A detailed study of energy generation can prevent an overly simplistic labeling of particular types of energy as good or bad. It's also worthwhile to address the practical and technological aspects of energy. The distribution of energy resources across the globe is uneven, as some regions have an abundance of energy sources while others do not.
The areas where energy is used most intensively are not necessarily the same places where energy resources naturally exist. For example, rich oil and gas deposits are found in offshore marine environments and wind farms are located in rural settings. In both cases this energy is transported to a location where the energy is consumed. Moreover, the end uses of energy vary with geography, time of year, and time of day.
Thus energy needs to be transported, stored and converted from one form to another so that it is available when and where it is needed. Companion video by the Department of Energy View a non-YouTube version of this video Today's students are witnessing a renaissance of energy technology. After decades of fossil-fuel dominated energy use, a wide range of innovative options await exploration. The world's transition away from carbon-intensive fuels is a high profile topic that offers rich, relevant, multifaceted learning opportunities.
Learning about energy sources can be approached from the perspective of engineering, public health, economics, or international trade - making a multi-disciplinary approach ideal these ideas are also addressed in Energy Decisions.
Just as ecosystems depend on the input of energy, human societies are also dependent on energy for infrastructure, transportation, food, and most other types of human activities. However, there are limits of how much energy is available to a given society. Even renewable forms of energy are dependent on geographic location and technological accessibility. Nonrenewable energy supplies are finite and create impacts from their extraction, transportation, and consumption.
Energy pricing, energy equity, and energy security are all factors that dictate how readily energy is available to different parts of society. Some societies have an abundance of energy while others struggle to have their basic needs met.
By learning about these concepts students can begin to see how humans are dependent on using energy but are also constrained by the practicalities of energy use. Most students already understand that energy can originate from many sources.
However, they may hold misconceptions about where their own energy comes from or how much energy is derived from various sources.
For example, students may be surprised to learn that only a small fraction of the U. Despite the popularity and importance of renewable energy technologies, it's important to understand that fossil fuels still make up the great majority of our energy portfolio, and it's forecast to remain that way for the coming decades source: Energy Information Administration , This illustrates the extraordinary challenges we face in moving beyond fossil energy.
Transitioning away from fossil fuels brings about a new set of questions such as energy storage, battery technology, and an energy supply that is knit together from numerous intermittent sources rather than a few, steady-state power plants.
Today's students are likely to be enthusiastic about renewable energy, which is a great way to get them engaged. But it's important that they learn about the challenges and realities of overhauling the energy system. Numbers are important. A quantitative treatment of these subjects makes it clear that we have a long way to go in securing a dependable, safe, and clean energy supply.
This can be an exciting call to action for students. Perhaps they will be part of designing solutions? The Next Generation Science Standards emphasize engineering, design, interdisciplinary thinking, and problem solving.
These ways of thinking are essential for tackling this challenge. Energy is part of every student's life and is used all around us. Therefore it is easy to find relevance in teaching about energy sources.
Electric Power. Energy Storage. The Energy Department is developing new technologies that will store renewable energy for use when the wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining. Fuel cells use the energy from hydrogen in a highly efficient way -- with only water and heat as byproducts. Learn how our local star is the ultimate energy source. What sources do we currently depend on to generate our electric power supply and how might they change in the future? More about electricity. Fossil fuels supply the affordable energy we need for many of the functions essential to our society.
Learn about the costs and benefits of each of these sources, including the environmental consequences of maintaining the status quo. More about fossil fuels. Nuclear power provides about 9. What are the implications of expanding this resource? Renewable sources are environmentally attractive for many reasons but today there are some notable limitations to their use. Nonetheless, experts project that during the next two decades, renewable energy will provide a growing portion of U.
More about renewable sources. An increasing share of future energy needs will be met by technologies now in limited use or still in the research or development phase. Public and private research into technologies that could improve—or even completely change—our energy situation has been active for years.
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