UNIT III

Selection of materials
Eco Building Materials And Construction
Biomimicry
Low Impact Construction
Recyclable Products And Embodied Energy
Life Cycle Analysis.
Energy Sources Renewable And Non-renewable Energy

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Selection of materials
There are many good reasons why we should use eco-friendly construction methods and
materials.
It can improve the health of our planet, and the health of our own lives.
Eco-friendly construction can not only help to create a better outdoor environment, it can
also help to build a healthier indoor environment.
Green buildings eliminate the problems through good ventilation design, breathable
walls, and the use of natural, non-toxic products and materials.
Choosing to build green saves energy. The low embodied energy of green products
ensures that very little energy went into their manufacture and production, with a direct
reduction in carbon emissions.
Eco friendly design methodology can further reduce energy consumption
It also supports local business and helps strengthen the local economy, which in turn helps
to build our communities into vibrant, prosperous and desirable places to live.
A Necessary Choice
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Green building is not only a wise choice for our future; it is also a necessary choice.
 Eco Building Materials

Sustainable building is an essential aspect of widening efforts to conceive an ecologically responsible

world.
A building that is sustainable must, by nature, be constructed using locally sustainable materials:
i.e. materials that can be used without any adverse effect on the environment, and which
are produced locally, reducing the need to travel.

There are key criteria that can be used to judge whether a material is sustainable or not:
To what extent will the materials used in this building cause damage to the environment?
When using locally sustainable materials it is essential that those materials are renewable, non-
toxic and, therefore, safe for the environment. Ideally, they will be recycled, as well as recyclable.
To what extent will a building material contribute to the maintenance of the environment in years
to come?
Alloys and metals will be more damaging to the environment over a period of years as they are not
biodegradable, and are not easily recyclable, unlike wood, for example.
To what extent is the material used locally replenishable?
If the material is locally sourced and can be found locally for the foreseeable future, travelling will
be kept to a minimum, reducing harmful fuelSus unit 3
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Why eco-friendly materials?
Phenomenal growth in the construction industry that depends upon depletable resources.
Production of building materials leads to irreversible environmental impacts.
Using eco-friendly materials is the best way to build a eco-friendly building.
Stone quarrying leads to eroded hills, like this picture showing the site of Makarana
Marble quarry, brick kilns in the fringes of the city lead to denudation of topsoil,
dredging for sand damage the river biodiversity etc.

What is Eco-friendly material ?

Dictionary: describes a product that has been designed to do the least possible damage to the environment
US EPA EPP program defines as:
products or services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when

compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose

Thus we talk of two issues

1. one that it does the least possible environmental damage and
2. two that it is a comparative scale as there are very few materials that are completely eco-friendly.

A material by itself can be eco-friendly, e.g. Bamboo

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The various properties of the Eco-friendly materials and techniques are

Assists in reduction of the energy used in the building during operation and maintenance.

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 Renewable source - Rapidly renewable sources e.g. wood from certified forests
Reuse of Waste - Salvaged products e.g. old plumbing, door frames
Recycled contents agriculture/ industrial waste e.g. Bagasse Board
Embodied Energy -Scalar total of energy input required to produce the product including transporting
them to the building site
Reduce Pollution
i. Air Pollution- Use of materials with low VOC emissions e.g. Cement Paints
ii. Water Pollution Materials that prevent leaching.
iii. Land Pollution- Materials that reuse waste that would otherwise have resulted in landfill. e.g.
Flyash Bricks.
Reduce material use -These are energy efficient and also help reduce the dead load of a building. e.g.
Ferrocement
Durability & Life Span
Material that are exceptionally durable, or require low maintenance e.g PVC pipes.
Materials can be eco-friendly based on how they perform. Use of certain material or techniques
can reduce the amount of material required.
Durability The longer the life of a material the lesser it is required to replace and thus reduces the
quantity required to produce. Sus unit 3 6
 Energy Conservation
i. Materials that require less energy during construction e.g. precast slabs.
ii. Materials that help reduce the cooling loads- e.g aerated concrete blocks.
iii. Products that conserve energy e. g. CFL lamps.
iv. Fixtures & equipments that help conserve water e.g. Dual flush cisterns
Recyclable
Reuse or Recycle as different product e.g. steel, aluminum.
Biodegradable that decompose easily e.g wood or earthen materials

