Energy

This is what the syllabus says about Energy:

 So I have summarised the above into 6 key questions. By the end
of the Energy unit, you should be able to answer these questions.

• What does non-renewable energy include?

Please follow
• What does renewable energy include?
• What is the global pattern of energy supplies?
the step-by-
• How energy consumptions (the use of energy) step guidance
are different in countries at different levels of
development?
and do tasks
• What are the benefits and disadvantages of A to F for
nuclear power? the lesson:
• What are the benefits and disadvantages of
renewable energy sources?
1. Let’s do a warm-up task first and test your
knowledge about energy –
• Task A - Do the quiz
(via this link:
https://www.proprofs.c
om/quiz-school/story.p
hp?title=Nzk4NTI0H8N
Z
) and post your
certificate to “Posts” on
Class Team..
2. Let’s learn the keywords – all about energy!
They are split into the following two groups:
Non-renewable energy: Renewable energy:
Coal Geothermal power
Oil Fossil Wind power
Natural gas
fuels Hydro-electric power
Fuelwood Wave and tidal power
Nuclear power Solar power
Biofuel
 3. Now match the keywords with
definitions/explanations:
• Task B
Renewable Coal
energy
Non-renewable Oil
Sustainable Natural gas
Fossil fuel fuelwood
Geothermal Wave and
power tidal power
Wind power Solar power

Hydro-electric Biofuel/
power Biomass
Power plant Nuclear
power
 4. The following describes the importance
energy consumption at a global level:
• The graph shows the
global importance in the
consumption of different
types of energy from
1800 to 2015. The graph
shows that the non-
renewable fossil fuels
(coal, oil and natural gas)
continue to dominate
energy supplies at a
global level.
 Continued – Projection – How would energy
consumption change in the future?
• In the period through to 2035, it is currently projected that the
_______________ fossil fuels will be the main source of energy
Task C: powering the global economy.
Fill in the blanks… • They will provide around 60% of the growth in _______________
and will still account for almost 80% of total energy supply in 2035.
(a) renewable • _______________ is the fastest growing fossil fuel and its share is
(b) non-renewable gradually increasing. Oil will continue to grow steadily, although the
(c) coal trend in the decline in its share will continue.
(d) Natural gas • In contrast, the growth of _______________ is projected to slow
(e) energy sharply, so that by 2035 the share of coal may be at an all-time low,
with gas replacing it as the second-largest fuel source.
• _______________ fuels including biofuels are projected to grow
rapidly, so that their share will rise from around 3% today to 9% by
2035.
 5. The following explains why energy use is
uneven among countries:
• The use of these energy resources is
not evenly spread across the countries
of the world – there is a very uneven
distribution.
• Currently, the richest 25% of the
world’s population in the HIC (High
Income Countries) use over 75% of the
world’s available energy resources.
• The huge difference among different
regions in the world can be seen in the
graph:
Also the pattern of consumption is not equal
across the world:
• Task D:
Compare the energy
consumption in Asia
Pacific and Middle
East. (3 marks)
 6. Nuclear power – Why it is a controversial
source of energy?
• Task E
Do an online research and find out the answer
to the question above using the following
keywords (if you are not sure the meanings,
please look it up in the dictionary first):
Advantages Disadvantages
• Benefits and disadvantages
• Nuclear waste
• Nuclear power stations
• Nuclear accident
• Radioactive
• Chernobyl
• Fukishima
• Greenhouse gas
• Uranium ore
7. Renewable energy – advantages and
disadvantages
• Learn the information from
the link (
https://www.cheshireeast.gov
.uk/PDF/Non_renewable_and
_renewable_energy.pdf
). However, a couple of other
types of renewable energy
are missing – Check the next
two slides or do some
research and find out their
advantages and
disadvantages as well!
 • Having learnt the advantages and disadvantage of
Task F: each type of renewable energy, what do you think are
the common advantages and disadvantages of
renewable energy?

Advantages Disadvantages
 8. Finally it is time to consolidate your
energy vocabulary…
• Task G:
Do the “Word Search Game”
via link (
https://www.ducksters.com/ga
mes/word_search/renewablee
nergy.php
)
• Take a screen shot of your
result and post it to “Posts”
on Class Team..
Nuclear Energy
• Why nuclear energy?
• How does nuclear energy
work?
• What are the factors that
affect the location of a
nuclear power plant?
• Benefits of nuclear energy
• Disadvantages of nuclear
energy
 Why nuclear energy?

