Daily energy uses
Energy is a significant aspect of human life with many uses aimed at making human life easy and bearable. In my daily encounters, I use energy in a range of uses from both renewable and nonrenewable sources. One of the significant energy uses I undertake is powering electrical appliances at home such as the television and computer when completing assignments coupled with sending emails. Furthermore, I employ energy to heat the house during cold nights and lighting in addition to cooking. Moreover, moving around with my car accounts for another energy use that I undertake on a daily basis. Additionally, I use energy for showering every day.
Renewable and nonrenewable energy sources in daily energy use
Studies have classified energy use as either renewable or nonrenewable noting that renewable sources of energy are easily replaceable over reasonable time periods while nonrenewable sources cannot be replaced once used ( Kaparaju, Howlett, Littlewood, Ekanyake & Vlacic, 2018) . In heating, lighting, and powering electrical appliances I use hydropower that is generated from water which is a renewable energy source. On the other hand, I use petroleum to power my car whereby petroleum is considered as a nonrenewable energy source noting that it is generated from fossil fuel which cannot be replaced once used. Additionally, for showering, solar energy comes in handy since I use solar-powered water heating technology with solar energy standing out as a renewable source of energy given that it is generated on a daily basis and cannot possibly be "used up". In cooking, natural gas comes in handy falling under the nonrenewable energy sources.
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Appropriate energy sources
In my opinion, hydropower energy stands out as the most appropriate energy source within my location. Hydropower energy is a renewable source of energy that is environmental friendly noting that during its production there are little negative impacts on the environment ( Kaparaju et al., 2018) . Additionally, there are numerous sites where water reservoirs for generating hydropower can be built. On the other hand, wind energy would be the least appropriate renewable energy source in my location. The conclusion is advised by the fact that the installation of wind turbines is most appropriate where there is a relatively large space where wind energy cannot be slowed down.
Advantages and disadvantages of energy sources
Hydropower
Hydropower energy has varying advantages and disadvantages. Continued studies have classified hydropower as a renewable source of energy, therefore, it cannot be exhausted in addition to the source being green meaning there is no environmental pollution during the production of hydropower. Moreover, hydropower has been pointed out as a highly reliable energy source noting there are no significant fluctuations during productions in addition to the flexibility accompanying the production with studies showing that energy output can be adjusted easily.
Research indicates that hydropower production has environmental consequences especially to aquatic life with the water levels coupled with velocity affecting the availability of food and breeding grounds. Furthermore, hydropower production is considerably expensive, especially during the initial reservoir construction. Additionally, droughts pose a potential threat to water volumes contributing to fluctuations in the power output.
Solar power
According to Michaelides (2018), solar power is credited with the advantage of producing clean power which is pollution free with no emission of greenhouse gases. Furthermore, solar power is relatively stable noting that even cloudy days produce considerable solar power. In addition, studies have shown that solar energy enables consumers to live a grid-free life when the solar panels installed are able to produce enough energy for home use.
Despite the numerous advantages, solar energy requires high initial costs during installation in addition to requiring large spaces to increase efficiency. During the night and cloudy days, the solar power produced is not much as well as having least production during winter months.
Natural gas
Studies in Mudryk and Werle (2018) shows that natural gas has the advantage of being environmentally friendly since its combustion releases little levels of byproducts that have no significant effect on the environment. Additionally, natural gas is easy to store as well as safe to use noting that it is possible to store it in tanks in liquefied form. Furthermore, studies have shown that natural gas is highly reliable given that its delivery is not affected by environmental factors.
Natural gas has many disadvantages noting that it is highly combustible therefore if mishandled; natural gas can cause bad explosions. Moreover, natural gas emits greenhouse gases even though in small quantities subsequently contributing to global warming and climatic change.
Petroleum
Research has proven that petroleum as fossil fuel has the ability to produce considerable energy amounts. Studies show that petroleum has a high density with one kilogram able to release ten thousand kilocalories of energy when burned ( Faulkner & Johanson, 2018) . Additionally, the energy source has a wide range of uses and can be extricated in areas that are difficult to reach given that its technology for exploration and production has been in place for a long time.
Petroleum energy causes environmental pollution with considerable levels of toxic materials and can leach into the ground if not properly stored. Furthermore, in cases of spillage on water bodies, petroleum poses an immense danger to aquatic life. Additionally, petroleum deposits are finite thus can be depleted.
Wind power
Wind power is renewable and sustainable since it cannot run out as compared with fossil fuels ( Emmanuel & Irene, 2018) . Studies have also proven that wind power is environmentally friendly because wind turbines do not pollute the environment while generating power. In addition, the wind is free making it a viable energy option.
However, wind power is prone to fluctuations coupled with high costs of installation of wind turbines. Wind turbines pose a threat to birds contributing to mortality rates for the birds' population. Wind turbines can be heard from significant distances because of the levels of noise produced.
Reducing energy use
It is possible to reduce energy use within households. One way of reducing energy use is purchasing electrical appliances that have good energy ratings. Additionally, it is advisable to cycle or walk to reduce energy consumed in transportation while using insulating roofs to reduce the amount of energy used in heating.
References
Emmanuel D. Rogdakis; Irene P. Koronaki. (2018). Renewable Energy Engineering: Solar, Wind, Biomass, Hydrogen and Geothermal Energy Systems . Bentham Science Publishers.
Faulkner, N., & Johanson, P. (2018). Nonrenewable Resources and You . New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group.
Kaparaju, P., Howlett, R. J., Littlewood, J., Ekanyake, C., & Vlacic, L. (2018). Sustainability in Energy and Buildings 2018: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference in Sustainability on Energy and Buildings (SEB’18) . Basingstoke, England: Springer.
Michaelides, E. E. (2018). Energy, the Environment, and Sustainability . Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Mudryk, K., & Werle, S. (2018). Renewable Energy Sources: Engineering, Technology, Innovation: ICORES 2017 . Basingstoke, England: Springer.
