Primary Source Of Energy Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Primary Source Of Energy?

A primary source of energy is an energy source that is naturally available in the environment and has not been processed or used by humans. Examples of primary sources of energy include fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, and oil, as well as renewable sources such as solar power, wind power, geothermal energy, and hydropower. All these forms of energy are essential to modern society; they provide electricity for households and businesses, power our vehicles and transportation systems, fuel industrial processes and factories, help grow food through irrigation systems, generate heat in homes during cold winter monthsthe list goes on. The most commonly used primary source of energy is fossil fuels. Fossil fuelsnamely natural gas, coal, and oilare found deep beneath Earth’s surface. Once extracted from the ground they are cleaned up before use (a process known as refining). Although extremely useful in providing reliable base-load electricity to industrialized nations around the world (as well as powering our vehicles), the burning of these fossil fuels emits large amounts carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which have significant environmental consequences including global warming. Renewable sources such as solar power from photovoltaic cells (PV) convert sunlight directly into electricity without releasing any emissions or pollutants into the environment. Wind turbines also convert kinetic wind energy into usable electrical power without releasing any carbon dioxide or other pollutants; however their efficiency depends on local weather conditions so typically require back up from other sources when output drops due to lack of wind or other adverse conditions. Solar thermal technologies such as concentrating solar thermal plants (CSPs) use sunlight to heat a liquid medium which can then be used in cooling applications or run through a turbine for electricity generation with no emissions released whatsoever.