How is electricity generated from fossil, nuclear and renewable sources, and how is energy stored in products?
Energy generation and storage: fossil fuels and nuclear power, renewable sources (wind, solar, tidal, hydroelectric and biomass), their advantages and disadvantages, and energy storage in products including primary and rechargeable (secondary) cells.
A focused answer to Eduqas GCSE Design and Technology (C600) on energy generation and storage: fossil fuels, nuclear and renewable sources (wind, solar, tidal, hydroelectric, biomass), their pros and cons, and primary and rechargeable cells.
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What this dot point is asking
Eduqas C600 expects you to understand energy generation and storage: how electricity is generated from fossil fuels, nuclear power and renewable sources (wind, solar, tidal, hydroelectric and biomass), the advantages and disadvantages of each, and how energy is stored in products using primary and rechargeable (secondary) cells. In the written exam this is tested by compare questions on energy sources and by Explain questions on choosing a cell for a product.
Generating electricity: fossil and nuclear
Both are reliable: a power station can be turned up to meet demand, providing a steady base load. The drawbacks differ. Fossil fuels release carbon dioxide and other pollutants (driving climate change and poor air quality) and use a finite resource. Nuclear produces low carbon emissions in operation but leaves radioactive waste that must be stored safely for a very long time, and carries safety and decommissioning concerns.
Generating electricity: renewables
- Wind: turbines turned by moving air; clean and renewable, but intermittent (no wind, no power) and some object to the visual impact.
- Solar: photovoltaic panels convert sunlight to electricity; clean and silent, but generate only in daylight and depend on the weather.
- Tidal: turbines driven by the rise and fall of tides; predictable and powerful, but few suitable sites and high build cost.
- Hydroelectric: water stored behind a dam drives turbines; reliable and storable, but dams flood land and disrupt rivers.
- Biomass: burning organic matter (wood, waste, crops); renewable if replanted, but still releases some emissions.
The shared drawback is intermittency (except hydro and tidal), which is why energy storage matters: storing surplus when generation is high to use when it is low.
Storing energy in products
For a product, the choice depends on use. Primary cells (alkaline AA, button cells) suit low-drain, infrequent or emergency products (a remote control, a smoke alarm). Secondary cells (lithium-ion, NiMH) suit frequently used or high-drain products (phones, cordless tools) because recharging is cheaper over time and far less wasteful than buying new cells. Both raise disposal concerns, as batteries contain materials that should be recycled, not sent to landfill.
Try this
Q1. Name two renewable sources of electricity. [1 mark]
- Cue. Any two of wind, solar, tidal, hydroelectric, biomass.
Q2. State one advantage of a rechargeable cell over a single-use cell. [1 mark]
- Cue. It can be recharged and reused many times (cheaper over time and less wasteful).
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas C600 20194 marksCompare the generation of electricity from a fossil fuel with generation from wind, giving one advantage and one disadvantage of each.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark question, one mark each for an advantage and a disadvantage of each source.
Fossil fuel advantage: it is reliable and can meet demand on demand (a power station can be turned up when needed), providing a steady base load.
Fossil fuel disadvantage: it releases carbon dioxide and other pollutants and uses a finite resource that will run out.
Wind advantage: it is renewable and produces no emissions while generating, so it is clean and sustainable.
Wind disadvantage: it is intermittent (it only generates when the wind blows), so it cannot be relied on alone and needs storage or backup.
Markers reward one valid advantage and one disadvantage for each source, ideally contrasting reliability (fossil) with clean but intermittent (wind). Giving points for only one source caps the mark.
Eduqas C600 20223 marksExplain why a rechargeable (secondary) cell is chosen for a cordless drill rather than a single-use (primary) cell.Show worked answer →
A 3-mark Explain wants the secondary-cell choice justified.
A rechargeable (secondary) cell can be recharged and reused hundreds of times, whereas a primary cell is used once and thrown away. A cordless drill draws a high current and is used often, so single-use cells would be expensive and wasteful and would need constant replacing.
A rechargeable cell is therefore cheaper over the drill's life, more convenient (recharge overnight rather than buy new cells), and far less wasteful, reducing battery waste to landfill.
Markers reward: rechargeable cells can be reused many times, so they are cheaper over time, more convenient and less wasteful for a frequently used, high-drain tool. Saying only "it lasts longer" without the reuse/cost/waste reasoning caps the mark.
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE (9-1) Design and Technology (C600) specification — WJEC Eduqas (2017)