CBSE Class 10 · Minerals and Energy Resources

Non-Conventional Energy and Energy Conservation Class 10

Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Rising dependence on costly, limited and polluting fossil fuels makes renewable energy essential. NCERT's non-conventional sources are nuclear, solar, wind, biogas, tidal and geothermal energy. India has abundant sunlight, water, wind and biomass. Energy conservation and greater use of renewables are the twin planks of sustainable energy, because 'energy saved is energy produced'.

Understand Non-Conventional Energy and Energy Conservation

Why non-conventional energy. India's growing energy use has made it increasingly dependent on coal, oil and gas. Rising oil and gas prices and possible shortages create uncertainty about future energy security, with serious effects on economic growth. Fossil fuels also cause serious environmental problems. So there is a pressing need for renewable sources such as solar energy, wind, tide, biomass and energy from waste. India is blessed with abundant sunlight, water, wind and biomass and has the largest programmes for developing these resources.

Nuclear or atomic energy. Obtained by altering the structure of atoms, which releases large amounts of heat used to generate electricity. Uranium and thorium from Jharkhand and the Aravalli ranges of Rajasthan are used; the monazite sands of Kerala are rich in thorium.

Solar energy. India, a tropical country, has enormous potential. Photovoltaic technology converts sunlight directly into electricity. Solar energy is fast becoming popular in rural and remote areas; big solar plants will reduce rural dependence on firewood and dung cakes, helping environmental conservation and leaving more manure for farming.

Wind power. Great potential. The largest wind farm cluster is in Tamil Nadu from Nagarcoil to Madurai; Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra and Lakshadweep also have important wind farms. Nagarcoil and Jaisalmer are well known for effective use of wind energy.

Biogas. Shrubs, farm waste and animal and human waste produce biogas for rural homes. Decomposing organic matter yields gas with higher thermal efficiency than kerosene, dung cake and charcoal. Plants are set up at municipal, cooperative and individual levels; those using cattle dung are called 'Gobar gas plants'. They give farmers twin benefits: energy and better-quality manure. Biogas is by far the most efficient use of cattle dung and prevents the loss of trees and manure from burning fuelwood and dung cakes.

Tidal energy. Floodgate dams are built across inlets. At high tide water flows in and is trapped when the gate closes; after the tide falls outside, the stored water flows back to the sea through a pipe with a power-generating turbine. Ideal sites: the Gulf of Khambhat and Gulf of Kuchchh (Gujarat) and the Gangetic delta in the Sunderbans (West Bengal).

Geothermal energy. Heat and electricity produced using the heat of the Earth's interior, which grows hotter with depth. Where the geothermal gradient is high, groundwater absorbs heat from rocks and rises as steam to drive turbines. India has several hundred hot springs. Two experimental projects: Parvati valley near Manikaran (Himachal Pradesh) and Puga Valley (Ladakh).

Conservation of energy resources.

Every sector (agriculture, industry, transport, commercial and domestic) needs energy, and consumption has steadily risen since Independence.
India needs a sustainable path of energy development. Its twin planks: promoting energy conservation and increasing use of renewable sources.
India is presently one of the least energy efficient countries in the world.
Citizens can help: use public transport instead of individual vehicles, switch off electricity when not in use, use power-saving devices, and use non-conventional sources. After all, 'energy saved is energy produced'.

Map work (2026-27). Locate and label the nuclear power plants: Narora (Uttar Pradesh), Kakrapara (Gujarat), Tarapur (Maharashtra) and Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu), as on NCERT's map of nuclear and thermal power plants.

Non-Conventional Energy and Energy Conservation: key facts

Why renewables: Fossil fuel dependence + rising prices + possible shortages (energy security) + environmental problems; Opening for 'need for non-conventional energy'.
Nuclear: Altering atomic structure releases heat; uranium and thorium from Jharkhand and the Aravallis; thorium in Kerala's monazite sands; Non-conventional in NCERT.
Solar and wind: Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight to electricity; largest wind cluster Nagarcoil to Madurai (TN); Nagarcoil and Jaisalmer known for wind use
Biogas: Organic waste decomposes -> gas more efficient than kerosene, dung cake, charcoal; gobar gas plants; twin benefits: energy + manure; Most efficient use of cattle dung.
Tidal: Floodgate dams across inlets; Gulf of Khambhat, Gulf of Kuchchh, Sunderbans
Geothermal: Earth's interior heat; steam from hot groundwater; Parvati valley (Manikaran, HP), Puga Valley (Ladakh); Experimental projects.
Energy conservation: Twin planks: conservation + renewables; public transport, switching off, power-saving devices; 'energy saved is energy produced'; India among the least energy efficient.
Nuclear plants map: Narora (UP), Kakrapara (Gujarat), Tarapur (Maharashtra), Kalpakkam (TN); Locate and label.

