Renewable vs. Non-renewable energy

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Renewable vs. Non-renewable energy

• Prepered by A. Gritsevskyi,
• International Atomic Energy Agency

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Do we have any problem?

• In most cases
• there is no problem for energy statistics to
  identify is that specific energy form belongs to
  renewable or non-renewable not necessarily true
  for other domain (geology, environment,
  business)?
• Problems start when we talk about energy
  technology or dealing with some grey areas
• Lack of clear definition and partial disagreement
  on interpretation terms

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What is in Series F Manuals? 29E, 44 and 56E

• No real definition
• Defined by listing

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Fuel split in 29E
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Extra note in 56E

• Fuelwood should be considered as renewable
  only if rate of planting it faster or equal to
  rate at which it is cut
• Should something like that applied for large
  scale of hydropower as currently there is
  tendency not to name such technology as strictly
  renewable?

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Multiple ways to give a definition

• Postulating - listing what it is and what it is
  not?
• Giving criteria and checking if particular source
  of energy meets it
• Combination of both

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Example 1

• Energy obtained from sources that are essentially
  inexhaustible (unlike, for example the fossil
  fuels, of which there is a finite supply).
  Renewable sources of energy include wood, waste,
  geothermal, wind, photovoltaic and solar thermal
  energy
• NOT OK as all energy sources we know within
  defined system (Earth) are finite and fusion
  power, technically non-renewable, could be
  considered practically inexhaustible

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Example 2

• energy generated from resources that are
  unlimited, rapidly replenished or naturally
  renewable such as wind, water, sun, wave and
  refuse, and not from the combustion of fossil
  fuels
• Better, but rapidly is rather subjective term,
• so what about peat? (see attached paper)?

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Example 3 and 4

• energy flows which occur naturally and repeatedly
  in the environment, such as wind and solar
• new and renewable energy sources are energy
  sources including solar energy, geothermal
  energy, wind power, hydropower, ocean energy
  (thermal gradient, wave power and tidal power),
  biomass, draught animal power, fuelwood, peat,
  oil shale and tar sands, UN Glossary of
  Environment Statistics F-67E

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From Renewable Energy in Europe

• Renewable Energy Sources All natural energy
  flows that are inexhaustible (i.e., renewable)
  from an anthropogenic point of view solar
  radiation hydropower wind geothermal wave,
  and tidal energy and biomass

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From Renewable Energy in the United States

• Renewable Energy Resources that are naturally
  replenishing but flow limited. They are virtually
  inexhaustible in duration but limited in the
  amount of energy that is available per unit of
  time.

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Grey areas

• Municipal Waste or any waste from potentially
  unsustainable use of biomass and/or unclear mixed
  use of fossil fuel and renewable
• Origin of the problem derived fuel with
  potentially multiple sources
• No clear solution provided in the available
  literature treated differently from
  case-to-case and region-by-region
• Should be addressed jointly with environmental
  statistics experts

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Age of different types of fuelwithin parentheses
is maximum age
Source Hans Joosten Renewability revisited on
folly and swindle in peat energy politics
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Energy flux(flow) and energy storefrom M.
Hoexter's What is Renewable Energy Anyway?

• Energy flux
• Energy store

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• Non-renewable energy sources are energy stores
  with zero or a minute rate of replenishment
  relative to its depletion by human beings. Most
  non-renewable energy sources are converted to
  usable energy by thermal or nuclear reactions.
  Non-renewable energy sources have stored the
  natural energy flux of Earths biological and
  geological past or of the formation of elements
  in the early history of the Universe

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• Renewable energy sources are types of natural
  energy flux useful for human ends regularly
  occurring on or near Earths surface and,
  additionally, useful natural energy stores that
  are replenished by natural flux within the time
  frame of conceivable human use. All known
  renewable energy sources originate in, or are
  close derivatives of, electromagnetic radiation
  of our Sun, the Earths and Moons gravitational
  fields and heat radiating from earths interior.
  Renewable energy sources are practically
  inexhaustible though some sources such as
  geothermal and ocean thermal energy conversion
  may become locally depleted by human use at a
  rate that exceeds replenishment by natural flux.

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Global energy balance and flows without
anthropogenic interference
Source Energy Primer, Climate Change 1995.
Impacts, Adaptations and Mitigation of Climate
Change Scientific Analyses, IPCC
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Three questions to the London Group

• Do you agree
• that the definition of renewable/non-renewable
  should focus on renewability only and should be
  independent of the purpose behind otherwise it
  will be never accepted generally
• that any fuel or energy form should be strictly
  defined as renewable/non renewable without any
  exception
• that the timeframe of conceivable human use and
  close derivatives of electromagnetic radiation of
  our sun has to be defined exactly
• and the final consequence
• Renewable technologies than are not necessarily
  environmentally sound, sustainable or safe

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Thank you for your attention
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