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ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS
CONVENTIONAL ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS
1. Bamboo, Bamboo Based Particle Board & Ply Board, Bamboo Matting
2. Bricks sun dried
3. Pre-cast cement concrete blocks, lintels, slab. Structural and non-structural modular elements
4. Calcined Phospho-Gypsum Wall Panels
5. Calcium silicate boards and Tiles
6. Cellular Light Weight Concrete Blocks
7. Cement Paint
8. Clay roofing tiles
9. Water, polyurethane and acrylic based chemical admixtures for corrosion removal, rust prevention,
water proofing
10. Epoxy Resin System, Flooring, sealants, adhesives and admixtures
11. Ferro-cement boards for door and window shutters
12. Ferro-cement Roofing Channels
13. Fly-ash Sand Lime Bricks and Paver Blocks
14. Gypsum Board, Tiles, Plaster, Blocks, gypsum plaster fibre jute/sisal and glass fibre composites
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15. Laminated Wood Plastic Components
CONVENTIONAL ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS (conti)

16. Marble Mosaic Tiles

17. MDF Boards and Mouldings
18. Micro Concrete Roofing Tiles
19. Particle Boards
20. Polymerised water proof compound
21. Polymerised water proof compound
22. Portland Pozzolana Cement Fly-ash / Calcinated Clay Based
23. Portland Slag Cement
24. RCC Door Frames
25. Ready Mix Cement Concrete
26. Rubber Wood Finger Joint Board
27. Stone dust
28. Water proof compound, adhesive, Polymer, Powder

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POTENTIAL ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS & TECHNIQUES
1. Bagasse Board BMTPC
2. Bricks from Coal Washery Rejects -CBRI, Roorkee
3. Building Blocks From Mine Waste SERC
4. Burnt Clay FlyAsh Bricks CBRI, Roorkee
5. Coir Cement Board CBRI, Roorkee
6. Compressed Earth Blocks BMTPC
7. EPS Composites and Door Shutters -CBRI, Roorkee
8. Fibre Flyash Cement Boards -BMTPC
9. Fibre Reinforced Concrete Precast Elements, Wall panels, Blocks, Manhole Covers SERC
10. Fibrous Gypsum Plaster Boards CBRI, Roorkee
11. Flyash Cellular Concrete, Flyash Cement Brick, Blocks BMTPC
12. Flyash Lime Cellular Concrete CBRI, Roorkee
13. Flyash Lime Gypsum Brick BMTPC
14. Insulating Bricks from Rice Husk Ash- Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata
15. Jute Fibre Polyester -BMTPC
16. Non Erodable Mud Plaster CBRI, Roorkee
17. Polytiles CBRI, Roorkee
18. Timber from trees such as Poplar, Rubber, Eucalyptus BMTPC
19. Precast walling roofing components CBRI, Roorkee
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20. Prefab Brick Panel System CBRI, Roorkee
 Eco Building Materials And Construction
What is Eco Friendly Construction?
Eco-friendly, or ecological, construction is building a structure that is beneficial or non-harmful to the environment, and
resource efficient. Otherwise known as green building, this type of construction is efficient in its use of local and
renewable materials, and in the energy required to build it, and the energy generated while being within it.
Eco-friendly construction has developed in response to the knowledge that buildings have an often negative impact
upon our environment and our natural resources.
This includes transporting materials hundreds or thousands of miles, which has a negative impact in the energy
required to transport them, and also in emissions of hazardous chemicals from a poorly designed building that creates,
and traps them.
Eco-friendly construction is that it consist of two parts Material and Technique.