• Instable energy prices

• Rising fears about oil supplies
• Energy security
• Climate change
• Using nuclear energy could reduce consumption of limited fossil fuel
• Using nuclear energy could help assure cleaner air
• Nuclear energy generate huge amount of electricity that is essential in
manufacturing goods and providing services that assures safety,
healthy living and convenience in modern life.
 How does nuclear energy work?
• Nuclear power plants are powered by uranium
and a process know as fission. Instead of
burning fossil fuels like other power plants do,
a nuclear power plant uses the fission process
to split uranium atoms to create a powerful
heat energy that boils water. The water turns
into high pressured steam that spins a turbine
that powers a generator to create electricity.
• Fission is the process of splitting the nucleus
(= central part) of an atom, when a large
amount of energy is released.
Factors affecting the location of Nuclear
Energy Stations
• Water for cooling is needed – river water or
see water (coastline).
• Some are built on the coast to dispose of
very low level liquid, radioactive waste.
• May be located far from dense populations
because of the risk of accident or far from
human settlements so nuclear waste could
be disposed freely.
• A large flat site for cooling towers
• Other factors?
 • A small amount of radioactive material produces a lot of
energy.
• Raw materials are relatively cheap and can last quite a
long time.
• It doesn't give off atmospheric pollutants – zero emission
Nuclear of green house gas. (carbon-free energy)
Energy – • Countries could rely less on fossil fuels.
• Nuclear energy is not subject to fuel price fluctuations.
Benefits
 Nuclear Energy – Disadvantages
• Nuclear reactors are expensive to build. High
construction and decommissioning (stop running)
costs.
• Nuclear waste is highly toxic, and needs to be safely
stored for hundreds or thousands of years (storage
is extremely expensive) – to be no longer hazardous.
• Disposing of the nuclear waste is very difficult and
need to be done after lo of the planning by the
experts.
• Leakage of nuclear materials can have a devastating
impact on people and the environment. The worst
nuclear reactor accident was at Chernobyl, Ukraine
in 1986.
• Renewable energy – benefits and disadvantages
• HEP benefits
• HEP disadvantages
Renewable energy is Renewable and Sustainable!
• It is renewable because…
• The energy comes from non
fossil fuel energy. So it will not
run out.
• The energy supply is infinite –
Solar energy, Wind energy,
Tidal/wave energy, Geothermal
energy, Biofuel and Water
energy (HEP – Hydroelectric
Power).
• It is sustainable because…
• It is carbon-free energy. So it
does not emit greenhouse gas.
• It does not contribute to global
warming or acid rain..
• So it would be less likely for the
world environment to be
harmed by the consumption of
renewable energy. And it is more
likely for it to last for a long time.
Why more countries are using
renewable energy?
• Reduce their reliance on often
reducing domestic fossil fuel
resources (an alternative to fossil
fuel)
• Lower their reliance on costly fossil
fuel imports
• Improve their energy security with
higher domestic energy production
• Cut greenhouse gas emissions for a
cleaner environment and to satisfy
international obligations. (“Kyoto
Protocol”)
What are the problems in using renewable
energy?
• It is difficult to generate the quantities
of electricity that are as large as those
produced by traditional fossil fuel
generators. This may mean that we
need to build more energy facilities.
• The cost of renewable energy
technology is also far in excess of
traditional fossil fuel generation. This is
because it is a new technology and as
such as extremely large capital cost.
 More problems of renewable energy…
• Unreliability of supply – renewable energy
often relies on the weather for its source of
power.
• Wind turbines need wind to turn the blades
• Solar collectors need clear skies and sunshine to
collect heat and make electricity.
• Hydro generators need rain to fill dams to
supply flowing water.
• So unreliable, unpredictable and inconsistent.
 Hydro-Electric Power (HEP)
• Hydropower ( or water power) is
electric power generated by the
motion of water. For this reason,
hydropower is often also called
‘hydroelectric power’.
• Hydropower refers to power
generated from water by rotating
turbines. The force of falling water
generally causes the turbines to rotate
causing mechanical movements that
create electrical energy, which is then
distributed to homes, offices and
industries.
 Hydro-Electric Power (HEP)
• HEP generates the highest
proportion of renewable energy and
6.5% of the world’s total energy.
• In some countries it forms a very
high proportion of their total energy
use – in Norway 96% of electricity
and Paraguay 93%.
Hydro-Electric Power (HEP)
• The ‘Big 4’ HEP nations - China, Brazil, Canada and USA
• Taking up almost 53% of the world total.
 Dam – stores water by raising the water level.
How does a HEP Penstock – carries water to the turbines
Turbines – turned by the force of the water on their blades.
station work? Generators – rotated by the turbines to generate electricity.
Transmission lines – conduct electricity, ultimately to homes
and industries.

