3.4.2: Physical factors determining the supply of energy

Question 1

Insolation rates

Answer 1

The solar irradiation integrated overtime

Question 2

Highest insolation rates in world

Answer 2

30 degrees North and South of the equator,

sunlight exposure and long daylight hours

Question 3

Wind energy ideal locations

Answer 3

offshore

high altitude

Question 4

Examples of wind energy farms

Answer 4

Hornsea, World’s largest offshore wind farm
Denmark
North Sea

Question 5

World’s largest offshore wind farm

Answer 5

Hornsea, UK
174 turbines in a ‘field’
turbines are 180m tall
1 rotation can power a house for 24hrs

Question 6

Coal

Answer 6

Formed from dead organic matter being compressed under layers of soil and water to stop decaying process, loss of oxygen left hydrocarbon products = coal.

Question 7

Where is coal found?

Answer 7

near surface of deep underground

Question 8

How is coal used to generate electricity

Answer 8

grind it to a powder,
burn it to produce steam,
use steam to turn an electricity generator

Question 9

Coal overall price

Answer 9

cheap

Question 10

Tidal power reliability

Answer 10

reliable

Question 11

Tidal power mini casestudy

Answer 11

Swansea bay tidal lagoon,
World’s first tidal lagoon power plant
proposed project

Question 12

Hydroelectric power casestudy

Answer 12

Three Gorges Dam, China

Question 13

Hydroelectric power location requirements

Answer 13

height
high rainfall
rivers
money

Question 14

Three Gorges Dam, China

hydroelectric power casestudy

Answer 14

$25 billion cost
environmental disaster
100 years to make
on the Yangtze river, very polluted river
biggest dam in the World
politics - showing what can be done

Question 15

Three Gorges Dam, China
advantages
4

Answer 15

control flooding
allows passage of ships
produces electricity
produces 10% of China’s energy needs

Question 16

Three Gorges Dam, China
disadvantages
4

Answer 16

low water quality
risk of earthquakes caused by weight of water
destruction of many cities in construction
very bad ecologically

Question 17

Three Gorges Dam, China

water volume capacity

Answer 17

holds up to 3 trillion litres of water

Question 18

Denmark mini casestudy for which energy type?

Answer 18

windfarms

Question 19

What percentage of electricity did Denmark produce from wind turbines?

Answer 19

42%

Question 20

What happens to Denmark’s excess wind energy produced?

Answer 20

It is sold to consumers in Norway, Sweden and Germany

Question 21

Denmark’s goal electricity production by 2050

Answer 21

produced 50% of its electricity from wind turbines by 2050

Question 22

Mini casestudy of solar power plant location

Answer 22

Morocco

Question 23

Solar power plant Morocco

Mini casestudy description

Answer 23

One of the World’s biggest solar plants
area of desert of 200 football fields is covered in solar panels
around 330 days of sunshine a year
in the future ambition to export energy to Europe

Question 24

Solar power plant Morocco

funding

Answer 24

stable government and economy helped secure funding

60% of cost funded by the EU