Features of an ecological building might include :

The varied use of solar panels for domestic hot water heating,
Water conservation, possibly including biological waste water treatment
and re-use, and the simple collection and recycling of rainwater for garden use,
Low energy light bulbs, which can last up to 100 times longer than
regular bulbs,
Cellulose insulation (like the paper in the above example),
Non-toxic or lead-free paints and wood preservatives,
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Locally-grown and harvested timber from sustainably managed forests.
Benefits of Eco Friendly Construction
1. The green building methods and techniques offer two key advantages over the traditional
construction methods more efficient use of energy and reduction of human impact on the
environment.
2. An eco friendly construction enables to reduce energy consumption due to the use of energy
efficient design, materials and building techniques, while some types of green building enable
energy production on-site eliminating the energy bills completely.
3. Reduced energy consumption automatically reduces their carbon footprint and helps reduce the
human impact on the environment.
4. Eco friendly homes offer all the comfort and convenience of conventional homes and are not any
less durable. But their operation and maintenance is by far less costly in compare to conventional
homes , in the first place due to better energy efficiency.
5. The only disadvantage of eco friendly construction is perhaps initially higher investment, especially
if opting for the type that includes generation of energy on-site.
6. However, the initially higher investment for an eco friendly construction pays off in the long term
and it is less expensive to own an environmentally friendly than a conventionally built home.
7. There are, of course, less expensive eco friendly construction methods too and an environmentally
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friendly home is not necessarily a significantly costlier than conventionally built homes
 BIOMIMICRY

What is Biomimicry?
bio = life, living things
mimicry = copying, emulating
Biomimicry is a design tool based on emulating the strategies used by living things.

Biomimicry sometimes called Bionics or Biomimetic

Is a scientific and technical discipline finding inspiration in biological systems to define new
engineering solutions.
BIOMETRICS or BIOMIMETICS is a discipline in which we imitate or take inspiration from
nature's designs and processes to solve human problems.
It is a multi-disciplinary subject involving a wide diversity of other domains like electronics,
informatics, medicine, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and many others.
Biomimicry(from bios, meaning 'life,' and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is a design principle
that seeks sustainable solutions to human problems by consulting and emulating natures
time-tested patterns and strategies
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 BIOMIMICRY

It has three major goals. It goals

1. Nature as Model: Biomimicry is a new science
that studies nature's models and then imitates or
takes inspiration from these designs and
processes to solve human problems, e.g., a solar
cell inspired by a leaf.
2. Nature as Mentor: Biomimicry uses an
ecological standard to judge the "rightness" of
our innovations. After 3.8 billion years of
evolution, nature has learned: What works?
What is appropriate? What lasts?
3. Nature as Measure: Biomimicry is a new way of
viewing and valuing nature. It introduces an era
based not on what we can extract from the
natural world, but on what we can learn from it.
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9 Principles Of Nature, Which Should Be Applied To Design
Nature runs on sunlight
Nature uses only the energy it needs
Nature fits form to function
Nature recycles everything
Nature rewards cooperation
Nature banks on diversity
Nature demands local expertise
Nature curbs excess from within
Nature taps the power of limits
Eastgate Building in Harare, Zimbabwe and CH2 Building in Melbourne, Australia.
(Source: Pedersen Zari, M. 2007).

Biomimicry can be applied to buildings in order to:

Make materials stronger, self-assembling, and self-healing.
Use natural processes and forces for basic building functions.
Allow them to produce resources by integrating natural systems.

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LOW IMPACT CONSTRUCTION

1. All buildings which aim to reduce their impact

on the environment could be called, at least,
lower impact but the term has come to mean
those buildings using largely natural or organic
materials.
2. Low Impact Construction serves to describe a
body of work which takes in most of the more
radical attempts to produce deep green
buildings with a quite different approach to
construction and the creation of comfort

One of the pleasures of most low impact

constructions is that materials are safe and the
processes are easy

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LOW IMPACT CONSTRUCTION
Small Scale And Rural
One characteristic of almost all low impact construction is that it remains small scale and usually rural
Very Low Embodied Energy
Low impact buildings are almost always buildings with low embodied energy in their fabric
Local, Unconventional Materials
Sourcing materials can be problematic. Simply finding the material(s) can be difficult, particularly in
urban areas
Low Material Costs, High Labour Costs
Generally speaking the material costs of low impact constructions tend to be low, but these are
usually offset by higher costs associated with labour and time.
Passive Environmental Control
Most of the natural materials and coatings associated with low impact construction are hygroscopic.
Clay in particular absorbs and desorbs moisture freely and as such can act as a moderator of the
humidity in the air, though ventilation remains the key tool for this.
Maintenance
Maintenance has become a dirty word for some, and much talk is made of maintenance free
construction and products. Sus unit 3 25
LOW IMPACT CONSTRUCTION

A cob building being built up in stages.