How to answer Non-Conventional Energy and Energy Conservation questions

Questions ask why India needs non-conventional energy, to explain a source (biogas, tidal, geothermal), where sources are developed, how to conserve energy, and map work on nuclear plants.

1For 'why', give three reasons: dependence and price, shortages and security, pollution.
2For each source, give how it works and one Indian location.
3For biogas, always mention the twin benefits and why it beats burning dung cakes.
4For conservation, name the twin planks and two citizen actions.
5For maps, place the four nuclear plants: north (Narora), west coast (Kakrapara, Tarapur), east coast (Kalpakkam).

Non-Conventional Energy and Energy Conservation in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Biogas versus dung cakes

Suppose a dairy farmer with ten cows burns dung cakes for cooking and buys chemical fertiliser for his fields. A neighbour suggests setting up a gobar gas plant.

Explain the benefits of the neighbour's suggestion using NCERT.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Burning dung cakes wastes valuable manure.
A gobar gas plant decomposes dung to produce gas with higher thermal efficiency than dung cakes.
The leftover slurry is better-quality manure.
Twin benefits: energy and manure; also saves trees.

Answer: A gobar gas plant would give the farmer cooking gas with higher thermal efficiency than dung cakes, kerosene or charcoal. The decomposed material leaves better-quality manure, cutting his need for bought fertiliser. NCERT calls biogas the most efficient use of cattle dung: it gives twin benefits, energy and manure, and prevents the loss of trees and manure from burning fuel.

Memory hook: Burn dung and lose manure; digest it and keep both.

Tricks to remember Non-Conventional Energy and Energy Conservation

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

N-S-W-B-T-G
Nuclear, Solar, Wind, Biogas, Tidal, Geothermal: 'New Sources Will Bring True Growth'.
Use it when: Listing non-conventional sources.
Nagarcoil to Madurai
The wind blows from Nagarcoil to Madurai: India's largest wind farm cluster.
Use it when: Wind MCQs.
Puga and Parvati
Two P's for geothermal: Parvati valley (Manikaran) and Puga (Ladakh).
Use it when: Geothermal MCQs.
Nuclear four: N-K-T-K
Narora, Kakrapara, Tarapur, Kalpakkam: 'No Kid Throws Kites' indoors.
Use it when: Map list.

Non-Conventional Energy and Energy Conservation: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Thorium source · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

Which one of the following minerals is contained in the monazite sands of Kerala?
(a) Oil
(b) Uranium
(c) Thorium
(d) Coal

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT states the monazite sands of Kerala are rich in thorium (1 mark).

Answer: (c) Thorium

Example 2: Why non-conventional energy (2 marks) · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

Why is there a pressing need to use non-conventional sources of energy in India? Give two reasons. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Growing dependence on fossil fuels, with rising prices and possible shortages, makes future energy supply uncertain and threatens economic growth (1 mark).
Increasing use of fossil fuels causes serious environmental problems (1 mark).

Answer: Growing dependence on coal, oil and gas, whose prices are rising and which may run short, makes energy security uncertain and threatens economic growth. Fossil fuels also cause serious environmental problems.

Example 3: Assertion-reason: biogas · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

Assertion (A): Biogas is by far the most efficient use of cattle dung.
Reason (R): Gobar gas plants provide energy and also improve the quality of manure.
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true, but R is false.
(d) A is false, but R is true.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The twin benefits in R are why biogas is the most efficient use of dung (1 mark).

Answer: (a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.

