Evolution of Energy

From the evolution of man on earth from early man to the technological geek, oil has become the major source of energy which was extracted from different sources. Some of the key sources are as follows from 18th century to till data.

Energy History and the evolution of mankind from Early Man to Modern Man 

 

The evolution of energy took place from the 15th century with the gradual development of technology. As man is developing himself from the early man stage to the highly intelligent person on the planet several technological changes took place in the development of energy and power division. With the following time you may understand the evolution of the energy sector in the world.

  

18th century

• Industrial revolution
• Use of energy relied only on muscular and biomass energy (main firewood used for heating and cooking purpose
• Work is done with the help of labors and animals
• Other sources of energy such as windmills, and watermills were present but the overall contribution was marginal

19th century

Major source of energy shifted to coal mainly in this process the technology development took place with steam engines and power plants which depend on coal as a primary source of fuel to run the systems.

20th century

 

History of energy use

The major resource available on earth is coal which is at a lower price but the shift towards the higher energy content sources like oil was beginning. 

In the second phase, a major shift was mad in internal combustion engines and oil-powered ships. Petroleum products as the main provider of energy reached a high level of dependence in the world economy. level of technical expertise increased, more efficient sources of fossil fuels were tapped, such as natural gas, and an entirely new form of energy, nuclear fission, became available. Renewable sources of energy, such as hydroelectric, wind, and solar started to be tapped but remained marginal sources

 

21st Century

• Major shifts in energy sources with the obsolescence of fossil fuels, like coal and oil, for more efficient fossil fuels such as natural gas
• Sustainable ‘clean coal’ technology potential. Advances in biotechnologies, underline the growing potential of biomass-derived fuels while wind and solar energy will also account for a notable share of energy sources.
• Nuclear energy, particularly if nuclear fusion becomes commercially possible, may also play a significant role, but this remains speculative.
• A new transition is likely to be the usage of hydrogen, mainly for fuel cells powering vehicles, small energy generators, and portable devices.

Note: This article will be updated on continuous basis to improve the quality of the article with more insights.

Reference:

https://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch8en/conc8en/evolenergy.html

https://visualizingenergy.org/world-electricity-generation-since-1900/