A lime and stone foundation wall has layers of a mix of earth and straw
laid over.
The lower parts have been shaved to form a (relatively) neat surface,
while the most recently added top section is as trodden in.

A completed straw bale wall with the first coat of lime plaster being
applied.
Note the use of chicken wire over the corners to form a firmer
substrate for the plaster and help protect the corners.

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Common Materials And Systems Of Low Impact Construction

EARTH
Earth is still the most widespread construction material known and one third of humanity still live in
earthen buildings. The material even gave its name to the entire planet or was it the other way around
Vernacular forms of earth construction survive in many parts of the world and remain instructive on the
most efficient way to produce earthen buildings even today.
There are a number of techniques but broadly they can be divided into three.
1. The first involves stacking and compressing earth to form a monolithic wall examples are cob and
rammed earth (using shuttering).
2. The second uses earth pre-formed and dried into blocks or adobes and then built up. Both
techniques employ earth as the principal load-bearing material. The principal advantage of the latter
is that it avoids most of the problems associated with shrinkage, whilst the main disadvantage is that it
entails double handling.
3. The third alternative is to mix earth with some filler material like straw and apply it to a framework
which takes the structural loads. This was more common traditionally where timber supplies were
plentiful.

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Common Materials And Systems Of Low Impact Construction

LIGHT EARTH AND HEMP-LIME

1. One way around the problem of insulation is to increase the level of insulating filler, and usually the
depth of the mix so that the overall wall complies with modern requirements for thermal
performance.
2. This can be done in a number of way, but the main techniques employed use earth / clay and straw,
or in one example lime and hemp, to form a solid, non-loadbearing fairly well insulating mass wall.
3. Both techniques require drying out times and are still fairly labour intensive, though more
mechanised, and pre-fabricated options exist.

OTHER CROPS
A number of bio-based materials have found their way into the building material supply chain.
Among these are hemp, flax, and sheeps wool, all used for insulation while flax is also used in the
manufacture of linoleum.
Sisal, coir and jute are used in carpet manufacture, and reeds are becoming a little more common not
only for traditional thatching, but bound and used as backings to plasters and renders.

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STRAW BALE CONSTRUCTION
1. Straw bale construction normally involves placing rectangular bales exactly as bricks are placed to
form a wide, hairy wall which can be either load bearing or infill to a structural frame, and which is
normally plastered on both sides with a clay or lime-based render.
2. Straw bale construction has a number of advantages over earth and insulated earth construction
types.
3. It is a dry system and so has none of the (admittedly minor) problems associated with drying out and
shrinkage.
4. It is also a very good insulation material which, when combined with the sensible placement of
thermal mass, makes a lot of sense overall in the UK.
5. Third, it is quite quick to construct, but possibly more involved than the other techniques to
adequately finish.
6. There is no doubt however that straw bale construction is relatively quick, cheap and easy to do, and
increasingly easy to get through the legislative and financial hurdles which often bedevil low impact
projects.

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TIMBER
1. So widespread it is easily overlooked that timber forms the mainstay of much conventional, very
high impact construction, but has the capacity also to be an integral part of very low impact
construction if used wisely.
2. If sourced from local (at least, not imported) and certified forests, and if used efficiently and
without chemical treatment, and if detailed well so as to be durable, timber represents a low
impact material choice.
3. The Segal method uses timber very efficiently, roundpole construction reduces the machining of
timber while retaining all of its strength, and gridshell construction enables very efficient use of
small amounts of timber yet creates large span structures.
4. Using green timber avoids the energy associated with kiln drying and there are a number of ways
in which timber can be used, such as with Brettstapel construction where good use is made of a
material which has little other value.

