Renewable Energy/ Consumption Flashcards

1
Q

What does non renewable energy mean

A

A natural resource or source of energy existing in finite quantity; not capable of being replenished

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2
Q

DESCRIBE the pattern of energy supply in the UK from 1950 to present day

A
  • increased transport consumption
  • slight increase of domestic use
  • decreased industrual use
  • service use hasn’t changed
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3
Q

Explain why the enegy usage has changed

A
  • decrease in coal reserves, so not enough to economically extract
  • development of renewable energy, has increased demand due to concerns about pollution
  • Government help/grants, helped reduce cost of energy supply such as renewables
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4
Q

Why should/shouldn’t use non renewable energy

A

SHOULD: cheap, easy to transport and districbute, abundantly available

SHOULDN’T: affects the environment, finite resource

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5
Q

What is Equitable

A

Social + economic sustainability

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6
Q

What is bearable

A

Social + environmental sustainability

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7
Q

What is viable

A

Economic + environmental sustainability

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8
Q

Describe UK energy usages in 1950

A
  • dominated by coal, 80%
  • rest is mostly oil
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9
Q

Describe UK energy usages in 1990

A
  • renewable energy = less than 2% of electricity generation
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10
Q

Describe UK energy usages in 2009

A
  • UK Government Renewable Energy strategy
  • hopes that 15% of UK energy to come from renewable sources by 2020
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11
Q

Describe UK energy usages in 2013

A
  • renewable energy = 15% of UKs electricity generated
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12
Q

Describe UK energy usages in 2015

A

Renewable energy = 25% of UKs electricity generated

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13
Q

How does Biofuel work

A
  • energy produced from organic matter
  • burning plants and such
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14
Q

How much does Biofuel contribute

A
  • 5%
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15
Q

Advantages of Biofuel

A
  • fuel is cheap
  • helps get rid of waste
  • biomass can’t run out
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16
Q

Disadvantages of biomass

A
  • collects CO2
  • Collecting the waste to burn is difficult
  • it the trees aren’t regrown = deforestation
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17
Q

How does wind work

A
  • turbines on land or sea are turned around by the wind
  • generating electricity
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18
Q

How much energy does wind turbines contribute

A
  • in 2014 = just below 10%
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19
Q

Advantages of wind turbines

A
  • running costs = low
  • no waste or pollution produced
  • land occupied for win farm can still be used normally
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20
Q

Disadvantages of wind turbines

A
  • no wind = no power
  • spoil view
  • creates low-level noise
  • interfere with television reception and radar
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21
Q

How does hydro electric power work

A
  • river blocked by dam
  • reservoir is created by trapped water
  • trapped water flows out through pipes under great pressure
  • turning a turbine = generating electricity
22
Q

What are the usages of hydroelectric power in UK

A
  • supplies 1.4% of UK electricity
23
Q

Advantages of hydro electric power

A
  • low running costs
  • no waste/pollution produced
  • electricity can be constantly produced (water stored and used as needed)
24
Q

What are the disadvantages of hydro electric power

A
  • expensive construction costs
  • sites are remote and difficult to find
25
Q

How does solar work

A
  • photovoltaic cells mounted on solar panels
  • convert light into electricity
26
Q

Usage of solar panels

A
  • very good during summer
  • can be fitted on houses
27
Q

Advantages of solar panels

A
  • low running costs
  • can generate electricity anywhere with light
  • no waste/pollution
28
Q

Disadvantages of solar panels

A
  • doesn’t work at night
  • photovoltaic cells are expensive
29
Q

How does tidal produce electricity

A
  • turbines within barrages are constructed across river estuaries
  • use rising and falling tides to spin a turbine to generate electricity
30
Q

Advantage of tidal energy

A
  • low running costs
  • no waste/pollution
  • reliable
  • no fuel required
31
Q

Disadvantages of tidal energy

A
  • Only a few suitable places for construction
  • expensive
  • disrupts local ecosystem
32
Q

How does wave energy work

A
  • waves force air into a chamber
  • turning a turbine linked to a generator
33
Q

Usage of tidal in UK

A
  • could be 10% in the future
  • still in early stages of development
34
Q

Usage of wave

A
  • not a lot due to economics and environmental concerns
35
Q

Advantages of wave

A
  • low running costs
  • no pollution/ waste
  • produces a lot of energy
36
Q

Disadvantages of wave

A
  • noisy
  • hazardous to ships
  • only effective where there’s strong waves
37
Q

How does geothermal work

A
  • water heated underground
  • creates steam when touching hot rocks
  • steam drives a turbine to generate electricity
38
Q

Advantages of geothermal

A
  • no pollution/waste
  • low running costs
39
Q

Disadvantages of geothermal

A
  • hot rocks need to be a specific type, so site locations are hard to find
  • if not managed carefully it can’t be used very long
40
Q

How does hydrogen fuel cells produce electricitry

A
  • converts CO2 and hydrogen into water
  • producing electricity and heat
41
Q

Advantages of Hydrogen fuel cells

A
  • no pollution: only waste product is heat + water
  • no noise
  • can be built from a range of sizes to suit uses
42
Q

Disadvantages of hydrogen fuel cells

A
  • need hydrogen = not renewable
  • it will be awhile until hydrogen is abundantly available
  • hydrogen = flammable = dangerous
43
Q

How does oil and coal produce electricity

A
  • burn them to create steam
  • turns a turbine = electricity
44
Q

Advantages of coal and oil

A
  • readily available
  • creates jobs
  • easy to extract
  • relatively cheap
45
Q

Disadvantages of coal and oil

A

-global warming
- destroys habitats extracting them
- Finite
- health issues

46
Q

How does fracking work

A
  • pump water + sand under high pressure
  • into deep shale rock, splitting it apart
  • forcing gas or oil to rise to surface to be collected
47
Q

Advantages of fracking

A
  • easy to acces fossil fuels
  • strengthen economies
  • creates jobs
48
Q

Disadvantages of fracking

A
  • contaminate water and soil
  • increase seismic risks
  • destruction of habitat
  • noisy
49
Q

How does nuclear generate electricity

A
  • heat produced in nuclear fission
  • make steam to turn a turbine
50
Q

Advantages of nuclear

A
  • no polluting gases
  • no global warming contribution
  • low fuel cost
  • long lifetime
51
Q

Disadvantages of nuclear

A
  • difficult to safely dispose of radioactive waste
  • accidents can be catastrophic
  • public perception is negative
  • expensive
52
Q

When and what was the miner’s strike

A
  • 1961
  • used to account for 80%
  • miner’s strike over coal mine closures