Renewable and non-renewable energy. The first thing that comes to our mind when we encounter these two terms is an image of solar panels in the middle of a vast area under the direct sun, and on the other hand, an image of a traditional oil rig in black in the middle of a polluted atmosphere and a cloudy sky. Therefore, I suggest to our dear readers to share this journey with us. To learn more about each type of these energies and to go into more detail with reliable sources that allow a more accurate and clear picture to be drawn, especially as we are on the verge of the  year 2030  and the new world order.

The difference between renewable and non-renewable energy

Renewable energy is defined as the energy derived and extracted from theoretically unlimited sources or resources, such as sunlight or wind, which is constantly renewed and which does not end and is not implemented except with the permission of God Almighty. It is available without a time limit or can be renewed more quickly than it is consumed. While we generally talk about non-renewable energy as energy derived from resources found in nature that have limited reserves and are not renewable on a human time scale, such as fossil fuels ( coal, crude oil and natural gas ) or some minerals such as uranium used in generating nuclear energy, which may take It takes a long time to produce them in large quantities.

 renewable and non-renewable energy 

Renewable and non-renewable energy sources

Renewable energy sources

Renewable energy is classified according to its natural resources into five types, including solar energy, wind energy, water energy, geothermal energy, and bioenergy.

solar energy

Solar energy is considered one of the most abundant renewable resources on Earth, as the flow of solar energy received annually on the surface of the Earth represents about  15,000  times the energy consumed. Solar energy is exploited using two different technologies: the first depends on converting solar radiation into heat by thermal sensors and is known as Solar thermal energy is used primarily in solar water heaters, which is widely spread in Europe, where it is used in homes for more than  600  thousand families, and it is rarely used in the production of electrical energy.

While the second technology relies on exploiting light radiation and converting it directly into an electrical current using optical sensing sensors, or what is known as a photoelectric cell, which is composed mainly of silicon, which has the ability to convert photons contained in sunlight into electrons, which form an electrical current when they pass through electrical conductors.

These cells are connected to each other to collect the electrical current generated at the level of each cell and installed in the form of flat sheets known as solar panels. The latter are connected either to the batteries through electrical rates to ensure their charging and exploitation locally in the event of a power outage or when the sun’s rays disappear, or to the electrical network to contribute to the production of Permanent electrical energy.

The amount of electricity produced by solar panels is related to the intensity, duration of sunshine, and the orientation of the panel in relation to the sun. Therefore, solar energy exploitation centers work to use techniques that allow maintaining the optimal angle between the sun’s rays and the solar panels, which is the angle that allows the generation of the largest amount of electrical current, by using mobile systems that allow the position of the solar panels to be changed automatically throughout the day.

It is worth noting that the Kingdom of Morocco has established a legislative framework for renewable energy to support a strategy for national electricity production during the period  2010-2030 under the name of the “ Noor ”  solar energy program , which reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 3.7 million tons and contributes to the creation of  250  permanent jobs and approximately  2,400 jobs.  A relatively temporary job position.

Wind Energy

Wind energy is one of the most promising energies, as technological development has allowed to increase the size and power of installations on the one hand and reduce production costs on the other hand. The kinetic energy produced by the wind blowing through giant fans drives generators that produce electricity, and according to statistics provided by the World Wind Energy Association ( WWEA ), global production for the year  2021  of this energy reached  840 gigawatts  , which represents  7%  of global consumption of electrical energy. They prevent the production of a huge amount of carbon dioxide, estimated at  1.1 billion tons annually. China is considered the world’s leading producer of this energy, followed by the United States of America in second place and Germany in third place.

 Hydropower

Water energy is considered one of the oldest exploited renewable energies, as it has been used since ancient times to operate mills and distribute water through turbines or rotating wooden wheels by the power of the flow of rivers and waterways. It is also called hydroelectric energy. The kinetic energy of water works like rivers, dams, sea currents, and tidal movements. The flow of electricity-generating turbines is driven by the force of water flow from a higher level to a lower level. The higher the height, the greater the intensity of the flow and the greater the amount of electrical energy generated.

The power of water flow from the phenomenon of tides and waves is also considered one of the most important sources of renewable water energy. For example, the largest tidal power plant located in Reims in France allows it to produce 240 megawatts  annually  .

