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Energy and Environmental Sustainability:

Energy Sustainability: Energy sustainability refers to the responsible use of energy resources to
meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Energy sustainability is all about finding and using energy in ways that are good for the
environment, make sense economically, and are accepted by society. Some important things to
consider for sustainable energy are:
 Renewable Energy Sources: Promoting the use of renewable energy sources such as solar,
wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass that are naturally replenished and have lower
environmental impacts compared to non-renewable sources like fossil fuels.
 Energy Efficiency: Improving energy efficiency in various sectors, including industry,
transportation, and buildings, to reduce overall energy consumption and minimize waste.
 Technological Innovation: Encouraging the development and adoption of innovative
technologies that enhance energy production, storage, and distribution while minimizing
environmental impact.
 Energy Conservation: Promoting energy conservation practices at individual, community,
and organizational levels to reduce unnecessary energy consumption.
 Policy and Regulation: Implementing policies and regulations that support sustainable
energy practices, such as setting renewable energy targets, promoting energy efficiency
standards, and incentivizing clean energy investments.
Environmental Sustainability: Environmental sustainability focuses on maintaining the health
and balance of ecosystems and the natural environment over the long term. It involves practices
that do not deplete or harm natural resources, biodiversity, and ecological systems. Key elements
of environmental sustainability include:
 Biodiversity Conservation: Protecting and preserving the diversity of plant and animal
species to ensure ecological balance and resilience.
 Waste Reduction and Recycling: Minimizing the generation of waste and promoting the
recycling and reuse of materials to reduce the environmental impact of disposal.
 Climate Change Mitigation: Taking measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
combat climate change through initiatives such as transitioning to low-carbon energy
sources and promoting carbon sequestration.
 Water and Air Quality Management: Protecting water sources and air quality through
responsible resource management and pollution control measures.
 Land Use Planning: Ensuring sustainable land use practices that prevent deforestation, soil
degradation, and habitat loss.
 Social and Economic Considerations: Recognizing the interconnectedness of
environmental sustainability with social and economic factors, striving for equity, and
considering the well-being of communities.

Quantifying Energy: Quantifying energy involves expressing the amount of energy in measurable
units. The primary unit of energy is the Joule (J). For larger quantities, kilojoules (kJ),
megajoules (MJ), gigajoules (GJ), or even terajoules (TJ) are commonly used. In the context of
electricity, the kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a widely used unit.
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Energy Arithmetic: Energy arithmetic involves various calculations and analyses related to
energy. Key aspects include:
 Energy Conversion: Converting between different units of energy (e.g., from kilojoules to
kilowatt-hours).
 Power Calculation: Determining the rate of energy transfer or consumption, measured in
watts (W), kilowatts (kW), or megawatts (MW).
 Energy Yield: Calculating the amount of energy produced over a specific period, often
expressed in kilowatt-hours or megawatt-hours.
 Capacity Factor: Representing the ratio of actual energy output to the maximum possible
output over a given period.
 Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE): Calculating the cost of generating one unit of
electricity over the lifetime of an energy system, often expressed in INR per kilowatt-
hour (INR/kWh).
Understanding and applying these energy arithmetic principles are crucial for evaluating the
efficiency, economic viability, and overall performance of energy systems, whether they involve
conventional or renewable energy sources.
Fossil fuel present past and future:

