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ENERGY
Energy is the ability to work. Energy makes things move.
 Energy makes living things grow.
 Energy also makes machines work.
 Energy can take a wide variety of forms
- light energy, -electrical energy, -heat energy, -sound energy, -mechanical energy, -chemical energy,
-nuclear or atomic energy and so on.
 All these forms of energy can be described as either potential energy or kinetic energy.

Classification based on sources

Renewable energy –
 The energy obtained from renewable sources like :
>>sunlight, >>wind, >>water, >>tides, >>waves, and geothermal heat is known as renewable energy.
 These sources are naturally replenished and hence, recommended.
Non-renewable energy –
The energy obtained from non-renewable sources cannot be easily readily replaced by natural means.
Examples include: >fossil fuels like ~coal, ~petroleum, and ~natural gas.
SOME COMMON FORMS OF ENERGY
1. Light Energy –
Light is the only form of energy that is visible to us. It is a form of kinetic energy wherein radiation travels in waves.
It is made up of tiny particles known as photons, which are tiny packets of energy. It is given off by stars, light
bulbs, and even hot objects! Light energy from the sun (solar energy) is used by plants to prepare their food; the sun
also gives us natural light. It is also used to generate electricity.

2. Heat Energy-
Also known as thermal energy, it is produced from heated up substances. We know that matter is made up of
atoms that move within it. When the substance is heated, the increase in temperature causes these particles to
move faster and release energy in the form of heat. For example, the warmth of the sun, baking a cake in the oven
and the warmth coming out of heaters are examples of thermal energy.

3. Electrical Energy-
it is caused by moving electrical charges. These charged particles are known as electrons. Electricity is a type of
energy that comes from electrical energy. It can be generated from :
>>solar energy, >>wind energy, >>nuclear energy, and from>> water.
Lightning, batteries, generators are examples of electrical energy.
4. Nuclear Energy –
Also known as atomic energy, this energy is released in high quantities when atoms or nuclei of various elements
react. Nuclear energy is used for electricity generation, medicine, industry, agriculture etc.
RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY
Renewable resources can be used over and over a gains and are considered to be sustainable,
eg. geothermal, solar, wind.
Replenishable resources: in between renewable and non-renewable sources of energy, can be replaced over a long
period of time (if depletion rate is faster than recharge rate, the natural capital is depleted, eg. fuelwood
Wind energy
Wind energy is a renewable source of energy in which wind powers turbines.
The kinetic energy from the turbines is then converted into electricity.
Examples of wind power stations/plant in Kenya: Ngong hills near Nairobi, Loiyangalani wind farm Near L.Turkana
Advantages of wind power
 produces reasonable levels of electricity
 effective and comparatively cheap
 emission-free
 suitable locations for turbines can be found in almost every country
 flexibility of location with offshore windfarms gaining in popularity
Disadvantages:
•visual impact on scenic landscapes
•NIMBY (not in my backyard) protests
•noise pollution for residents and wildlife
•rotor blades may kill birds
•TV and radio reception can be affected by wind farms
•requires wind
Solar energy
Solar energy can be obtained from solar photo-voltaic
cells, which convert light energy from the sun into
electricity.
In Kenya solar power plant is Located In Garisa
Advantages:
• potentially infinite supply of free fuel
• safe and emission-free
• effective for low power uses such as heating
Disadvantages:
• less effective in cloudy countries and higher
latitudes
• high initial capital input (costly)
• less effective for high output uses
Solar power Plant
Geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is extracted from hot rocks or water beneath the Earth’s
surface, as temperatures rise when you go deeper into the Earth.Example :
Olkaria Geothermal Power station In Kenya
Advantages of geothermal energy:
•• extremely low environmental impact
•• geothermal plants occupy relatively small land areas
•• not dependent on weather conditions (like wind and solar power)
•• relatively low maintenance costs.
Disadvantages of geothermal energy:
•Requires suitable geology
•Each well may only be used for about 25 years
•Saline and poisonous ground water
•There are few locations worldwide where significant amounts of energy can
be generated .
• Total global generation remains very small .
• Some of these locations are far from where energy could be used
• Installation costs of plant and piping arc relatively high.
HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER
In hydroelectric power plants, water is stored behind a dam, before it flows down a slope to turn a turbine. The kinetic
energy from the turbine is converted to electricity via a generator.
Examples : 7 falk Scheme along Tana river, Owen fall in Uganda , Turkwel in River Turkwel

Advantages and disadvantages of HEP

• HEP is a renewable source of energy that is relatively cheap to maintain
• and is emission-free (won’t enhance global warming or contribute to acid
rain).
• Also, storage of water helps reduce the likelihood of water shortages,
• while more energy production may attract manufacturing industries and
foreign investors.
• Besides, the dam may protect areas further downstream from flooding.
• Dams also reduce the deposition of alluvium further downstream.
Disadvantages
• On the contrary, settlements upstream of the dam may be more threatened
by flooding, so people would need to be relocated.
• Also, roads may have to be rerouted and farmland and forests may be lost
to flooding.
• However, only a limited number of rivers is suitable for HEP and the
construction of dams can hamper navigation up and down a river and
disrupt migration patterns of wildlife.
• Furthermore, the construction of dams could result in noise pollution and
visual pollution, and
• the cost of the dam construction is expensive
 Types of non-renewable energy
Non-renewable energy is mainly fossil fuels. Apart from fossil fuels, nuclear fuels are also non-renewable.
It is our responsibility to ensure the proper use of renewable and non-renewable energy.
Non-renewable energy is limited resources that will eventually run out over the time frame.
Non-renewable energy is one that does not renew itself at a sufficient rate for sustainable economic
extraction in meaningful human time-frames
 Non Renewable energy sources are defined as sources that are limited reservoirs of energy and which
require a longer time span for replenishment /replacement.
 Nonrenewable energy sources are also known as conventional energy sources.
 Major non-renewable resources are coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear materials like uranium.
 Coal, Oil and Natural Gas are called fossil fuels as they are the remains of plants, animals and other
organisms that lived millions of years ago in the past.

CHARACTERESTICS OF NON_RENEWABLE
ENERGY
 Non renewable energy sources are not easily replenished.
 Non renewable energy sources deplete over time Such sources are not environment friendly they cause pollution.
 Logistical issues as it requires transportation for refining.
 Not always available locally and requires regular supply of unrefined material .
 Comparatively lower cost in the short term for installation.
 Don't need large area for production unlike wind or solar farms.
 Affordable for end consumer due to existing scale advantages .
Advantages of non-renewable energy
 The non-renewable source of energy is affordable. For instance
diesel and oil.
 It is easily accessible and more compatible.
 The non-renewable source of energy is easy to store.

Disadvantages of non-renewable energy

 Non-renewable energy cannot be replaced once their energy
source is used up.
 The by-products of non-renewable energy cause environmental
damages.
 It also increases greenhouse gases.
 Transporting fossil fuels, Mining and extraction activities can
cause accidents and result in oil spills, nuclear meltdowns,
pipeline leaks, and even explosions which cause harmful effects
on the environment