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In physics, energy is the quantitative property that must be transferred to an object in order to perform work on, or to heat, the object. Energy is a conserved quantity; the law of conservation of energy states that energy can be converted in form, but not created or destroyed. The SI unit of energy is the joule, which is the energy transferred to an object by the work of moving it a distance of 1 meter against a force of 1 newton.

Common forms of energy include the kinetic energy of a moving object, the potential energy stored by an object's position in a force field (gravitational, electric or magnetic), the elastic energy stored by stretching solid objects, the chemical energy released when a fuel burns, the radiant energy carried by light, and the thermal energy due to an object's temperature.

Living organisms require energy to stay alive, such as the energy humans get from food. Human civilization requires energy to function, which it gets from energy resources such as fossil fuels, nuclear fuel, or renewable energy. The processes of Earth's climate and ecosystem are driven by the radiant energy Earth receives from the sun and the geothermal energy contained within the earth.

Sun is the primary source of energy. Sunlight is a clean, renewable source of energy. It is a sustainable resource, meaning it doesn't run out, but can be maintained because the sun shines almost every day. Coal or gas are not sustainable or renewable: once they are gone, there is none left. More and more people are wanting to use clean, renewable energy such as solar, wind, geothermal steam, and others. It is called 'Green Power'. It lights our houses by day, dries our clothes and agricultural produce, keeps us warm and lots more. Its potential is however much larger.

One of the biggest advantages of solar energy is the ability to avoid the politics and price volatility that is increasingly characterizing fossil fuel markets.

It doesn’t result in the destruction of forests and eco-systems that occurs with most fossil fuel operations.

The wind is the natural movement of air across the land or sea. The wind, when used to turn the blades of a windmill, turns the shaft to which they are attached. This movement of the shaft through a pump or generator produces electricity. The Potential for wind power generation for grid interaction has been estimated at about 1,02,788 MW taking sites having wind power density greater than 200 W/sq. m at 80 m hub-height with 2% land availability in potential areas for setting up wind farms @ 9 MW/sq. km. India now has the 4th largest wind power installed capacity in the world which has reached 36089.12 MWp (as in May 2019). Private agencies own 95 % of the wind farms in India.

The plants fix solar energy through the process of photosynthesis to produce biomass. This biomass passes through various cycles producing different forms of energy sources. For example, fodder for animals that in turn produce dung, agricultural waste for cooking, etc. The current availability of biomass in India is estimated at about 500 million MT per annum, with an estimated surplus biomass availability of about 120 – 150 million metric tons per annum covering agricultural and forestry residues. This corresponds to a potential of about 18,000 MW. An additional 9131.50 MWp power was generated through bagasse-based cogeneration in the country’s sugar mills.

Biomass is an important source of energy accounting for about one-third of the total fuel used in our country and in about 90% of the rural households. The widespread use of biomass is for household cooking and heating. The types of biomass used are agricultural waste, wood, charcoal, or dried dung.

The flowing water and the tides in the sea are sources of energy. India is endowed with a large hydropower potential of 1,45,320 MW. Heavy investments are made on large projects. In recent years, hydel energy (through mini and small hydel power plants) is also used to reach power to remote villages that are unelectrified. The estimated potential of Small Hydro Power is about 15,000 MW in the country. As of May 2019, the installed capacity of Small hydro projects (up to 3MW) amounts to 4603.75 MW.

Oceans cover 70 percent of the earth’s surface and represent an enormous amount of energy. Although currently under-utilized, Ocean energy is mostly exploited by just a few technologies: Wave, Tidal, Current Energy, and Ocean Thermal Energy.

The tidal cycle occurs every 12 hours due to the gravitational force of the moon. The difference in water height from low tide and high tide is potential energy. Similar to traditional hydropower generated from dams, tidal water can be captured in a barrage across an estuary during high tide and forced through a hydro-turbine during low tide. The capital cost for tidal energy power plants is very high due to high civil construction and high-power purchase tariff. To capture sufficient power from the tidal energy potential, the height of high tide must be at least five meters (16 feet) greater than low tide. The total identified potential of Tidal Energy is about 12455 MW, with potential locations identified at Khambat & Kutch regions, and large backwaters, where barrage technology could be used.

Wave energy is generated by the movement of a device either floating on the surface of the ocean or moored to the ocean floor. Many different techniques for converting wave energy to electric power have been studied. Wave conversion devices that float on the surface have joints hinged together that bend with the waves. This kinetic energy pumps fluid through turbines and creates electric power. Stationary wave energy conversion devices use pressure fluctuations produced in long tubes from the waves swelling up and down. This bobbing motion drives a turbine when critical pressure is reached. Other stationary platforms capture water from waves on their platforms. This water is allowed to runoff through narrow pipes that flow through a typical hydraulic turbine. The total theoretical potential of wave energy in India along the country’s coast is estimated to be about 40,000 MW – these are preliminary estimates. This energy is however less intensive than what is available in more northern and southern latitudes.

