Conventional Energy: Renewable Resource What is Conventional Energy?

Energy Canada is the largest per capita user of energy because: We live in a northern climate – heat Small population with a large land mass – transportation needs Advanced industrial economy Energy is cheap = waste

Energy can be divided into 2 categories 1. Conventional Energy Water Coal Oil Natural gas

2. Alternative Energy Sources Solar Wind Biomass

Sources of Energy

Conventional Energy Energy that is commonly used as sources of: Heat Light Power

What is Renewable Energy? An energy supply that can REPRODUCE itself fairly quickly (can make more) Example: wood It grows relatively quickly (especially bamboo) and is used for heat, light and power

Hydroelectric Power Power that is created by falling water. Example: Niagara Falls About 60% of all of Canada’s electricity comes from hydroelectric power.

Two Benefits of Hydroelectric Power are… 1. It is cheap because no fuel is needed 2. no burning fuel means no air pollution

Two Problems with Hydroelectric power are… 1. it is very expensive to build and repair 2. often must be built far from energy customers

Conventional Energy: Non-Renewable Sources What is Non-Renewable Energy? Energy that CANNOT reproduce itself. (once it’s gone, it’s gone forever!)

Examples are… Minerals Uranium Fossil fuels

Nuclear Power Plant Inside a nuclear power plant, atomic particles (neutrons) are fired at uranium atoms. As the uranium atoms shatter apart, they release heat energy and radioactivity. The heat energy is then converted to electricity inside the power plant.

Nuclear Power Plant This process uses up the uranium which is a non-renewable resource Nuclear reactors produce about 15% of Canada’s electricity

Two Benefits of Nuclear Power Plants are… 1. They are cheap to run – especially in Canada because we have a lot of uranium 2. Nothing is burned, so there is no air pollution

Two Problems with Nuclear Power Plants are… 1. They are very expensive to build and maintain 2. If the reactor fails, radioactivity can kill plant workers and members of the public

What are Fossil Fuels? Fossil fuels contain the stored CARBON of things that were once ALIVE Examples are: coal, oil and natural gas

What are Fossil Fuels… About 25% of Canada’s electricity comes from burning non-renewable fossil fuels They power almost all our modes of transportation They heat and cool most of our homes, businesses and industries (and schools!)

Benefits of Fossil Fuels Easily Available Produces a large amount of energy

Problems with Fossil Fuel Environmental Damage causing climate change Rising gas prices/over production Largest contributor to Global Warming Need huge amount of reserves due to human dependency

Thermal Electric Power Energy created by heat and/or steam This is the cheapest form of the conventional energy systems

How does it work?? Coal is burned in furnaces to provide enough heat to boil water and create steam. The steam spins turbines that produce electricity

One Benefit of Thermal Electric Power is… It is the least expensive type of conventional energy

One Problem of Thermal Electric Power is… Carbon from burned fossil fuels harms the atmosphere causing… Air pollution Climate change Acid rain

Other forms of energy…