Energy Resources and Consumption
What you must know
Classify energy sources as renewable (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass) and nonrenewable (coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear). Know energy quality, EROI (energy returned on energy invested), and the electricity generation sequence: source → turbine → generator. Understand fossil fuel formation, combustion products (CO₂, SO₂, NOx, particulates, mercury), and nuclear fission, fuel cycle, and waste issues. Study renewable technologies: photovoltaic cells, wind turbines (intermittency), hydropower (dams and habitat disruption), geothermal, and biomass (carbon neutrality caveats). Know energy conservation vs. efficiency and cogeneration. Understand energy use patterns by sector and the role of fossil fuel subsidies.
Traps
- Calling nuclear "renewable" - it is nonrenewable (finite uranium) though low-carbon.
- Assuming biomass is always carbon-neutral; it depends on regrowth and transport.
- Confusing conservation (using less) with efficiency (using less for the same output).
- Forgetting wind and solar are intermittent, requiring storage or backup.
Worked example / rule of thumb
If a power plant burns fuel with 30% efficiency and produces 300 MWh of electricity, it consumed about 1,000 MWh of fuel energy (300 / 0.30). Rule: efficiency = useful output / total input.