Good Sources of Energy


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Good Sources of Energy

Energy, as you know, is the capacity to do work. You also know that in a given situation when all forms of energy are taken into account, the total energy remains constant. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another. Yet you hear about energy production, energy crisis, need to conserve energy, and so on. The term energy used in these has a slightly different meaning. In these expressions, we refer to the energy in a useful form that we can use to cook, operate machines and appliances, run vehicles, and so on.

We cannot put to use the energy available from every source. We can only put to use energy from specific sources, which we call sources of energy. For example, the potential energy of a rock high up on a hill cannot be used to cook food, but the chemical energy in cooking gas (liquefied petroleum gas, LPG) can. So, the rock is not a source of energy, but LPG is. Some common sources of energy include firewood, coal, petroleum, natural gas, flowing water and uranium. We also use the energy of the sun and the wind. So, they are also energy sources.

Good Source of Energy

These are those resources that depends on many things such as the purpose for which it is needed, available resources, capital costs, Operating costs, efficiency, renewable or not , energy storage requirement, pollution, Environmental modification, levelized cost to the customer, feasibility on large scale, unit capacity  etc. What is good for a village might not be suitable for a factory. For choosing a source of energy for a particular purpose, we evaluate the following characteristics.

Energy Output per unit Volume: The energy output per unit volume (or mass) of a good source of energy should be high. The gas in a 15-kg LPG cylinder can be used by a family of average size to cook food for about a month. To cook the same amount of food using wood, you would need a roomful of wood. Clearly, the energy output per unit volume of LPG, which takes a small space in the kitchen, is much higher than that of wood.

Steady Availability: The energy source should be available readily and for a long time. For example, coal and petroleum have been readily available for a long time. Although the sun is a good source of energy, it is available only during the day. Similarly, wind energy is reliable only in those places where there is always a wind.

Safe And Easy To Use:  For widespread use, the source of energy has to be safe and easy to use. A fuel that produces a lot of smoke is not a good source of energy, since it is not safe for people’s health. A nuclear power plant is not easy to build and operate. This limits the use of nuclear fuels like uranium.

Easy To Store And Transport: Most common sources of energy such as coal, petrol and LPG need to be transported to users from their points of production. They also need to be stored before use. We should be able to transport and store such sources of energy safely and economically.

Economical: The source of energy has to be economical. Hydrogen is an excellent fuel. But, it is not widely used as it is costly to produce, store and transport it.

 
 
 


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