Differentiate between renewable energy and non renewable energy.
1 Answer
The difference between renewable source energy and non renewable source of energy is given below:
| Renewable source of energy | Non renewable source of energy | |
| 1. | Renewable source of energy is produced continuously in nature and is inexhaustible. | Non renewable source of energy is found to be accumulated in nature over time and cannot be quickly replaced when exhausted. |
| 2. | This type of source can be reproduced in short time. | It takes millions of years to reproduce them. |
| 3. | This type of sources are : wind, solar, water, tidal, geothermal | This type of sources are mineral oil, nuclear energy. |
Renewable energies generate from natural sources that can be replaced over a relatively short time scale. Examples of renewable energies include solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass. Nonrenewable energies come from resources that are not replaced or are replaced only very slowly by natural processes. The primary sources for nonrenewable energies in the world are fossil fuels -- coal, gas and oil. Nuclear energy is also considered nonrenewable because there is a limited supply of uranium in the Earth's crust. When planning the energy profile for various communities, the advantages and disadvantages of renewable vs. nonrenewable energies need to be considered.
Disadvantages of Renewable Energy Resources
Initial costs for setting up renewable energy plants are often quite high and require careful planning and implementation. Building dams, for example, for hydroelectric power requires high initial capital and high maintenance expenses. Renewable energies like solar and wind require large tracts of land to produce energy quantities competitive with fossil fuel burning. Renewable sources of energy are also affected by weather, reducing their reliability. For example, wind turbines only rotate it there is enough wind at a given speed and solar panels do not operate at night time and are less efficient on cloudy days.