HOW ENERGY IS

HARNESSED
FROM DIFFERENT
SOURCES
There are several sources of energy that are
harnessed to generate the power distributed
by our electricity providers. These energy
sources include fossil fuels, biogas,
geothermal, hydrothermal, batteries, solar
cells, and biomass.
FOSSIL FUELS

1. Fossil fuel is the general term given to

combustible products of buried organic matter that
decayed under extreme temperature and pressure.
Fossil fuels include crude oil (e.g., octanes C8H18),
natural gas or biogas (CH4), and coal (C)
What is Fossil Fuels?
 is the general term given to combustible products
of buried organic matter that decayed under
extreme temperature and pressure. Fossil fuels
include crude oil (e.g., octanes ), natural gas or
biogas (), and coal (). Biogas is a gas produced
from anaerobic (absence of oxygen)
decomposition of organic matter.
FOSSIL HARNESSED
Biogas
 is a gas produced from anaerobic (absence of oxygen) decomposition of organic matter.
Biogas is an environmentally-friendly, renewable energy source. It's produced when
organic matter, such as food or animal waste, is broken down by microorganisms in the
absence of oxygen, in a process called anaerobic digestion. How is biogas produced?
 Biogas is produced when bacteria digest organic matter (biomass) in the absence of
oxygen. This process is called anaerobic digestion. It occurs naturally anywhere from the
within the digestive system to the depth of effluent ponds and can be reproduced
artificially in engineered containers called digesters
HOW IS ENERGY
HARNESSED?

The components of  Fossil fuels are burned to produce

fossil fuels are heated energy. In large power stations they
and vaporized to steam are burned in the presence of oxygen.
which drives the As the fuel burns the heat energy is
turbines and generate used to heat water, as it is heated it
electricity. produces steam which in turn rises
and drives a turbine.
BIOGAS HARNESSED
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
Geothermal energy refers to the heat produced inside the Earth. This
energy is harnessed from the molten rocks near volcanic regions.
How is energy harnessed?
The molten rocks heat the groundwater to steam
which drives the turbines to generate electricity.
Hydrothermal Energy
Hydrothermal energy refers to the heat obtained from hot water from hydrothermal vents or
seawater in contact with hot rock beds.
HOW IS ENERGY HARNESSED?
Hot water from hydrothermal vents is collected into a heat exchanger.
The heat from the water is transferred to another fluid (e.g. isobutane)
which evaporates and drives the turbines to generate electricity.
 BATTERIES

Batteries are also called electrochemical cells. They

are devices that store and convert chemical energy
into electrical energy. They can be disposable or
rechargeable. The energy from batteries comes from
a chemical reaction (e.g. redox reaction between and
to form and ).
How is energy
harnessed?
When a battery is connected to
an external circuit, electrolytes
move within the battery, and
chemical reactions are
completed at the two terminals
of the battery. The flow of
electrons in the reactions
generate the current (flowing
charges) and delivers electricity
to the external circuit.
Biomass

Biomass refers to the organic matter from living

organisms and often refers to plants or plant-based
materials that can be converted to energy. It is the oldest
source of energy known to man.
How is energy harnessed?
The biomass is burned to generate heat. The heat
produced can be directly used to do daily chores such as
cooking.

Electricity may also be generated from biomass. The

components of biomass are burned in a boiler. The
generated heat is used to produce steam which drives the
turbines to generate electricity