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MASONRY
1. Traditional stone and brick construction, using lime and clay mortars probably counts as a low impact
strategy, depending on how the insulation required is achieved.
2. Reclaimed elements such as tiles and slates reduce the overall impact
3. People are becoming more familiar with the use of lime, and increasingly, clay, for mortars and
plasters. Perhaps the main advantage of these materials for mortars, unlike cement, is that the bricks
or blocks can more readily be re-used at the end of their lifetime, and that is the real tragedy of
cement (which acts as a type of glue).
RE-USED AND RECYCLED MATERIALS
1. A few constructional techniques have been developed to deal directly with some of the waste arisings
from industry.
2. One of the most enduring has been the common tyre. Rammed full of earth and tied together these
have become symbols, of ecological design through the re-use of waste (Earthships).
3. Drinks cans and bottles, short logs and many other unlikely materials have been similarly employed to
create walls, which are often however sadly little more than a matrix of cement mortar.
4. The principal of using waste materials is a sound one, and be it tyres or recycled paper insulation
there is no doubt the impact of development is reduced.
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 RECYCLABLE PRODUCTS AND EMBODIED ENERGY

Materials with high recycled content not only reduces the amount of new material, energy and pollution
in their production, it reduces the need for landfills, and possible pollution from incineration. Many
materials and components are now available that have recycled or "waste" product content.
These range from concrete that uses fly ash aggregate, carpets made from recycled soda bottles, and
insulation made from recycled paper, to paints that contain post-consumer returns. the availability of
products with recycled content is dependent on demand by specifiers.

EMBODIED ENERGY is defined as the total energy inputs consumed throughout a products life-cycle.
Initial embodied energy represents energy used for the extraction of raw materials, transportation to
factory, processing and manufacturing, transportation to site, and construction.
Once the material is installed, recurring embodied energy represents the energy used to maintain,
replace, and recycle materials and components of a building throughout its life.
Embodied energy is typically expressed in MJ/kg, where a mega joule (MJ) is equal to 0.948 kBtu or 0.278
kWh.
The embodied energy values in Material LIFE have been converted to MJ per construction unit (i.e. ft2 for
flooring, LF for studs, etc.) and are listed for the cradle-to-gate portion of the products life cycle, as
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highlighted in green in the diagram below.
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Why Is Embodied Energy Important?
Energy is embodied in everything we use every day: from food to clothing to cars, as well as
buildings and all materials used in them
As buildings consume less energy in operations, the energy embodied in the buildings materials
will become increasingly important as a percentage of a buildings total energy footprint.
Academic studies have illustrated that embodied energy accounts for the majority of a buildings
energy footprint for approximately the first 15-20 years of a buildings life-cycle.

What Can We Do to Reduce Embodied Energy?

Architects, interior designers, and engineers need to be conscious of the embodied energy of
the materials specified on projects so that they can select products that help reduce the overall
energy footprint of buildings.
Given that the envelope and structure alone account for approximately 50% of a buildings total
embodied energy, we can reduce the footprint of our designs by selecting existing buildings for
interior build-outs, renovations, or adaptive reuse projects.
Interior finishes account for approximately 13% of a buildings embodied energy, so adaptive
reuse or interior build-out projects have an overall smaller energy footprint that new
construction. Sus unit 3 34
 LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a tool for the systematic evaluation of the environmental aspects of a
product or service system through all stages of its life cycle.
LCA provides an adequate instrument for environmental decision support. Reliable LCA performance is
crucial to achieve a life-cycle economy.
The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), a world-wide federation of national standards
bodies, has standardised this framework within the series ISO 14040 on LCA.

Life-cycle analysis (LCA) is a method in which the energy and raw material consumption,
different types of emissions and other important factors related to a specific product are being
measured, analyzed and summoned over the products entire life cycle from an environmental
point of view.
Life-Cycle Analysis attempts to measure the cradle to grave impact on the ecosystem.
LCAs started in the early 1970s, initially to investigate the energy requirements for different
processes.
Emissions and raw materials were added later.
LCAs are considered to be the most comprehensive approach to assessing environmental impact.

