One of the most widely discussed topics today on news media and social media is climate change, and how we ought to reduce our impact on the environment. We mostly hear experts advocate the use of renewable over non-renewable energy which release less or no emissions. In this blog, let’s try to understand the main differences between renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
What are renewable and non-renewable sources of energy?
A renewable source of energy is available to us infinitely. It replenishes itself naturally without any human intervention. This energy comes from natural sources such as sun, wind, water and organic matter.
On the other hand, non-renewable sources of energy are available in limited amounts. Once consumed, these cannot get replenished at all, or get replenished over a very long geological timeframe, in effect making them unavailable for repeated human use. Most of these are fossils such as coal, petroleum and natural gas.
Difference between renewable and non-renewable energy
- Non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels are created over millions of years under the surface of the earth or the ocean bed. But our rate of consuming this energy source is so fast that we could run out of them within a generation or two. Renewable energy comes from those sources of energy which cannot be exhausted even after repeated human use.
- Non-renewable energy has a negative impact on the environment. Burning fossils leads to emission of carbon-dioxide resulting in the rise of global temperatures and subsequent environmental issues. Renewable energy is easy on the environment as it does not release any harmful gases or substances. On the contrary, by shifting towards renewable energy like wind, solar and tidal, and reducing the reliance on non-renewable fossils, we can slow down climate change and make a decisive move towards sustainable development.
- Renewable energy has a high upfront cost. This is because the technology used in generating renewable energy like solar and geothermal power is still in its incipient form. With increase in research and development, and manufacturing of equipment in greater volumes in the future, the costs are expected to come down. On the other hand, non-renewable energy sources are comparatively inexpensive in terms of the upfront costs.
- Infrastructure for renewable energy like solar or wind is not easily accessible especially in developing countries like India. These technologies usually require vast open areas like fields or building terraces to generate useful amount of energy. Such vast spaces and enormous number of panels may not be very economical for developing nations. On the other hand, non-renewable energy is lower on infrastructure costs or area requirements, and can therefore be utilised throughout the world with equity.
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