Present In 2022, over 80% of primary energy consumption in the world and over 60% of its
electricity was from fossil fuels. The large-scale burning of fossil fuels causes
serious environmental damage. Over 70% of the greenhouse gas emissions due to human activity
in 2022 was CO2 from burning them. Natural on Earth, mostly absorption by the ocean, can
remove only a small part of this CO2. Therefore, there is a net increase of many billion tons of
atmospheric carbon dioxide per year. Although methane leaks are significant, the burning of fossil
fuels is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions causing global warming and ocean
acidification. Additionally, most air pollution deaths are due to fossil fuel particulates and noxious
gases. It is estimated that this costs over 3% of the global gross domestic product and that fossil
fuel phase-out will save millions of lives each year.
Environmental Concerns: Fossil fuel use is associated with environmental challenges, including
air pollution, water contamination, and greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change.
Recognition of the climate crisis, pollution and other negative impacts caused by fossil fuels has
led to a widespread policy transition and activist movement focused on ending their use in favor
of sustainable energy.
Renewable Energy Growth: There has been substantial growth in renewable energy capacity in
recent years, with solar, wind, and hydropower leading the way. The share of renewable energy in
the global energy mix has been increasing.
Future Trends (Potential Scenario as of 2022): Transition to Renewable Energy: Many
countries are actively working toward reducing their reliance on fossil fuels and increasing the
share of renewable energy in their energy portfolios.
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Policy Changes: Governments worldwide are implementing policies to address climate change,
including regulations to limit carbon emissions, incentives for renewable energy development, and
the establishment of ambitious carbon reduction targets.
Technological Advances: Ongoing research and development efforts are focused on improving the
efficiency and cost-effectiveness of renewable energy technologies and energy storage solutions.
REMEDIES AND ALTERNATIVE FOR FOSSIL FUEL:
For over a century, fossil fuels have been the sole source for generating all forms of energy, such
as coal, crude oil, and natural gases. From small vehicles to big factories, everything that facilitates
human comfort is directly or indirectly powered by fossil fuel energy sources.
However, burning fossil fuels has also led to a severe climate crisis and a global energy resource
deficit.
Fossil fuel energy sources are non-renewable and are available in a limited capacity on Earth.
These sources are formed by the decomposition of carbon-based organisms buried under the
ground for millions of years. It develops carbon-rich deposits that are mined and used for energy.
Over the years, the exponential rise in the global population has led to a massive surge in demand
for fuel-based facilities such as electricity, vehicles, and other goods. This has led to an imbalance
between the availability and demand for resources. Currently, non-renewable energy sources
account for 80% of the world’s energy sources.
The overbearing consumption of fossil fuel energy has caused a severe strain on the Earth’s
ecosystem. Issues such as extreme carbon emissions in the air, water pollution, and land
degradation are serious causes of concern for government authorities across the world. It has a
direct effect on the global economy.
Burning fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases into the air.
Due to greenhouse gases, the heat gets trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to global
warming.
Finding sustainable alternatives for fossil fuel energy is the prime focus of environmental scientists
and innovators. Renewable energy sources such as liquid hydrogen, solar power, and wind power
are the best possible solution for the present challenges.
 Liquid Hydrogen: Liquid hydrogen is one of the most viable energy sources for a
sustainable future. Along with the clean-burning properties, liquid hydrogen has the desired
performance capabilities for all end-use applications.
 Solar Energy: Solar power is extracted from the sun and converted into thermal or
electrical energy. Solar energy is one of the best alternatives to fossil fuel energy sources.
It is one of the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy sources that need to be
harnessed for a sustainable future.
 Geothermal Energy: This form of thermal energy available within the Earth’s crust is
extracted and harnessed for various purposes such as space heating, electrical power
generation, and other uses.
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 Biomass Energy: Biomass is an organic source of energy generation. It is produced of

material such as decayed living organisms, plants, and animals. The most commonly used
biomass energy sources are plants, wood, and organic waste, known as biomass
feedstock’s. Biomass is a clean energy source that produces no harmful by-products while
being used to create direct heat and is further converted into electricity or processed into
biofuel.
 Wind energy:
 Nuclear Energy: Nuclear energy is another zero-carbon alternative, but it
is expensive and leaves behind long-lasting radioactive waste that is dangerous and costly
to transport and store for disposal.
Energy efficiency and conservation:

Energy efficiency generally pertains to the technical performance of energy conversion and
energy-consuming devices and to building materials. Energy conservation generally includes
actions to reduce the amount of end-use energy consumption. For example, installing energy-
efficient lights is an efficiency measure. Turning lights off when not needed, either manually or
with timers or motion sensor switches, is a conservation measure.
Efficiency and conservation measures can help to directly lower consumers' energy bills and
potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use. Consumers also benefit
indirectly when reducing their electricity consumption helps to reduce demand on the electric
system. High electricity demand often results in higher costs for generating and transmitting
electricity that may be passed on to utility customers.
Examples of energy efficiency and conservation measures for consumers include:
 Buying energy-efficient products and vehicles with high fuel economy
 Using programmable thermostats to control heating and cooling systems
 Installing energy management and control systems in commercial and industrial facilities
 Turning off lights and electric appliances when not in use
 Participating in energy efficiency and conservation programs that utilities offer their
customers

