The difference between renewable and non-renewable resources can be done on the basis of their usage life, carbon emission, quantity available, maintenance cost, environment friendly nature, land area required for installation and much more.

Renewable energy resources: The energy resources which cannot be exhausted and can be used again and again are called renewable energy resources. For example solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy and hydroelectric etc.

Non-renewable energy resources: The energy resources which can be exhausted one day and cannot be used repeatedly are called non-renewable energy resources. The example of non-renewable energy resources are coal, petroleum, natural gases etc. 

 Non-Renewable energy is the energy which is taken from the sources that are available on the earth in limited quantity and will vanish fifty-sixty years from now. Non-renewable sources are not environmental friendly and can have serious affect on our health. They are called non-renewable because they cannot be re-generated within a short span of time. Non-renewable sources exist in the form of fossil fuels, natural gas, oil and coal. 

The source of nearly all energy on Earth is our star, the Sun. Solar energy feeds almost all life on Earth, is trapped in fossil fuels, and is the reason wind blows and water flows. Earth's other big source of energy is the planet's internal heat.


Types of Energy Resources

Energy resources are either renewable or nonrenewable. Nonrenewable resources are used faster than they can be replaced, so the supply available to society is limited. Renewable resources will not run out because they are replaced as quickly as they are used.


Nonrenewable Resources

Fossil fuels — coal, oil, and natural gas — are the most common example of nonrenewable energy resources. Fossil fuels are formed from fossils, the partially decomposed remains of once living plants and animals. These fossils took millions of years to form. When fossil fuels are burned for energy, they release pollutants into the atmosphere. Fossil fuels also release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which are causing global temperatures to rise.

Renewable Resources

Renewable energy resources include solar, water, wind, biomass, and geothermal. These resources are either virtually limitless like the Sun, which will continue to shine for billions of years, or will be replaced faster than we can use them. Amounts of falling water or wind will change over the course of time, but they are quite abundant. Biomass energy, like wood for fire, can be replaced quickly.

The use of renewable resources may also cause problems. Some are expensive, while some, such as trees, have other uses. Some cause environmental problems. As the technology improves and more people use renewable energy, the prices may come down. At the same time, as we use up fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, these nonrenewable resources will become more expensive. At some point, even if renewable energy costs are high, nonrenewable energy will be even more expensive. Ultimately, we will have to use renewable sources.


Important Things to Consider about Energy Resources

With both renewable and nonrenewable resources, there are at least two important things to consider. One is that we have to have a practical way to turn the resource into a useful form of energy. The other is that we have to consider what happens when we turn the resource into energy.

For example, if we get much less energy from burning a fuel than we put into making it, then that fuel is probably not a practical energy resource. On the other hand, if another fuel gives us large amounts of energy but creates large amounts of pollution, that fuel also may not be the best choice for an energy resource.


Electrical Grids

No matter what the source, once it is generated electricity has go move from place to place. It does so by an electrical grid. Many communities have electrical grids that were built decades ago. These grids are inefficient and have high failure rates.

The electrical grids of the future are likely to be smart grids. Smart grids start with electricity production from one or more power generation sources. The electricity is streamed through multiple networks out to millions of consumers. Smart meters are placed with the consumers. They supply information on the state of the electrical system. Operators know within minutes if the power goes out, rather than having to wait for phone calls from consumers. Smart meters measure consumption and assist consumers in using power when it is more economical, even turning on or off appliances in homes or workplaces to smooth demand. Smart grids are essential for integrating renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, into the network because they have highs and lows in their supply.

Today we rely on electricity more than ever, but the resources that currently supply our power are finite. The race is on to harness more renewable resources, but getting all that clean energy from production sites to homes and businesses is proving to be a major challenge.


Summary

 Non-renewable energy comes from sources that will run out or will not be replenished in our lifetimes—or even in many, many lifetimes.  Most non-renewable energy sources are fossil fuels: coal, petroleum, and natural gas.  

There are nine major areas of energy resources. They fall into two categories: nonrenewable and renewable. Nonrenewable energy resources, like coal, nuclear, oil, and natural gas, are available in limited supplies. This is usually due to the long time it takes for them to be replenished. Renewable resources are replenished naturally and over relatively short periods of time. The five major renewable energy resources are solar, wind, water (hydro), biomass, and geothermal.

Since the dawn of humanity people have used renewable sources of energy to survive — wood for cooking and heating, wind and water for milling grain, and solar for lighting fires. A little more than 150 years ago people created the technology to extract energy from the ancient fossilized remains of plants and animals. These super-rich but limited sources of energy (coal, oil, and natural gas) quickly replaced wood, wind, solar, and water as the main sources of fuel.

Fossil fuels make up a large portion of today’s energy market, although promising new renewable technologies are emerging. Careers in both the renewable and nonrenewable energy industries are growing; however, there are differences between the two sectors. They each have benefits and challenges, and relate to unique technologies that play a role in our current energy system. For a range of reasons, from the limited amount of fossil fuels available to their effects on the environment, there is increased interest in using renewable forms of energy and developing technologies to increase their efficiency. This growing industry calls for a new workforce.

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Renewable resources are resources that are replenished by the environment over relatively short periods of time. This type of resource is much more desirable to use because often a resource renews so fast that it will have regenerated by the time you've used it up.

Think of this like the ice cube maker in your refrigerator. As you take some ice out, more ice gets made. If you take a lot of ice out, it takes a little more time to refill the bin but not a very long time at all. Even if you completely emptied the entire ice cube bin, it would probably only take a few hours to 'renew' and refill that ice bin for you. Renewable resources in the natural environment work the same way.

Solar energy is one such resource because the sun shines all the time. Imagine trying to harness all of the sun's energy before it ran out! Wind energy is another renewable resource. You can't stop the wind from blowing any more than you can stop the sun from shining, which makes it easy to 'renew.'

Any plants that are grown for use in food and manufactured products are also renewable resources. Trees used for timber, cotton used for clothes, and food crops, such as corn and wheat, can all be replanted and regrown after the harvest is collected. 
 

Non-Renewable Resources

In contrast to renewable resources, non-renewable resources are resources that are not easily replenished by the environment. Let's think about this in terms of that ice cube maker again. Imagine that this time you don't have an automatic ice maker at home, you have to wait for someone to bring it to you, and they only do this once a month.