Topic 9.6 - Sustainable Energy Use Flashcards
What is energy efficiency?
If something is energy-efficient, it does the same job but using less energy
What is energy conservation?
Conserving energy is about changing our behaviours as consumers such as driving less
How can energy demand in the home be reduced?
1) Insulating walls, roofs, floors means less energy needs to be used for heating
2) Modern boilers are more efficient than old ones so use less electricity
3) Solar panels can be fitted to roofs of homes providing low carbon renewable energy
How can demand for energy be reduced in transport?
1) Hybrid vehicles combine diesel and electric to increase efficiency
2) Regenerative breaking can be fitted on to road vehicles and trains to re-gain energy lost under breaking for later use, or returned ro the grid
3) Engine manufacturers are making more efficient engines in response to laws and rising fuel costs
4) Improving public transport and encouraging walking or cycling reduces demand for energy used in transport
What are the three main advantages to reducing use of fossil fuels?
Reduced carbon footprints, improving energy security and diversifying the energy mix
What is the benefit of reducing carbon footprints?
1) Less global warming
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured a people’s carbon footprints, including direct and indirect emissions. By reducing their use of energy generated by fossil fuels people can reduce their carbon footprint.
How does reducing fossil fuel reliance improve energy security?
Switching to renewable energy makes sure energy is still available when the supply of fossil fuels runs out
What does energy security mean?
Having reliable, uninterrupted and affordable supply of energy available
What are the benefits of diversifying the energy mix?
Having a diverse energy mix reduces a country’s reliance on having a single source of energy increasing energy security as countries are less affected by shortages of one energy source.
Using renewable sources instead of non-renewable also makes non-renewable sources last longer
What are the costs of biofuels?
- Sources of biomass must be managed sustainably so they don’t run out
- Reduces amount of food crops that can be grown as water needed
- Leads to deforestation
What are the costs of wind energy?
- Environmental issues
- Wind unpredictable so energy production varies
- Expensive to transport energy produced from offshore wind farms to where it is needed
What are the costs of solar energy?
- Sunny climates are needed for significant energy production (unreliable)
- Toxic metals are used in solar panel construction
- environmental issues
What are the costs of HEP?
- Environmental issues
- Methane may be released from rotting organic matter in reservoirs left behind
- Expenisve to build and requires lots of water and land
What are the costs of hydrogen fuel?
- Dangerous to store as flammable
- Energy is needed to extract hydrogen from water
- Technology is expensive and not widely available so won’t increase energy security
What are the benefits of biofuels?
- Some are made from waste products so reduce amount of waste produced
- Supposed to be carbon neutral