Marine current is ocean water moving in one direction. This ocean current is known as the Gulf Stream. Tides also create currents that flow in two directions. Kinetic energy can be captured from the Gulf Stream and other tidal currents with submerged turbines that are very similar in appearance to miniature wind turbines. Similar to wind turbines, the movement of the marine current moves the rotor blades to generate electric power.

Ocean thermal energy conversion, or OTEC, uses ocean temperature differences from the surface to depths lower than 1,000 meters, to extract energy. A temperature difference of only 20°C can yield usable energy. Research focuses on two types of OTEC technologies to extract thermal energy and convert it to electric power: closed cycle and open cycle. In the closed cycle method, a working fluid, such as ammonia, is pumped through a heat exchanger and vaporized. This vaporized steam runs a turbine. The cold water found at the depths of the ocean condenses the vapor back to a fluid where it returns to the heat exchanger. In the open cycle system, the warm surface water is pressurized in a vacuum chamber and converted to steam to run the turbine. The steam is then condensed using cold ocean water from lower depths. OTEC has a theoretical potential of 180,000 MW in India subject to suitable technological evolution.

Geothermal Energy is heat stored in the earth's crust and is used for electric generation and also for direct heat application. Geothermal literally means the heat generated by earth. Various resource assessments carried out by agencies established the potential 10600 MWth /1000MWe spread over 340 hot springs across seven Geothermal provinces/11 states.

The availability of geothermal power is the most environment-friendly power, round the year 24x7 basis, not affected by the severity of climate during 6 to 7 winter months like hydro and like dependence on the sun in solar PV.

Coal, Oil and Natural gas are the non-renewable sources of energy. They are also called fossil fuels as they are products of plants that lived thousands of years ago. Fossil fuels are predominantly used in energy sources today. India is the third-largest producer of coal in the world, with estimated reserves of around 3,19,020.33 million tonnes of Geological Resources of Coal (as of 1.4.2018). Coal supplies more than 70.87% of the country's total production of energy by commercial sources. India consumes about 245 MT of crude oil annually, and more than 70% of it is imported. Burning fossil fuels cause a great amount of environmental pollution.

Sustainable energy is the practice of using energy in a way that "Meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Meeting the world's needs for electricity, heating, cooling, and power for transport in a sustainable way is widely considered to be one of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. Worldwide, nearly a billion people lack access to electricity, and around 3 billion people rely on smoky fuels such as wood, charcoal, or animal dung in order to cook. These and fossil fuels are a major contributor to air pollution, which causes an estimated 7 million deaths per year. Production and consumption of energy emit over 70% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

Proposed pathways for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C describe the rapid implementation of low-emission methods of producing electricity and a shift towards more use of electricity in sectors such as transport. The pathways also include measures to reduce energy consumption; and use of carbon-neutral fuels, such as hydrogen produced by renewable electricity or with carbon capture and storage. Achieving these goals will require government policies including carbon pricing, energy-specific policies, and phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies.

When referring to methods of producing energy, the term "sustainable energy" is often used interchangeably with the term "renewable energy". In general, renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric energy are widely considered to be sustainable. However, particularly renewable energy projects, such as the clearing of forests for the production of biofuels, can lead to similar or even worse environmental damage when compared to using fossil fuel energy. There is considerable controversy over whether nuclear energy can be considered sustainable.

The potential issues surrounding the use of fossil fuels, particularly in terms of climate change, were considered earlier than you may think. It was a Swedish scientist named Svante Arrhenius who was the first to state that the use of fossil fuel could contribute to global warming, way back in 1896.

The issue has become a hot-button topic over the course of the last few decades. Today, there is a general shift towards environmental awareness and the sources of our energy are coming under closer scrutiny.

This has led to the rise of a number of alternative energy sources. While the viability of each can be argued, they all contribute something positive when compared to fossil fuels.

Lower emissions, lower fuel prices and the reduction of pollution are all advantages that the use of alternative fuels can often provide.

Here we examine eleven of the most prominent alternative fuel sources and look at the benefits they offer and potential for increased uptake in the coming years.

Unlike other forms of natural gas, hydrogen is completely clean-burning fuel. Once produced, hydrogen gas cells emit only water vapor and warm air when in use.

The major issue with this form of alternative energy is that it is mostly derived from the use of natural gas and fossil fuels. As such, it could be argued that the emissions created to extract it counteract the benefits of its use.

The process of electrolysis, which is essential for the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen, makes this less of an issue. However, electrolysis still ranks below the previously mentioned methods for obtaining hydrogen, though research continues to make it more efficient and cost-effective.