Dam

HEP stations are located in

hilly areas where dams can
be built conveniently and
large water reservoirs can
be obtained. In a HEP
station, water head is
created by constructing a
dam across a rive or lake.
 Benefits of HEP?

• It doesn’t harm the earth in the way that oil or nuclear

power plants do because it does not produce any toxic
wastes or emissions.
• Though it may cause some initial ecological damage, it is one
of the most non-polluting and also the cheapest sources of
power.
• Hydroelectric power plants in general have extremely long
life span. Some of the existing plants are 50 or even 100 years
old, and they are still producing electricity.
• A hydropower plant's fuel is effectively rapidly flowing river
water, which is available in abundance and free of cost.
What are the disadvantages of HEP?
• Social costs. The installation of
hydropower plants can be
time-consuming and disruptive
for people who live nearby.

• Environmental costs of
dams. Dams can irreversibly
alter the habitats of water-
dwelling species, and kill off
members of those species at
an alarming rate.
 Case study:
Energy supplies in China

(c) For a named country you have studied, describe and explain the
importance of different types of energy sources. (7)
• China’s economy
continues to grow
alongside with the
growth of energy
consumption (use).
• There is a positive
relationship between
energy consumption
and economic growth.
The demand for energy in China continues to increase
significantly as the country expands in its industrial
base.
In 2009 China
overtook the
USA in total
energy
usage.
What are the big three sources of energy in
China?
In 2015:
1. Coal (63.7%)
2. Oil (18.6%)
3. HEP (8.5%)

How would the

proportions of these
three sources of
energy be expected
to change?
Coal – About 2/3 of China’s energy supply
• China remains dependent upon coal
for most of its power generation and
heat. It still burns half the world’s
total!
• To keep up with expanding demand
from an expanding population, China
on average is bringing a new coal-
fired energy plant on line every week.
• Coal is an essential raw material in
steel-making industries, which is
important in China’s economy.
 The problems of burning coal…
• China consumes almost as much coal annually
as all other countries combined, and coal
burning in the country is the biggest source of
both air pollution and greenhouse gas
emissions, the leading cause of climate change.
• Coal is responsible for about 40 percent of the
deadly fine particulate matter known as PM 2.5
in China’s atmosphere.
• Provinces in northern China, where steel,
cement and power plants are common, have
the highest concentrations of PM 2.5 in the
country.
To meet the challenge…
• China has enforced stricter emission
standards for coal-fired plants.
• China is retiring older and more
polluting coal-fired power plants and
replacing with new cleaner ones.
• China has cut the share of coal in its
total energy mix from 68% in 2012 to
59% in 2018, though overall
consumption has continued to
increase.
Oil – About 20% of China’s energy supply
• Most oil is used for
transport (car, lorries
and planes)
• The oil industry
employs millions of
people and makes a
major contribution to
the China economy.
What are the challenges in using oil?
• More than 50% of oil
consumed in China is imported.
• World oil prices fluctuate due
uncertain factors…
To meet the challenge…
HEP – About 10% of China’s energy supply
• Hydroelectricity
is currently
China's largest
renewable
energy source
and the second
overall after
coal.
The Three Gorges Dam
• The dam is over 2km long
• The Three Gorges Dam across and 100m high. The
the Yangtze river is the reservoir is over 600 square
world’s largest electricity km big – enough area to
generating plant of any kind. cover Singapore.
This is a major part of China’s
reducing its reliance on coal.
• There are 34 generators
• This is a multipurpose giving the scheme a
scheme that also increase 22500mw generating
the river’s navigational capacity. The generated 10%
capacity and reduces the of hydroelectricity supply in
potential for floods 2018.
downstream.
The Three Gorge Dam - Advantages
• HEP is renewable, clean and non-
polluting.
• It is cheap after the initial cost of the
dam.
• It helps with flood control and provide
water for farming and industry.
• The reservoir can be stocked with fish
and support a local fishery.
• Tourism has been developed for
tourists to visit the great construction.
The Three Gorge Dam - Disadvantages
• The building cost was expensive - $25
billion.
• Over 1.25 million people were removed to
make way for the dam and the reservoir.
• Whole towns and villages disappeared
along with historical remains.
• The dam interferes with aquatic life –
Many species are threatened extinction or
has been extinct. (Yangtze River Dolphin)
Nuclear power in China