JNTU B.Tech III NON CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES Previous Question Paper (March - 2024 - R16)

Non-Conventional Energy Sources (NCES) are primarily classified into two categories based on their availability and nature:

1. Renewable Energy Sources: These are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as solar energy, wind energy, biomass, geothermal energy, and ocean energy (tidal and wave).
2. Non-Renewable Energy Sources: Although often categorized under conventional sources, certain unconventional applications like nuclear energy (fission-based) are classified here due to their finite fuel reserves.

Wind and geothermal energy systems differ primarily in their source, availability, and operational characteristics:

• Energy Source: Wind energy is a non-depletable atmospheric resource driven by solar heating, whereas geothermal energy is a renewable thermal resource extracted from the Earth's internal heat.
• Availability and Reliability: Wind energy is intermittent and variable, depending on local weather patterns, requiring energy storage or grid balancing. Geothermal energy provides a base-load power supply, offering high capacity factors and consistent, 24/7 generation.
• Environmental Impact and Location: Wind farms require large surface areas but allow for land co-use (e.g., agriculture) and have minimal operational emissions. Geothermal plants have a smaller physical footprint but are site-specific, restricted to geologically active regions, and require careful management of geothermal fluids to prevent surface contamination.