Introduction of renewable energy Merits and demerits:

Introduction: Renewable energy is power that comes from natural things that won't run out, like
the sun, wind, water, and heat from the Earth. Unlike oil or coal that harm the environment,
renewable energy is cleaner and doesn't run out.
There are several types of renewable energy sources including:
Geothermal resources: This type of energy requires drilling in the ground to be extracted. Drilling
is very expensive and requires a lot of time.
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Hydroelectric resources: This type of energy is extracted from the seashore and water resources.
It mainly depends on the water movements.
Wind energy: Wind energy depends on the wind speed and direction. It is constructed on the
shores, mountains, and flat areas.
Solar energy: This type of energy is extracted from the sun. Some countries like Saudi Arabia,
UEA, and other Arab countries are very suitable for the solar energy.
Biomass energy: This type of energy is extracted from wood and waste, agricultural waste and
residue, and crops. The cost of this type of energy is very high.
Advantage and disadvantages of renewable energy:
Advantages of Renewable Energy:
Clean and Sustainable: Renewable energy sources are environmentally friendly and won't run
out, promoting long-term sustainability.
Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions: They produce fewer greenhouse gases compared to fossil
fuels, helping combat climate change and air pollution.
Energy Independence: Reliance on local, renewable resources reduces dependence on foreign
energy sources, enhancing energy security.
Job Creation: The renewable energy sector creates jobs in manufacturing, installation, and
maintenance, contributing to economic growth.
Decentralization: Many renewable sources allow for decentralized power generation, reducing
the need for large centralized power plants.
Disadvantages of Renewable Energy:
Intermittency: Some renewable sources, like solar and wind, are intermittent and depend on
weather conditions, requiring backup systems or energy storage.
High Initial Costs: The upfront costs of installing renewable energy systems can be higher than
traditional fossil fuel infrastructure, although costs are decreasing over time.
Land Use Concerns: Large-scale renewable projects may require significant land or habitat
alterations, raising concerns about environmental impact.
Energy Storage Challenges: Storing excess energy for times when renewable sources are not
available can be challenging and expensive.
Technological Limitations: Some renewable technologies are still in the early stages of
development, facing efficiency and scalability challenges.
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Sources of Energy: A source of energy is that which is capable of providing enough useful
energy at a steady rate over a long period of time.

A Good source of energy should be:

 Safe and convenient to use, for example; energy nuclear can be used only by highly trained
engineers with the help of nuclear power plants. It cannot be used for our household
purpose.
 Easy to transport, for example; coal, petrol, diesel, LPG etc. have to be transported from
the places of their production to the consumers.
 Easy to store, for example; huge storage tanks are required to store petrol, diesel, LPG etc.

Characteristics of a good fuel

 High calorific value.

 Less smoke.
 Less residue after burning.
 Easy availability.
 Inexpensive.
 Easy to store and transport.

Classification of Sources of energy

The sources of energy can be classified as follows :

1. Renewable sources of energy.

2. Non-Renewable sources of energy.

1. Renewable sources of energy: Renewable sources of energy are those which are
inexhaustible, i.e., which can be replaced as we use them and can be used to produce energy
again and again.
These are available in an unlimited amount in nature and develop within a relatively short period
of time.
Example of Renewable Sources of Energy :

 Solar energy.
 Wind energy.
 Water energy (hydro-energy).
 Geothermal energy.
 Ocean energy.
 Biomass energy (firewood, animal dung and biodegradable waste from cities and crop
residues constitute biomass).

Advantages of Renewable Sources of Energy

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 These sources will last as long as the Earth receives light from the sun.
 These sources are freely available in nature.
 These sources do not cause any pollution.

2. Non-Renewable Source of Energy: Non-renewable sources of energy are those which are
exhaustible and cannot be replaced once they have been used. These sources have been
accumulated in nature over a very long period of millions of years.
Examples of Non-renewable Sources of Energy :

 Coal.
 Oil.
 Natural gas.
All these fuels are called fossil fuels.

Disadvantages of Non-renewable Sources of Energy

 Due to their extensive use, these sources are fast depleting.

 It is difficult to discover and exploit new deposits of these sources.
 These sources are a major cause of environmental pollution.