Example 4: Tidal and geothermal (5 marks) · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Explain how tidal energy and geothermal energy are produced, and name the places in India suited to each. Why are these sources important for India's future? (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Tidal: floodgate dams across inlets trap high-tide water; when the tide falls, water flows back to sea through a pipe that turns a power-generating turbine (1 mark).
Tidal sites: Gulf of Khambhat and Gulf of Kuchchh in Gujarat, and the Gangetic delta in the Sunderbans, West Bengal (1 mark).
Geothermal: the Earth gets hotter with depth; where the gradient is high, groundwater heated by rocks rises as steam to drive turbines (1 mark).
Geothermal sites: several hundred hot springs; experimental projects in the Parvati valley near Manikaran (HP) and Puga Valley (Ladakh) (1 mark).
Importance: renewable, reduce dependence on costly, limited fossil fuels and their pollution, supporting energy security and sustainable development (1 mark).

Answer: Tidal energy uses floodgate dams built across inlets. At high tide water flows in and is trapped; when the tide falls outside, the stored water flows back to the sea through a pipe that turns a turbine. The Gulf of Khambhat and Gulf of Kuchchh in Gujarat and the Gangetic delta in the Sunderbans are ideal sites. Geothermal energy uses the Earth's interior heat: where the geothermal gradient is high, groundwater absorbs heat from rocks and rises as steam that drives turbines. India has several hundred hot springs and experimental projects in the Parvati valley near Manikaran and the Puga Valley in Ladakh. Both are renewable, so they cut dependence on costly, limited and polluting fossil fuels.

Example 5: Case: energy saved is energy produced · 4 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency

Read the case and answer the questions.

NCERT states that every sector of the economy needs energy, and consumption has risen steadily since Independence. It warns that India is presently one of the least energy efficient countries in the world. It calls for a sustainable path of energy development, built on two planks, and suggests what concerned citizens can do, ending with the line 'energy saved is energy produced'.

(i) What are the 'twin planks' of sustainable energy? (1)
(ii) Give one action a citizen can take to save energy. (1)
(iii) Explain the meaning of 'energy saved is energy produced' with reference to India's energy efficiency. (2)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) Promotion of energy conservation and increased use of renewable energy sources (1 mark).
(ii) Use public transport, switch off electricity when not in use, or use power-saving devices (1 mark).
(iii) Each unit not wasted is a unit that need not be generated, saving limited fuels (1 mark).
(iii) As India is one of the least energy-efficient countries, cutting waste can meet more needs without new power plants or more fossil fuel (1 mark).

Answer: (i) Promoting energy conservation and increasing the use of renewable energy. (ii) Using public transport instead of individual vehicles (or switching off lights, using power-saving devices). (iii) Every unit of energy not wasted is a unit that does not have to be produced, saving limited fuels. Since India is one of the least energy-efficient countries, reducing waste can meet more needs without new plants or extra fossil fuel.

Example 6: Map: nuclear power plants · 3 marks · Map workHarder board level

On an outline map of India, locate and label: (a) Narora nuclear power plant, (b) Kalpakkam nuclear power plant, (c) Kakrapara nuclear power plant. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(a) Narora: in western Uttar Pradesh, on the Ganga plain; dot and label (1 mark).
(b) Kalpakkam: on the Tamil Nadu coast south of Chennai; dot and label (1 mark).
(c) Kakrapara: in south Gujarat, near Surat; dot and label (1 mark).

Answer: Narora (Uttar Pradesh), Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu coast) and Kakrapara (south Gujarat), each marked with a dot and labelled.

Where students lose marks in Non-Conventional Energy and Energy Conservation

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Calling nuclear energy conventional
It is a large power source.
Wrong working
Nuclear power is a conventional source like thermal power.
Right working
NCERT classes atomic energy as non-conventional.
Do this: Follow NCERT's lists.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Vague biogas answers
Only 'gas from dung' is written.
Wrong working
Biogas is made from cow dung.
Right working
Made from shrubs, farm waste and animal and human waste; more efficient than kerosene and dung cake; twin benefits of energy and manure.
Do this: Source + efficiency + twin benefits.
Usually costs: 1-2 marks.
Mistake: Wrong tidal sites
Coastal locations confused.
Wrong working
Tidal energy is ideal in the Gulf of Mannar.
Right working
Gulf of Khambhat, Gulf of Kuchchh and the Sunderbans.
Do this: Two Gujarat gulfs plus the Sunderbans.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Conservation answers with no NCERT idea
Generic tips only.
Wrong working
We should save electricity because it is good.
Right working
Twin planks, India's low efficiency, 'energy saved is energy produced'.
Do this: Anchor tips in NCERT's reasoning.
Usually costs: 1-2 marks.

