Grade 7- Renewable and Non-renewable, Careers and Importance of Sources of Energy

Energy is the ability to do work.

Energy enables activities to take place and work to be done.

Sources of Energy.

Human beings use energy from different sources for example;

1. Energy used by human beings to do work comes from food eaten.

2. Energy used by animals to carry out their activities comes from the food they eat.

3. Energy for drying things under the sun comes from the sun.

4. Energy used by electrical appliances comes from electricity.

5. Energy people use to warm themselves comes from burning fuels.

6. Energy that blows away the chaff from the grains comes from wind.

Therefore. sources of energy in our locality include.

1. Food.

2. Sun.

3. Electricity.

4. Coal.

5. Wood.

6. Wind.

7. Fuels such as petroleum and diesel.

8. Water.

   
   

Renewable and Non-renewable sources of Energy.

Renewable sources of energy.

They are those sources that cannot be exhausted or finished even when used over a long period of time.

Common types of renewable source include:

1. Wind power-power of fast-moving wind turns windmills to generate electricity.

2. Solar power-energy from the sun heats the solar cells to generate electricity and heat.

3. Hydro power- power of fast-moving water turns turbines to generate electricity.

4. Biomass-generates electricity from organic plant matter.

5. Geothermal power-heat from inside the earth produces pressure which turns turbines to generate electricity.

Non-renewable sources of energy.

They are sources of energy that can be exhausted or finished when used over a long period of time.

The four major types of non-renewable sources of energy include;

1. Petroleum products.

2. Coal.

3. Natural gas.

4. Nuclear energy.

Advantages and disadvantages of different sources of Energy.

Both renewable and non-renewable sources of energy have advantages and disadvantages as show below.

Advantages of Renewable energy.

1. Renewable energy such as sunshine, wind, geothermal and hydropower does not run out. They are inexhaustible.

2. Maintenance requirements are lower for renewable sources of energy. Equipment such as solar and turbines requires overall less maintenance than generators.

3.  Renewable sources save money, when using technology that generates power from the sun, wind, steam and water, one does not have to pay to refuel.

4.  Renewable sources of energy do not pollute the air

Disadvantages of Renewable Energy

1. Technologies are typically more expensive to install than traditional energy generators.

2. Many of the renewable energy resources are reliant on weather elements which may not be available throughout.

3. High cost of storing using batteries and capacitors.

Advantage and disadvantages of Non-renewable energy

1. Non-renewable are higher in energy intensity than renewable sources. Coal and petrol burn more fiercely

2. Non-renewable energy sources are readily available, wood energy is easy to find.

3. Most of the non-renewable sources of energy are also very easy to store for example, kerosene can be stored

in a container.

Disadvantages of Non-renewable Energy

1. Non-renewable sources are exhaustible for example, firewood can be depleted

2. Non-renewable energy pollutes the environment for example, diesel produces smoke.

3. It is expensive to install and distribute, ir is expensive to install oil pipeline and distribute to different places.

Careers related to sources of energy.

Careers in the field of energy include:

1. Engineering.

2. Electrical technician.

3. Merchandisers of energy equipment and appliances.

4. Trainers.

Importance of Energy.

1. Energy sector creates employment opportunities.

2. It enables people to get information through radios, watch television and other forms of entertainments using electronic devices.

3. It enhances convenience in performing tasks.

4. Energy enables people to do different forms of work.