Fossil Fuels: Fossil fuels are the remains of prehistoric plants and animals which got buried deep
inside the early millions of years ago due to some natural processes.
These fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy and cause environmental problems due to
pollution.

Formation of Fossil Fuels: During its formation, an entire organism or its parts often get buried
in sand or mud. These, then decay and disintegrate leaving no signs of their existence. Infact, the
harder parts of organisms after their death settle down and are covered by sediments and
subjected to extreme pressure and temperature or the Earth converts them into fossil fuels, the
process being referred to as fossilization.

Disadvantage of Fossil Fuels

 The fossils are non-renewable sources of energy and once used cannot be renewed.
 Burning of fossil fuels causes air pollution.
 The fossil fuels reserves in the Earth are limited and may get exhausted soon.

Thermal Power Plants: It generates electricity from heat produced by combustion of coal and
petroleum. For example; fossil fuels.
Use coal, petroleum and natural gas produce thermal electricity.
Electricity transmission is very efficient.
The steam produced by burning fossil fuels nans the turbine to produce electricity.
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(i) Conventional Sources of Energy are those which are used extensively and meet a marked
portion of our energy requirement and these are :
(a) Fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) and
(b) Hydro energy (energy of water flowing in rivers).
Biomass energy and wind energy also fall in this category as these are being used since ancient
times.

(ii) Non-conventional Sources of Energy are those which are not used as extensively as the
conventional ones and meet our energy requirement only on a limited scale. Solar energy, ocean
energy, (tidal energy, wave energy, ocean thermal energy, OTE), Geothermal energy and nuclear
energy belong to this category. These sources of energy which have been tapped with the aid of
advances in technology to meet our growing energy needs are also called alternative sources
of energy.

Renewable Sources of Energies

1. Solar Energy: The energy produced by the sun in the form of heat and light energy is called
as solar energy.
Solar radiations can be converted electricity through solar cells (Photovoltaic cells).
Photovoltaic cells convert solar radiations directly into electricity through silicon solar cells.
Solar cells arrange on a large flat sheets form a Mirror solar panel.
Solar cookers are painted black from outside and a large glass plate to trap solar radiations by
greenhouse effect.

2. Wind Energy: When large masses of air move from one place to another then it is referred to
as wind. During this process, kinetic energy gets associated with it which is referred to as wind
energy.
It can be converted into mechanical and electrical energy.
Kinetic energy of wind is used in running of windmills, which are used to lift water, grind grains
etc

Uses of Wind Energy

The important uses of wind energy are :

 It is used to drive windmills, water lifting pumps, and flour mills, etc.
 It is used to propel sail boats.
 It is used to fly engine fewer airplanes or gilders in the air.
 It is used to generate electrically used for various purposes like lightning, heating, etc.

Advantages:

 Eco-friendly
 Renewable.
Disadvantages:
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 Wind speed does not uniform always.

 Needs a large area to erect series of windmills.
 Big amount of investment is needed.
 The output is less as compared to investment.

3. Hydro Power Plant (hydro energy): When the water flowing in a river is stored in a high
rise dam and allowed to fall from the top of the dam. The water rushes down with a great force,
which can be utilized to drive large water Turbine. These turbines are connected with electric
generators which generate electric current. The electricity generated in this process is termed as
hydroelectricity or hydel power. In fact the process involves transference of potential energy of
the water into kinetic energy’ and then into electric energy.
It is the most conventional renewable energy source obtained from water falling from a great
height.
It is clean and nonpolluting source of energy.
Dams are constructed to collect water flowing in high altitude river. The stored water has a lot of
potential energy.
When water is allowed to fall from a height, potential energy changes to kinetic energy which
rotates the turbines to produce electricity

Advantages of Hydro Power Plant:

 It is readily and abundantly available everywhere free of cost.

 It is eco-friendly and does not produce any kind of environmental pollution.
 It is a renewable source as water itself is a renewable and inexhaustible resource.
 It is a cheap source of energy, as it does not involve any costly investment.

Disadvantages of Hydro Power Plant

 Highly expensive to construct.

 Dams cannot be constructed on all river sites.
 Large areas of human habitation and agriculture fields get submerged.
 People face social and environmental problems.