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 Life Cycle Assessment
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a technique used to quantify the environmental
impact of a product from raw material acquisition through
end of life disposition (cradle-to-grave)

Material Component Product Packaging & End of Use

Processing Use
Extraction Fabrication Assembly Distribution Processing

Reuse
Remanufacture
Recycle

Waste Treatment

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Generally, a LCA consists of four main activities:

1. Goal definition (ISO 14040):

The basis and scope of the evaluation are defined.
2. Inventory Analysis (ISO 14041):
Create a process tree in which all processes from raw material extraction through
waste water treatment are mapped out and connected and mass and energy
balances are closed (all emissions and consumptions are accounted for).
3. Impact Assessment (ISO 14042):
Emissions and consumptions are translated into environmental effects. The are
environmental effects are grouped and weighted.
4. Improvement Assessment/Interpretation (ISO 14043):
Areas for improvement are identified.

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LCAs use
LCAs are used:
1. in the design process to determine which of several designs may leave a smaller footprint on the
environment, or after the fact to identify environmentally preferred products in government
procurement or eco-labeling programs.
2. Also, the study of reference or benchmark LCAs provides insight into the main causes of the
environmental impact of a certain kind of product and design priorities and product design
guidelines can be established based on the LCA data.

The major disadvantage of quantitative LCAs is their complexity and effort required
Designers and manufacturing engineers find it almost impossible to practically work with LCAs because of
1. the consistent lack of solid data about all aspects of a products life cycle,
2. the nearly infinite amount of decisions to make and data to deal with,
3. the lack of standardization resulting in numerous conversions and interpretations,
4. the lack of a standard evaluation scheme caused by and resulting in different views on what is
environmentally correct,
5. the approach is currently only suitable for design analysis / evaluation rather than design synthesis.
LCAs are "static" and only deal with a snapshot of material and energy inputs and outputs in a
dynamic system Sus unit 3 38
Step 1: Goal Definition and ScopingDefine the goal:
Intended application of the study
Intended audience
Define the scope:
Identify the product system to be studied
Define the functional unit
Define the boundaries of the product system
Identify assumptions and limitations of the study
Select impact categories to be included

Step 2: Life Cycle Inventory

Highly data intensive

Detailed mass & energy balances performed over life-cycle

Advantages: measure data & define baseline metrics of life-cycle processes

Challenges: Assumptions made when data unavailable

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Step 3: Impact Assessment
1. Converts the inventory into impact categories or mid/end points which explain the environmental
effect
2. Impact categories may include: carcinogens, respiratory organics and inorganics, climate change,
radiation, ozone layer, ecotoxicity, acidification/eutrophication, land use, minerals, fossil fuels
3. Can apply weights to impact categories

Step 4: Report Results

Life cycle interpretation: findings of the inventory analysis or impact assessment are evaluated in
relation to the goal and scope of the study to reach conclusions and recommendations

1.Identify significant issues

2.Evaluate results for completeness, consistency, and sensitivity of the data

3.Draw conclusions & make recommendations consistent with the goal & scope of the study

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SUMMARY: What is LCA?
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a technique for assessing the potential environmental aspects and potential
aspects associated with a product (or service), by:
compiling an inventory of relevant inputs and outputs,
evaluating the potential environmental impacts associated with those inputs and outputs,
interpreting the results of the inventory and impact phases in relation to the objectives of the study.
- ISO 14040.2 Draft: Life Cycle Assessment - Principles and Guidelines

The Phases of Life Cycle Assessment

Life cycle assessment determines the environmental

impacts of products, processes or services, through
production, usage, and disposal Sus unit 3 41
Life cycle assessment process
 ENERGY SOURCES RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY
Energy is the amount of force or power when applied can
move one object from one position to another.
Energy defines the capacity of a system to do work.
Energy exists in everybody whether they are human beings or
animals or non living things. e g: Jet, Light, Machines etc..
Energy is intimately related to power.
According to the law of conservation of energy, any form of
energy can be converted into another form, the total energy
will remain the same.
For example: when you charge your mobile phone the
electrical energy is converted into the chemical energy which
gets stored inside the battery

Energy can neither be created nor it can be destroyed. It can only be converted from one form to
another.
For example :
In a room heater, electrical energy is converted to thermal energy.
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TYPES OF ENERGY

Energy can be broadly divided into two categories-

Renewable energy

Non-renewable energy
Renewable energy can be generated continuously practically without decay of source.
E.g.
Solar energy
Wind energy
Geothermal energy
Hydro energy
Biomass

Non renewable energy cant be generated again and again form the same source.
E.g.
Petroleum products ( kerosene,petrol,diesel,etc )
Coal
Uranium
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 SOLAR ENERGY

Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has
been harnessed by humans using various equipments.