Exam tips

Learn one location for each non-conventional source; MCQs and cases test them.
Practise the four nuclear plants on a blank map; they are locate-and-label items.
Use 'twin planks' and 'energy saved is energy produced' in conservation answers.
Geography has no 3-mark answers in 2026-27.

Practice questions on Non-Conventional Energy and Energy Conservation

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
The largest wind farm cluster in India is located:
(a) from Jaisalmer to Barmer
(b) from Nagarcoil to Madurai
(c) in Lakshadweep
(d) along the Konkan coast
Hint
Tamil Nadu.
Answer
(b) from Nagarcoil to Madurai
Q2 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
How can solar energy help the rural environment and agriculture? (2 marks)
Hint
Firewood, dung cakes, manure.
Answer
Solar power can reduce rural households' dependence on firewood and dung cakes. This helps conserve forests and leaves more dung available as manure for agriculture.
Q3 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Where are the two experimental geothermal projects in India?
(a) Puga Valley and Parvati valley
(b) Gulf of Kuchchh and Sunderbans
(c) Nagarcoil and Jaisalmer
(d) Neyveli and Talcher
Hint
Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.
Answer
(a) Puga Valley and Parvati valley
Q4 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Suppose your school spends a lot on electricity. Suggest three steps from NCERT that the school can take to conserve energy, and explain why conservation matters for India. (5 marks)
Hint
Citizen actions, renewable use, twin planks, efficiency.
Answer
The school can switch off lights and fans when rooms are empty, replace old equipment with power-saving devices, and install solar panels, a non-conventional source; students can also use public or shared transport. Conservation matters because every sector of India's economy needs energy and consumption has risen steadily since Independence. India depends heavily on fossil fuels whose prices are rising and which may run short, and it is one of the least energy-efficient countries. Promoting conservation and renewables, the twin planks of sustainable energy, protects energy security and the environment, because energy saved is energy produced.
Q5 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHOTS / competency
Assertion (A): Atomic energy is obtained by altering the structure of atoms.
Reason (R): Uranium and thorium for nuclear power are available in Jharkhand and the Aravalli ranges of Rajasthan.
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true, but R is false.
(d) A is false, but R is true.
Hint
Does R explain how atomic energy is obtained?
Answer
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
Q6 · 3 marks · Map workBoard level
On an outline map of India, locate and label the nuclear power plants at Tarapur, Kakrapara and Narora. (3 marks)
Hint
Two near the west coast; one on the Ganga plain.
Answer
Tarapur (Maharashtra coast, north of Mumbai), Kakrapara (Gujarat) and Narora (Uttar Pradesh), each dotted and labelled.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.What does photovoltaic technology do?Show answer
Converts sunlight directly into electricity.
2.Which places are known for effective wind energy use?Show answer
Nagarcoil and Jaisalmer.
3.What are gobar gas plants?Show answer
Biogas plants using cattle dung in rural India.
4.Where are uranium and thorium found?Show answer
Jharkhand and the Aravalli ranges of Rajasthan; thorium also in Kerala's monazite sands.
5.In which state is Kakrapara?Show answer
Gujarat.

Non-Conventional Energy and Energy Conservation: frequently asked questions

What are non-conventional sources of energy?

Nuclear (atomic), solar, wind, biogas, tidal and geothermal energy, along with energy from biomass and waste.

Why should India use non-conventional energy?

Because dependence on fossil fuels raises costs and energy-security risks and causes serious pollution, while India has abundant sunlight, wind, water and biomass.

How can we conserve energy?

By using public transport, switching off electricity when not needed, using power-saving devices and using non-conventional sources; energy saved is energy produced.

Which nuclear plants are in the 2026-27 map list?

Narora, Kakrapara, Tarapur and Kalpakkam, for locating and labelling.