Geothermal energy

The exploitation of geothermal energy depends on capturing heat from different depths of the earth’s crust to exploit it for heating or producing natural electrical energy, and it is the only renewable energy that does not depend on weather conditions.

Geothermal energy is classified according to the depth from which it is extracted into three types: deep geothermal energy, medium geothermal energy, and low geothermal energy. As for deep geothermal energy, it is extracted from a depth of up to  2500 meters  , where the temperature ranges from  150  to  250 degrees  Celsius, and this is what makes the production of electricity through the process of evaporating water possible.

As for the second type, which is medium geothermal energy, it extracts heat ranging from  30  to  150  degrees Celsius and is usually used to operate major urban heating networks. The third type is low-level geothermal energy, which is extracted at a depth of  10  and  100 meters  at a temperature of less than  30 degrees Celsius . It is exploited to heat homes and water by using heat pumps to transfer heat from the ground to the surface.

Bioenergy

Bioenergy is produced by exploiting a range of organic materials, agricultural crops and waste to produce heat and energy in various ways. To produce heat and electricity, thermochemical transformations such as combustion, pyrolysis and gasification are used. As for the production of biofuel, starch and glucose extracted from beet, sugarcane, and grain crops are used to obtain bioethanol through the fermentation process, while oil extracted from oil-rich plants, such as rapeseed, sunflower, soybean, and others, is used to make biodiesel.

Non-renewable energy sources

Although the intensive use of these energies has a harmful impact on the environment, climate change, air pollution and oil spills. The spread of heat-trapping gases and the continuous increase in global atmospheric temperatures, but they still constitute  80%  of the global energy consumed, especially in the fields of industry and transportation, as well as in heating.  Non-renewable energy sources are divided into two categories: fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

Fossil fuels

Fossil fuel is a fuel that is found in the ground in limited quantities and takes millions of years to form. Three types of fossil fuels can be distinguished: coal, natural gas, and oil.

A) Coal

Coal consists of the remains of fossilized nature that were formed millions of years ago. Coal has a calorific value that allows it to be used as fuel, as the stages of its exploitation developed, starting with its use for heating and ending with its use to operate machines and engines at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. One of its disadvantages is that it is depleted energy. And not environmentally friendly.

b) Natural gas

Natural gas is formed in the lower layers of the earth in some regions of the world as a result of the decomposition of microorganisms buried for millions of years and their transformation into gas pockets. Natural gas exploitation began in the modern era in 1820 in the United States of America, but it was not able to compete with oil and coal until after the end of the World  War  . Second, its use has become widespread in Europe.

C) Petroleum

Petroleum is the result of a long process of decomposition of plant and animal organisms that took millions of years to form. It is currently used mainly to derive various types of fuel, extract industrial oils and greases, and it is also used in industry for most plastic materials.

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy production relies on the use of enriched uranium, a radioactive element involved in the nuclear fission process. The advantage of nuclear energy is that its use does not produce carbon dioxide but produces highly toxic radioactive waste with a lifespan of several thousand years and there is no known way to deal with this waste at present, so it is stored awaiting solution.

The future of renewable energy

Compared to the current situation, renewable energies can have a greater contribution, especially thanks to technological progress, but they cannot in any way constitute the desired solution to the energy problem, at least in the medium term.

For example, in the transportation sector, despite what is promoted about replacing the combustion engine with the electric engine, this does not mean that the fuel problem has ended, as the success of this type of car is linked to the production of large-capacity batteries, which are not only very expensive but are made of a material Lithium is found in solid rocks and is extracted by exposing it to heat using fossil fuels. This process leads to the destruction of large areas of land, the consumption of huge amounts of water, and the release of approximately  15 tons  of carbon dioxide for every ton of lithium.

Conclusion : We understand through reading this article that we should not only talk about alternative and renewable energies, but rather about a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy and their sources. That is, we should not abandon any energy, with the exception of nuclear energy because it is still the subject of research and study because of its danger and difficulty in controlling it. The ideal solution at the present time is moderation and economy in energy use, raising energy efficiency, and finally improving the overall efficiency of the system.