4. Geothermal Energy: Geothermal energy is the heat of the Earth and is the naturally occurring
thermal energy found within rock formations and the fluids held within those formations.
Energy harnessed from the heat of the Sun is called Geo Thermal Energy.
Magma is formed when this heat melts the rocks. The rocks and hot gases are called magma.
The magma gets collected at some depths below the Earth’s surface. These places are called ‘Hot
spots’.
When underground water comes in contact these hot spots, it changes into steam, which can be
used to generate electricity.

Advantages of Geo Thermal Energy

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 Renewable
 Inexpensive

Disadvantages of Geo Thermal Energy

 Only a few sites are available for harnessing energy.

 Expensive

5. Ocean Energy: The oceans acquire almost 71% of the surface of the Earth. The enormous
amount of water present in them did not act as a big collector of solar heat energy, but also store
large amount of it due to its high specific heat. Thus, ocean water can be used as a renewable
resource of energy.
The main forms of ocean energy are described as under :
(i) Ocean Thermal Energy: The energy available due to the temperature difference between the
deeper levels and surface of an ocean is called as Ocean Thermal Energy,

(ii) Ocean Tidal Energy: The rise of ocean water due to the attraction of the moon is referred to
as high tide and its fall as low tide. The enormous movement of water due to high and low tide
provide a large amount of energy known as Ocean Tidal Energy. This tidal energy can be
utilized by constructing a tidal barrage or dam.

(iii) Sea Wave Energy: The energy obtained from the high-speed sea waves is referred to as sea
wave energy. Infact, these high-speed sea waves have a lot of kinetic energy associated with
them, which can be used to drive dynamos which convert kinetic energy into electrical energy.

6. Bio-Mass: Biomass is defined as living matter or its residue and is a renewable sources of
energy.
The biomass includes

 all the new plant growth

 agriculture and forest residues (like Bio-gases, dark, sea dust, wood savings, roots, animals
dropping, etc.),
 Carbonaceous wastes (like sewage, garbage, night-soil, etc.)
 Biodegradable organic effluent from industries.

It is the source of the conventionally used fuels that are used in our country. For example; Cow
dung cakes, fire-wood, coal, charcoal etc.

Bio-gas: It is a mixture of gases produced during decomposition of bio mass in the absence of
oxygen. (Anaerobic Respiration). Methane is the major component of bio-gas.
Bio-gas plants: Animal dung, sewage, crop residues, vegetable wastes, poultry dropping, etc. are
used to produce Bio-gas in Bio-gas plants.
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Advantage of Bio-gas

 A Bio-gas plant, is quite simple, can easily be built in rural areas. A small plant using dung
from 3 to 4 heads of cattle is capable of supplying Bio-gas for 6 hours daily for cooking
purposes.
 Bio-gas is a clean fuel that burns without smoke and leaves no ash.
 The main constituent of Bio-gas, i.e., ethane has a higher calorific value (55 kj/g) that of
petrol (50kj/g).
 The spent slurry, being rich in nitrogen and phosphorus is good manure.
 By using Bio-gas, firewood is saved and deforestation is reduced.

Composition of Bio-gas: Bio-gas is mainly composed of methane (up to 75%), C02 (25%) and
traces of other gases such as nitrogen and hydrogen. Whereas methane is a high-value calorific
fuel, carbon dioxide is an inert gas.

Conventional Sources of Energy.

The sources of energy which have been in use since a long time are called conventional sources
of energy. For example, Coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydel energy, wind energy and nuclear
energy are considered to be the conventional sources of energy. Firewood is also a conventional
source of energy but its usage is now limited to kitchens in rural India.

Fossil Fuels.
Coal: Coal was formed millions of years ago. The plants got buried under swamps and due to
high pressure and high temperature inside the earth; they were converted into coal. Coal is the
highest used energy source in India. During the days of the steam engine, coal was used in steam
engines. Moreover, coal was also used as kitchen fuel; before LPG became popular. Nowadays,
coal is mainly being used in industries.

Petroleum: Petroleum was also formed millions of years ago. The animals got buried under the
ocean surface and were converted into petroleum; in due course of time.
Petroleum is the third major source of energy being used today. Petroleum products are used as
automobile fuel and also in the industries. Natural gas mainly comes from the oil wells and is
also a major source of energy.