Energy Security 1 Flashcards
Define primary energy
Form of energy found in nature that has not undergone a transformation process
Define secondary energy
Energy derived from a. conversion process to generate a second form of energy - most commonly electricity
Give some domestic primary and secondary energy uses
PRIMARY
- Solar panels
- Natural gas (boilers)
- Oil
SECONDARY
- Electricity
- Heat
Give some industrial primary and secondary energy uses
PRIMARY
- Coal
- Natural gas
- Nucelar fusion
SECONDARY
- Electricity
Define energy mix
The composition of primary energy sources used to meet the demand in the country
Give 5 factors that determine a country’s energy mix
- Availability of energy sources
- Government policy (COP21 targets)
- Level of economic development
- Geopolitics (trading partners)
- Inertia - retaining an existing mix due to technical/social difficulties in changing
Give 4 climate factors that influence energy supply
Sunshine hours/intensity
Wind strength
Precipitation
Biomass growth
Give 3 geological factors that influence energy supply
Fossil fuel rock structure
Geothermal crust stricture
Tectonic plate structure
Give 2 drainage factors that influence energy supply
Freshwater abstraction
Dam construction
How does sunshine intensity/hours influence energy supply (+ examples)
Solar power is more exploitable where the sun is high in the sky + daylight hours at peak (and so becomes a key renewable option)
Solar farms in California, Southern Spain dn N.Africa are particularly effective
How does wind strength influence energy supply (+ examples)
Wind energy more exploitable when there is a consistently high wind strength - making it a key renewable option
UK = particularly well paced to exploit wind energy. Uplands facing prevailing winds + a large shallow continental shelf for off-shore wind turbines where wind is more consistent
How does precipitation influence energy supply (+ example)
Regions with high levels of precipitation are better placed for HEP
Even in deserts, exotic rivers can be dammed and exploited for Hep, as long as rainfall is high enough upstream to generate a powerful, consistent river flow
River Nile - Aswan Dam
How does Biomass Growth influence energy supply (+ example)
Growth of sugar canes for bio-ethanol production in tropical regions + substantial harvesting of biomass fuel depends on climate that encourages rapid growth of plant material
Brazil considered to have world’s first sustainable biofuel economy + its sugar can ethanol has been described as the “Most successful alternative fuel to date”
How does fossil rock structure influence energy supply (+ example)
Coal seams may be present if ancient swamps and forests have been submerged, buried and fossilised (UK mainland)
Natural gas and crude oil rely on particular trapping geological structures (anticlines) and capping layers of impervious rocks to ensure the fossilised fluid remains are in exploitable concentrations
How does Geothermal crustal structure influence energy supply (+ example)
Where the crust is particularly thin and mantle/magma heated rocks close to the surface, the potential for geothermal energy increases
New Zealand, Iceland, Japan
