Energy

• What is energy mix?

  The proportion of different energy sources used within a country.
• What is baseload?


  Constant electricity demand that is met by power plants that can operate continuously.
• What is energy density?

  The energy released from a given mass of fuel. Higher density means more efficient.
• Why is energy density important?

  High energy densities makes it easier to transport and store the fuel. It also means you need less of the fuel to achieve higher temperatures eg haber process.
• What is payback period?

  The length of time it takes to pay back the setup costs.
• What is the order of the UK’s energy mix?(highest to lowest)

  Natural gas, wind, nuclear, other (HEP, tidal and oil), biomass, solar and coal.
• How has an increase in affluence increased energy consumption?

  Enables people to buy and consume more energy in activities like travelling, having multiple vehicles, heating larger homes and using more energy using appliances. Housing and products bought typically have higher embodied energy from production like bricks or glass for houses.
• How does the relative cost of energy increase energy consumption?

  In countries with large, easily accessible sources, energy is cheap. For example, USA has an abundance of petrol so economies of scale makes it cheaper which encourages use of larger, less fuel efficient vehicles and makes fuel efficiency a lower priority.
• How does the type of industry affect energy consumption?

  Areas in the primary industry (agriculture and mining) require large amounts of energy and secondary (manufacturing) also requires high amounts of energy. However, tertiary and quaternary industries require low amounts of energy.
• How does social and environmental awareness affect energy consumption?

  In areas such as sweden or the UK as environmental awareness increases people have been encouraged to use less energy when possible by doing things like using public transport or cycling and changing diet habits by buying locally and eating less meat.
• How does climate effect energy consumption?

  Climatic conditions affect energy usage in buildings such as colder climates require more heating and hotter areas require air conditioning.
• Why is it not realistic to reach 100% usage of just renewable energy?

  Renewable energy is mostly intermittent or hard to predict which makes it somewhat unreliable and probably wont be able to meet demand or maintain a baseload of energy. Solar panels and biofuels also take up space on agricultural land and most renewables have high start up costs and aren’t as versatile.
• How does population growth increase energy consumption?

  If the population is growing rapidly a country may struggle to increase national energy supplies fast enough to meet demand.
• How can lack of energy hinder development?

  Power shortages from unreliable sources cut economic growth as it can’t be used for manufacture or agriculture. Toxic fumes burning firewood kill people as less developed countries can afford energy sources like oil. Health clinics are unable to refrigerate life saving vaccines.
• What does renewable mean?

  Renewable sources naturally reform relatively quickly so using them doesn‘t necessarily reduce future availability eg solar, wind and wave.
• What does non-renewable mean?

  Non-renewable resources are either not being formed, or re-form so slowly that current use reduces amount available for future use eg fossil fuels and uranium.