Renewable And Non-Renewable Sources Of Energy

Question 1

Who are the ‘Sandals’?

Answer 1

Believe in the back-to-nature approach, where humanity should be woven more deeply into the natural world through the use of renewable energy sources

Question 2

Who are the ‘Nukes’?

Answer 2

Less conventional green thinkers who believe that technology is the way forward, therefore reducing our dependency on the planet’s natural resources

Question 3

Outline how we can use wind as a renewable energy source

Answer 3

Power of wind turns turbines, which generates electricity

Question 4

Give 4 advantages of wind as a renewable energy source

Answer 4

• Flexibility (Can be used in large-scale wind farms or individual turbines)
• Use of wind turbines is non-polluting (Produces 50 x as much energy over its lifetime as is consumed by its construction)
• Produces low-cost power if developed commercially
• Could be installed offshore to minimise visual impact and maximise efficiency

Question 5

Give 5 disadvantages of wind as a renewable energy source

Answer 5

• Can only provide a small proportion of total energy needs
• Unsightly onshore wind turbines spoil landscape
• Infrastructure required damages landscape
• Controversial (Noise and vibration of moving)
• Affects environmentally sensitive coastal sites

Question 6

Outline how we can use water as a renewable energy source

Answer 6

Running water turns turbines and generates hydroelectric power (HEP)

Question 7

Give 5 advantages of water as a renewable energy source

Answer 7

• Fuel is not required so eliminates fuel cost and production of CO²
• HEP plants are highly efficient with minimal running costs
• High initial set-up costs recovered after only a few years
• Reservoirs provide improved leisure and tourism
• Large dams can control flooding downstream

Question 8

Give 5 disadvantages of water as a renewable energy source

Answer 8

• Extremely expensive to construct dams and power plants
• Flooding of vast areas to create reservoirs, displace residents
• Dam failures can cause massive destruction
• HEP projects can disrupt aquatic ecosystem
• Can produce lots of greenhouse gases in tropical locations

Question 9

Outline how we can use solar as a renewable energy source

Answer 9

Hot water and/or electricity generated from solar energy via solar panels and photovoltaic cells

Question 10

Give 5 advantages of solar as a renewable energy source

Answer 10

• Huge amounts of free energy available
• Pollution free during use
• Low operating and maintenance costs
• Produces enough energy for national grid to cope at peak demand
• Economically competitive, especially in remote regions

Question 11

Give 4 disadvantages of solar as a renewable energy source

Answer 11

• Relatively expensive set-up costs for domestic or commercial
• Solar electricity is currently more expensive than other sources
• Solar heat and electricity are not available at night
• Energy lost by converting DC current to AC current for national grid

Question 12

Outline how we can use biomass and biofuels as a renewable energy source

Answer 12

Plant materials are either incinerated to produce heat and electricity or biogas is produced from anaerobic digestion

Question 13

Give 4 advantages of biomass and biofuels as a renewable energy source

Answer 13

• Relatively inexpensive source
• Large amounts of waste biomass material available from agriculture
• Production of biogas reduces the release of methane into the atmosphere
• By-products of biogas production can be sold and used as compost

Question 14

Give 3 disadvantages of biomass and biofuels as a renewable energy source

Answer 14

• Ecological damage, including deforestation
• Currently, expensive processing costs of converting biomass into fuels with low yield
• Incineration causes CO² pollution

Question 15

Outline how we can use nuclear as a non-renewable energy source

Answer 15

A controlled nuclear chain reaction creates heat, which is used to boil water, produce steam, and drive turbines which in turn generate electricity

Question 16

Give 5 advantages of nuclear as a non-renewable energy source

Answer 16

• Uses uranium, which is abundant
• Controlled chain reaction creates heat that also heats power station
• Mitigates greenhouse effect if used to replace fossil-fuel-derived electricity
• Passively safe nuclear reactors use new technologies, increasing safety
• Future development of fission reactors, which are cleaner and more efficient

Question 17

Give 4 disadvantages of nuclear as a non-renewable energy source

Answer 17

• Unpopular/mistrust with public due to media coverage of incidents such as Chernobyl
• Problem of storing radioactive waste with thousands of years of decay
• Potential for severe radioactive contamination and proliferation of nuclear weapons
• Mining of uranium causes damage to environment and pollution

Question 18

Outline how we can use fossil fuels as a non-renewable energy source

Answer 18

The burning of hydro-carbons (oil, coal and gas) to produce heat and power

Question 19

Give 3 advantages of fossil fuels as a non-renewable energy source

Answer 19

• Economies of scale (Large amount of electricity produced meaning low-cost supply)
• Gas-fires stations are very efficient
• Power stations can be built almost anywhere

Question 20

Give 5 disadvantages of fossil fuels as a non-renewable energy source

Answer 20

• Finite resource
• Largest source of emissions of CO², contributing to global warming
• Generates sulphuric, carbonic and nitric acid, which cause acid rain
• Mining of coal and extraction of oil and gas cause damage to environment and pollution
• Regional and global conflicts triggered over oil reserves