun’s light directly into energy to generate electricity through the solar panels. Sunlight contains a surprisingly large amount of energy. Did you know that despite the hundreds of kilometers these rays travel to reach Earth, solar radiation reaches Earth with enough energy in a single square meter to run a mid-size desktop computer? Imagine the vast energy we can acquire from the non-depleting sun.
Wind power, another source of renewable energy is created when wind spins a turbine, or a windmill, which can be located on land or offshore. China and the US are currently the world’s largest onshore wind markets.
Hydropower is created when rapidly flowing water turns turbines inside a dam, generating electricity. Nigerian’s hydro potential is high and hydropower currently accounts for about 24% of the total installed commercial electric power capacity. The overall large-scale potential if exploitable is in excess of 11,000MW.
Nuclear energy is produced by power plants through nuclear fission. The energy generated during nuclear reactions is used to produce electricity. Biofuels or biomass are produced using organic materials such as wood, food waste, agricultural crops, and animal manure that contain stored energy from the sun.
In conclusion, the Earth has provided us with diverse energy sources. It is, however, our responsibility to tap into these resources and make them readily available and affordable while keeping the environment safe.