Fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) are still essential for transportation, electricity generation, heating, plant operations, and so much more. But they are also the main source of CO2 emissions and, unlike renewable energies, are produced from exhaustible – albeit still vast – reserves.

1. COMPARISON BETWEEN
RENEWABLE ENERGY
AND FOSSIL FUELS

2. You might have heard that renewable energy is
developing at a fast speed while fossil fuels are
going the way of the dinosaur, which means
extinct. But you still may think: What does all this
talk mean? We will cover all the essential things
that you should know about renewable energy and
fossil fuels. We will also discuss the primary
differences between the two.

3. What Is Renewable Energy?

4. Renewable energy is useful energy that is collected
from renewable resources, which are naturally
replenished on a human timescale, and are carbon
neutral.
The sources of renewable energy are as follows:
• Sunlight
• Wind
• Rain
• Tides
• Waves
• Geothermal heat

5. What Are Fossil Fuels?

6. Fossil fuel is a fuel formed by natural means, such as
an anaerobic disintegration of buried dead organisms,
comprising organic molecules originating in early
photosynthesis that produce energy in combustion.
Some of the Fossil Fuels are as follows:
• Coal
• Petroleum
• Natural gas
• Oil

7. COMPARISON –
Consumption limit

8. RENEWABLE ENERGY FOSSIL FUELS
Replenish themselves through natural ways
and will never deplete.
Are limited and will deplete depending upon
the consumption rate.

9. COMPARISON –
Pollution

10. RENEWABLE ENERGY FOSSIL FUELS
These are clean sources of energy which
produce energy without any harmful carbon
emissions.
These are the prime sources of pollution in the
environment because their combustion
releases a lot of GHG emissions.

11. COMPARISON –
Energy Storage

12. RENEWABLE ENERGY FOSSIL FUELS
The storage options are available but the
technology is very much in the infancy stage
and so not utility and large scale storage
options are available.
Have been in use for centuries and have robust
technologies in place to store and transmit
energy from one place to another.

13. COMPARISON –
Continuity

14. RENEWABLE ENERGY FOSSIL FUELS
One of the problems with renewable energy is
that its technology is new and a lot is yet to
discover. Because of this the availability of
Renewable energy is not continuous, like wind
turbines run only when wind blows.
Fossil fuels are limited but unless they are
completely exhausted, their availability is
continuous.

15. COMPARISON –
Cost

16. RENEWABLE ENERGY FOSSIL FUELS
The renewable energy is fairly new right now
and thus the cost is a bit high but it will go
down with the passage of time and
development of technology.
Fossil fuels are limited and so with their use
they will become scarce; thus their price will
keep on increasing till they get exhausted
completely.