While tidal energy uses the power of water to generate energy, much like with hydroelectric methods, its application actually has more in common with wind turbines in many cases.

Though it is a fairly new technology, its potential is enormous. A report produced in the United Kingdom estimated that tidal energy could meet as much as 20% of the UK’s current electricity demands.

The most common form of tidal energy generation is the use of Tidal Stream Generators. These use the kinetic energy of the ocean to power turbines, without producing the waste of fossil fuels or being as susceptible to the elements as other forms of alternative energy.

Biomass energy comes in a number of forms. Burning wood has been used for thousands of years to create heat, but more recent advancements have also seen waste, such as that in landfills, and alcohol products used for similar purposes.

Focusing on burning wood, the heat generated can be equivalent to that of a central heating system. Furthermore, the costs involved tend to be lower and the amount of carbon released by this kind of fuel falls below the amount released by fossil fuels.

However, there are a number of issues that you need to consider with these systems, especially if installed in the home. Maintenance can be a factor, plus you may need to acquire permission from a local authority to install one.

This form of energy generation has become increasingly popular in recent years. It offers much the same benefits that many other alternative fuel sources do in that it makes use of a renewable source and generates no waste.

Current wind energy installations power roughly twenty million homes in the United States per year and that number is growing. Most states in the nation now have some form of wind energy set-up and investment into the technology continues to grow.

Unfortunately, this form of energy generation also presents challenges. Wind turbines restrict views and may be dangerous to some forms of wildlife.

At its most basic, geothermal power is about extracting energy from the ground around us. It is growing increasingly popular, with the sector as a whole experiencing five percent growth in 2015.

The World Bank currently estimates that around forty countries could meet most of their power demands using geothermal power.

This power source has massive potential while doing little to disrupt the land. However, the heavy upfront costs of creating geothermal power plants have led to slower adoption than may have been expected for a fuel source with so much promise.

Natural gas sources have been in use for a number of decades, but it is through the progression of compression techniques that it is becoming a more viable alternative energy source. In particular, it is being used in cars to reduce carbon emissions.

The demand for this energy source has been increasing. In 2016, the lower 48 states of the United States reached record levels of demand and consumption.

Despite this, natural gas does come with some issues. The potential for contamination is larger than with other alternative fuel sources and natural gas still emits greenhouse gases, even if the amount is lower than with fossil fuels.

In contrast to biomass energy sources, biofuels make use of animal and plant life to create energy. In essence, they are fuels that can be obtained from some form of organic matter.

They are renewable in cases where plants are used, as these can be regrown on a yearly basis. However, they do require dedicated machinery for extraction, which can contribute to increased emissions even if biofuels themselves don’t.

Biofuels are increasingly being adopted, particularly in the United States. They accounted for approximately seven percent of transport fuel consumption as of 2012.

Water again proves itself to be a valuable contributor to alternative energy fuel sources with wave energy converters. These hold an advantage over tidal energy sources because they can be placed in the ocean in various situations and locations.

Much like with tidal energy, the benefits come in the lack of waste produced. It is also more reliable than many other forms of alternative energy and has enormous potential when used properly.

Again, the cost of such systems is a major contributing factor to slow uptake. We also don’t yet have enough data to find out how wave energy converters affect natural ecosystems.

Hydroelectric methods actually are some of the earliest means of creating energy, though their use began to decline with the rise of fossil fuels. Despite this, they still account for approximately seven percent of the energy produced in the United States.

Hydroelectric energy carries with it a number of benefits. Not only is it a clean source of energy, which means it doesn’t create pollution and the myriad issues that arise from it, but it is also a renewable energy source.

Better yet, it also offers a number of secondary benefits that are not immediately apparent. The dams used in generating hydroelectric power also contribute to flood control and irrigation techniques.

Nuclear power is amongst the most abundant forms of alternative energy. It creates a number of direct benefits in terms of emissions and efficiency, while also boosting the economy by creating jobs in plant creation and operation.

Thirteen countries relied on nuclear power to produce at least a quarter of their electricity as of 2015 and there are currently 450 plants in operation throughout the world.

The drawback is that when something goes wrong with a nuclear power plant the potential for catastrophe exists. The situations in Chernobyl and Fukushima are examples of this.

When most people think of alternative energy sources, they tend to use solar power as an example. The technology has evolved massively over the years and is now used for large-scale energy production and power generation for single homes.

A number of countries have introduced initiatives to promote the growth of solar power. The United Kingdom’s ‘Feed-in Tariff’ is one example, as is the United States’ ‘Solar Investment Tax Credit’. This energy source is completely renewable and the costs of installation are outweighed by the money saved in energy bills from traditional suppliers. Nevertheless, solar cells are prone to deterioration over large periods of time and are not as effective in unideal weather conditions.

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