What is Non-Conventional Energy

What is Non-Conventional Energy

What is Non-Conventional Energy?

The non-conventional energy is also called as renewable energy. The non-conventional sources of energy include solar power, bio-mass energy, wind energy, fuel-cells, electric vehicles, tidal energy, hydrogen energy and geo-thermal energy. 
These sources of energy are discussed below:

Non-conventional energy

1.  1.     Solar Energy:-

Solar energy is one of the most important sources of non-conventional energy. Solar energy is non-exhaustible, reliable and pollution free. It may be utilized for water heaters, power generation devices, air-conditioning, space heating, development of pisci-culture, and multifarious uses of water and refrigeration.

The average amount of solar energy received in the earth’s atmosphere is about 1353 KW per sq. metre. It is 1000 times the total consumption of the global energy. Being situated in the sub-tropical latitudes, India receives higher amount of solar energy. The greater part of the country has more than 300 solar days. The amount of energy received from the Sun is about 5000 trillion kWh per year.

In many parts of the country, the solar energy programmes have been implemented. One such example is the Rural Energy Co-operative at Sagar Island in the Sundarban Delta of West Bengal. Similar programmes have been implemented in the other island in the Bay of Bengal, the desert of Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Kalyanpur (Aligarh) and Coimbatore.

2.  2.     Wind Energy:-

Wind is important source of non-conventional energy. It is cheap, pollution free, eco-friendly and can be developed away from the sources of fossil fuels (conventional sources of energy). Since ancient times wind energy was utilized in sailing ships and wind mills. For the generation of wind energy, a wind speed of more than five km per hour is considered to be suitable. Wind speeds above 10 km per hour are prevalent over parts of the coastal regions of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Odisha, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The state of Rajasthan and Ladakh also record suitable consistency of wind speed. Wind mills can be operated there to harness wind energy.

3.   3.    Ocean Energy:-

The tidal waves and sea-waves are the main sources of ocean energy. India has a very long coastline, more than 6100 km, but the ocean energy production is limited. The suitable areas for the generation of tidal and sea-waves energy are:

a)      The Gulf of Khambat

b)      The Gulf of Kachchh

c)       The Estuary of Hooghly

The main problem in the exploitation of ocean energy is the high cost involved in the construction of civil works.

4.   4.   Geothermal Energy:-

India has very limited potential of geothermal energy. According to one estimate, the total geothermal energy is about 600 MW. There are 115 hot water springs in the country and 350 sites from which geothermal energy can be produced. The Puga Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, the Manikaran area in Himachal Pradesh, western slopes of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra and Gujarat, the Narmada-Son Valley and the Damodar Valley are the main areas which have potential for the generation of thermal energy.

5.   5.    Bio-Energy:-

Bio-energy is clean source of energy which improves sanitation, hygiene and the living style of the rural population. The technique is based on the decomposition of organic matter in the absence of air to produce gas. Bio-gas is used for cooking, and lighting fuel in specially designed stove and lamps respectively.