Q2Electrical Energy Conversion And Auditing
Question
Q.2. What are the primary energy resources?
Answer
Primary energy resources are naturally-occurring energy sources that have not been subjected to any conversion process, including fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas), nuclear fuel, and renewable sources (solar, wind, hydro, biomass, geothermal).
Primary energy resources are the naturally-occurring forms of energy found in nature, before undergoing any human-engineered conversion process — they include non-renewable fossil fuels (coal, crude oil, natural gas), nuclear fuel (uranium), and renewable energy resources (solar radiation, wind, flowing/falling water for hydropower, biomass, geothermal heat, and tidal/wave energy). These primary resources are subsequently converted into more directly usable secondary energy forms (most notably electricity, but also refined petroleum products, processed coal/coke) through various conversion processes (thermal power generation, refining, etc.), with the resulting secondary energy then transmitted, distributed, and ultimately consumed as final energy by end users.