![]() One possible configuration of the resultant energy flows is illustrated in the figure below. Solar PV panels turn sunlight directly into electricity, whilst the wind or flowing water spin turbines which drive generators. All these sources of energy available in our environment are harnessed by turning them directly into electricity. The energy flows around an economy powered by wind, solar, hydro will look very different from one powered by fossil fuels. ![]() But what if we were to power that same economy with renewable resources? An Example of Energy Flows in an Economy Powered by Renewable Energy This presents a simplified overview of how fossil fuel energy flows through an economy. ![]() As a result, much of the original energy is wasted. However, as we have discussed before in another blog, the conversion of heat to electricity is an inefficient process. What is important to note is that fossil fuels can only be burnt to release their energy as heat and in order to heat for other applications that heat must be converted into other forms of energy. For example, the processing of industrial chemicals and materials, as well as fossil fuels themselves, require enormous amounts of heat. The figure above shows how the energy contained within fossil fuels is distributed to energy intensive sectors of the economy: industrial chemicals and materials, transportation, manufacturing and property (commercial and domestic).Įach of these sectors require large amounts of energy to operate but not necessarily in the same form. To illustrate this further, the figure below shows a simplified model of how energy flows through an economy powered by fossil fuels. Due to this on-demand energy, humanity developed new technologies and ways of life at a phenomenal rate, making each decade unique and technologically distinct from the one before.įossil fuels are so deeply embedded in our economy that fundamental change will be required if we are going to transition to an economy powered by renewable energy. First on the scene was coal, followed by oil, and finally natural gas, each with energy locked away inside them ready to be used at our beck and call. 31st January 2020, Richard Howard, since the First Industrial Revolution, fossil fuels have been the bedrock of developed and developing economies.
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