Types of Energy: Renewable & Non-Renewable
Geography: Cambridge International GCSE (2027 Exams), topic 10.4.1
Types of Fuels
There are two major types of fuels - renewable and non-renewable fuels. Fossil fuels are a type of non-renewable fuel.
Non-renewable fuels
- These are fuels which cannot be used more than once.
- They are finite, which means that they will run out.
- Fossil fuels and uranium (nuclear power) are non-renewable.
Fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas)
- Fossil fuels are made over millions of years and have a high carbon content.
- Electricity is generated from the steam off of heated water turning turbines.
- This water is heated by burning fossil fuels.
- Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere increase because the carbon from this process gets released into the air.
- Fossil fuels are also used to power cars, planes and ships in the form of petrol and diesel.
Renewable fuels
- Renewable fuels are fuels which will not run out.
- Types of renewable fuels include:
- Solar (sun) energy.
- Wind energy.
- Wave energy.
- Tidal energy.
- HEP (Hydro-electric power).
- Geothermal energy.
- Biofuels.
- They don’t pollute the environment much and are sustainable.
- However, they are not perfect because they can be very expensive to produce.
Energy mix/ratio
- This is the proportion of the amounts of renewable and non-renewable power used.
- This can be determined at any scale (world-wide/national/regional/local).
National grid
- This is the system through which electricity is moved around a country, using a network of wires and pylons.
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What does HEP stand for?