Solar powered electrical generation relies on heat

engines and photovoltaic's.

Examples :
SOLAR CELLS
Solar cooker

Solar heater

Solar cells

Advantages SOLAR HEATER

Solar energy doesnt produce Carbon dioxide.

It have minimal impact on environment.

Disadvantages

It is not constant, it depends on weather

conditions, time,location.
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WIND ENERGY

Wind energy generated by wind turbines is

mainly used to generate electricity.

Advantages :
Wind turbines (often called windmills) do
not release emissions that pollute the air
or water.
Disadvantages :
Installation and maintenance cost is very
high.
Only few places are there in world where
wind blow continuously throughout the
WIND TURBINES
year.

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GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Geothermal energy is heat from within the

HOT SPRINGS
Earth. We can recover this heat as steam or hot
water and use it to heat buildings or generate
electricity.
E.g.
Hot springs
Fumaroles
Geysers
Advantages :
Carbon dioxide emission levels are very
low. They release less than 1% of the
carbon dioxide.
Disadvantages :
Installation cost is very high.
Release various kind of harmful gases.
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HYDRO ENERGY

Hydro energy is generally generated form

running water using various mechanical
methods. Hydroelectric Dam

E.g. :
Dams
Tidal Barrages
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)
system
Advantages :
Produces very less amount of carbon
dioxide.
It is also being used to control flood and
for irrigation purposes.
Disadvantages:
Natural environment is destroyed.

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BIOMASS

Biomass is organic material made from plants

and animals (microorganisms).
When burned, the chemical energy in biomass is
released as heat .
E.g. -
Methanol (from animal waste)
Ethanol
Biodiesel(liquid biomass)
Advantages :
Equipment(biogas plant) installation cost is
less.
Helps in garbage reduction.
Disadvantages :
Releases high amount of sulphurous gases.

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NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY
PETROLEUM(OIL)

Oil was formed from the remains of animals and Crude oil

plants that lived millions of years ago in a marine

(water) environment before the dinosaurs.
Over millions of years, the remains of these
animals and plants were covered by layers of
sand and silt
Heat and pressure from these layers helped the
remains turn into what we today call crude oil.

Disadvantages :
Responsible for 38% of carbon dioxide in
Petrol
the environment.

Sus unit 3 49
COAL

Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black

sedimentary rock composed mostly of carbon
and hydrocarbons.
For millions of years, a layer of dead plants at
the bottom of the swamps was covered by layers
of water and dirt, trapping the energy of the
dead plants.
The heat and pressure from the top layers
helped the plant remains turn into what we
today call coal .

Disadvantages :
Responsible for 57% of carbon dioxide in
the air. Coal

Sus unit 3 50
URANIUM

Nuclear energy is energy in the nucleus (core) of an

uranium-235 atom. Atoms are tiny particles that
make up every object in the universe.
It can be released from atoms in two ways: nuclear
Uranium
fusion and nuclear fission.
Advantages :
Even a small amount can release enough
energy to light-up thousand of energy for
months. (1 kg uranium-235 corresponds to 2.7
million kg coal equivalent.)
Disadvantages :
Nuclear plant
After using it in nuclear reactor then also it
radioactive substances is very dangerous for
human . Eg : carbonyl accident and fukushima
plant accident. Sus unit 3 51
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE SOURCE OF ENERGY

RENEWABLE SOURCE NON-RENEWABLE SOURCE

Definition : Renewable energy can be Definition : non-renewable cant be

generated continuously practically generated continuously without decay of

source.
without decay of source.

Responsible for 3-4% of carbon dioxide in Responsible for 91-94% of carbon dioxide in
environment. environment.

Not a reason behind global warming.

Main reason behind global warming.
Example : biomass, hydro power, wind
energy, solar energy,etc.
Example : petroleum
products,coal,uranium,etc.

Sus unit 3 52