Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Resources: Check their Types, Examples, and Key Differences

A natural resource is defined as a form of energy and/or matter which is essential for the functioning of organisms, populations and ecosystems. In the case of humans, a natural resource, in his words, refers to any form of energy or matter essential for the fulfilment of physiological, socio-economic and cultural needs, both at the individual level and that of the community.  

Life on our planet depends upon a large number of things and services provided by nature, which are known as natural resources. Water, air, soil, minerals, coal, forests, crops and wildlife are all examples of natural resources.

According to Ramade (1984), a natural resource is defined as a form of energy and/or matter, which is essential for the functioning of organisms, populations and ecosystems. 

Classification of natural resources: 

According to Odum (1971), natural resources can be divided into two categories such as 

1. Renewable Resources 

2. Non-renewable resources 

What are Renewable Energy Resources? 

Renewable energy is energy that is produced from natural processes and continuously replenished. A few examples of renewable energy are sunlight, water, wind, tides, geothermal heat, and biomass.

The energy that is provided by renewable energy resources is used in 5 important areas, such as air and water cooling/heating, electricity generation, the rural sector, and transportation. 

According to a report in 2016 by REN21, the global energy consumption by the use of renewable energy resources contributed to 19.2% in 2014 and 23.7% in 2015.

Many countries have started to invest in these renewable energy resources, as these resources will help in maintaining sustainable development. The amount of investment in 2015 was about 286 billion dollars, and major sectors were biofuel, solar power, wind, and hydroelectricity. 

Types of Renewable Energy 

1. Solar Energy:  

• The radiant light and heat energy from the sun is harnessed with the use of solar collectors.  

• These solar collectors are of various types, such as photovoltaics, concentrator photovoltaics, solar heating (CSP), concentrated solar power, artificial photosynthesis, and solar architecture.  

• This collected solar energy is then used to provide light, heat, and other forms of electricity. 

2. Wind Energy:  

• The energy we get from wind is known as wind energy. For this, windmills have been used for hundreds of years to pump out water from the ground.  

• We use large, tall wind turbines that allow wind to generate electricity. The natural airflow on the surface of the earth is used to run the wind turbines. The modern-day wind turbines range from about 600 kilowatts to 5 Megawatts.  

• For commercial purposes, these are rated with an output power of 1.5 to 3 Megawatts.  

• The most preferred locations for these wind turbines to be installed are areas which and strong and have constant airflows, offshore and sites that are at high altitudes. 

• The power generated from wind energy in 2015 met 4% of global energy consumption. 

3. Hydroelectricity:  

• According to statistics, hydroelectricity generated around 16.6% of the global energy resources and constituted about 70% of all renewable electricity.  

• This energy is another alternative source of energy that is generated by the construction of dams and reservoirs on the flowing water.  

• The kinetic energy from the flowing water is used to run the turbines, which generate electricity.  

• Tidal power converts the energy of tides, and Wave power, which captures the energy from the surface of the ocean waves for power generation.  

• These two forms of hydropower also have huge potential in electric power generation. 

4. Geothermal Energy:  

• It is the energy that is generated from the thermal energy which is stored in the earth. 

• The heat energy is captured from sources such as hot springs and volcanoes, and this heat is directly used by industries for heating the water and other purposes. 

5. Biomass Energy:  

• This type of energy is derived from biomass, which is a type of biological material derived from living organisms and plant-derived materials, which are called lignocellulosic biomass.  

• Biomass can be directly used via combustion to produce heat, and indirectly, it can be used to convert to biofuels.  

• Biomass can be converted to other usable forms of energy, such as transportation fuels like ethanol, biodiesel, and methane gas. 

What are Non-Renewable Energy Resources? 

Non-renewable energy does not renew itself at a sufficient rate for sustainable economic extraction in meaningful human time frames. Non-renewable energy is energy from fossil fuels such as coal, crude oil, natural gas and uranium.  

Unlike renewable energy, non-renewable energy needs human intervention to make it suitable for consumption. 

Fossil fuels are mainly made up of carbon. It is believed that fossil fuels were formed over 300 million years ago when the Earth was different in its landscape.  

TYPES OF NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY:  

The resources for non-renewable energy are mainly fuels from fossil deposits. The most common non-renewable resources are:- 

1. COAL:

• Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. 

• Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. 

• Coal is formed when dead plant matter decays into peat and is converted into coal by the heat and pressure of deep burial over millions of years. 

• Coal varies widely in important physical characteristics such as energy content (usually measured in British Thermal Units, BTU), carbon percentage, moisture content, presence of contaminants such as sulfur, etc. 

• These attributes determine both the price of coal, and the uses to which it can be put, primarily steel production, electricity generation, and heating.

2. Oil:

• Oil was made out of animal and plant remains, of animals that had lived in water many millions of years ago.

• The first step was 300-400 millions of years ago. Then remains started to sediment on ocean’s bottom and with time all was covered with sand and mud.

• Before 50-100 millions years those remains were already covered with big layer of sand and mud which created huge pressures and high temperatures. As a result of these conditions raw oil as well as natural gas turned up. 

• Today we drill through the huge layers of mud, sand and cliffs to get to oil wells.

3. Natural Gas:

• This gas is mainly made out of methane, a simple union that consists of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. 

• Methane is highly flammable with almost full combustion. After combustion, there are no ashes, and air pollution is almost negligible. 

• Natural gas has no color, taste, smell or shape in its natural form, so it’s indiscernible to people. Because of this reason companies are adding chemical to it which have the smell of rotten egg. 

• That smell enables people easy detection of potential gas leaking in house. Because of this event, this year is remembered as the beginning of the intentional use of natural gas In 19th century natural gas was almost solely used for street lamps. 

• About year 1890, majority cities started using electrical energy for the illumination, so natural gas producers started to search new markets for their product. Robert Brunson invented the burner in 1885, which mixed air with the natural gas. 

• This invention has enabled the exploitation of natural gas for cooking and heating chambers. The first more significant gas pipeline was built in 1891. 

• It was 120 miles long and was transporting gas from central Indiana all the way to Chicago. 

• After this period, very few gas pipelines were built until the end of the World war two. During the Second World War, great progress in metal characteristics, welding techniques and pipe manufacturing was achieved, so pipelines manufacturing became economically appealing, and extensively used in economy and households as well.

Difference Between Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources 

This table helps to easily differentiate between renewable and non-renewable resources. 

The key renewable and non-renewable resources lie in their ability to replenish and their environmental impact

consequences. 

Why is the Difference Important? 

Understanding the renewable and non-renewable resources is key to making choices that protect the environment and human society.  

As renewable resources and non-renewable resources impact everything from the economy to 

health, shifting towards sustainable options ensures resources, clean air, and healthy ecosystems for future generations. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, natural resources form the foundation of life and human progress. Understanding the distinction between renewable and non-renewable resources is vital for sustainable development. Promoting renewable energy reduces environmental degradation, conserves finite reserves, and ensures long-term ecological balance, economic stability, and energy security for future generations.