Where does our energy come from, and what are the trade-offs?
Energy resources: the main renewable and non-renewable resources, their uses for transport, heating and electricity, and the environmental and reliability trade-offs.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Physics 4.1.3, covering the main renewable and non-renewable energy resources, how they are used for transport, heating and electricity generation, and the trade-offs in reliability, cost and environmental impact.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to name the main energy resources, classify them as renewable or non-renewable, give their uses for transport, heating and generating electricity, and evaluate the trade-offs in reliability, cost and environmental impact. This is topic 4.1.3 of the AQA GCSE Physics (8463) specification.
Renewable and non-renewable
Non-renewable resources: the fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) and nuclear fuel (uranium and plutonium).
Renewable resources: bio-fuel, wind, hydro-electricity, geothermal, the tides, the Sun (solar) and water waves.
How resources are used
- Transport: mainly petrol and diesel (from oil); also bio-fuels and increasingly electricity stored in batteries.
- Heating: natural gas and oil for boilers; geothermal, solar heating and bio-fuels in some homes.
- Electricity generation: fossil fuels and nuclear in power stations; wind, hydro, tidal, wave and solar for renewable generation.
Trade-offs
Decisions about energy resources balance reliability, cost, and environmental impact, and these factors change over time as technology improves and political and ethical priorities shift.
A key distinction the examiners test is the difference between resources that can supply a steady, controllable output and those that cannot. Fossil fuels and nuclear give a reliable supply that can be matched to demand, but in different ways: a gas-fired station can be switched up and down quickly, whereas a nuclear or coal station is slow to change output. Among renewables, hydro-electric power is reliable and can be turned up quickly when demand spikes (pumped storage can even store energy by pumping water uphill), tidal power is predictable because the tides follow a known cycle, and geothermal is reliable where it is available. By contrast wind and solar are intermittent: they generate only when the wind blows or the Sun shines, and their output cannot be increased on demand.
Try this
Q1. Explain the difference between a renewable and a non-renewable energy resource. [2 marks]
- Cue. A renewable resource is replenished as fast as it is used and will not run out; a non-renewable resource will run out.
Q2. Give one advantage and one disadvantage of using wind to generate electricity. [2 marks]
- Cue. Advantage: no carbon dioxide during use; disadvantage: unreliable because it depends on the wind.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20186 marksEvaluate the use of wind turbines, compared with a gas-fired power station, for generating electricity in the UK. Refer to reliability, environmental impact and cost in your answer.Show worked answer →
This is a level-of-response evaluate question, so a top-band answer makes balanced points on both sides and reaches a judgement. For wind turbines: they release no carbon dioxide or other pollutants during use, and the wind is free and will not run out, so running costs are low. Against them: they are unreliable because they only generate when the wind blows, they cannot easily be turned up to meet demand, the initial set-up cost is high, and some object to their visual impact on the landscape and effect on habitats. For the gas-fired power station: it is reliable and can be turned up or down quickly to match demand, and set-up costs are lower. Against it: burning gas releases carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) and gas is non-renewable so will eventually run out and prices may rise. A strong answer concludes with a reasoned judgement, for example that a mix is needed because wind cannot yet provide reliable supply alone. Markers reward balanced evaluation, use of the three named factors, and a supported conclusion.
AQA 20204 marksExplain why nuclear fuel is classed as a non-renewable energy resource, and describe two disadvantages of using nuclear power despite it producing no carbon dioxide during generation.Show worked answer →
Nuclear fuel (such as uranium) is non-renewable because the supply of fuel is finite and is used up far faster than any natural process replaces it, so it will eventually run out (1 mark for the classification, 1 mark for the reasoning). Two disadvantages: it produces radioactive waste that stays dangerous for a very long time and must be stored safely and securely (1 mark); and there is a small but serious risk of an accident releasing radioactive material into the environment (1 mark). Markers accept other valid disadvantages such as very high decommissioning costs. The common error is to call nuclear "renewable" because it is low-carbon; low-carbon and renewable are not the same thing.
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Physics (8463) specification — AQA (2016)