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Resource booklet — use alongside the question paper.

Energy, development and resource decisions

AQA A-level Geography60 minutes40 marksPractice context: 2027Version 2026.10.08.2

Guided practice

7037/2 human geography: resource-security practice · Resource security

Original practice assessment with editable questions and worked guidance.

Energy demand, output and competing priorities

Use maps, data and stakeholder evidence to develop a geographical argument. The resources describe one fictional teaching scenario.

Options

Wind: £18 million

Estimated annual output 70.08 GWh

Lifecycle intensity 12 g CO₂e/kWh

Variable generation and landscape effects

Operating costs and grid connection need separate assessment

Solar roofs: £12 million

Estimated annual output 18.4 GWh

Lifecycle intensity 35 g CO₂e/kWh

Seasonal generation and roof agreements

Operating costs and grid connection need separate assessment

Small hydro: £19 million

Estimated annual output 37.67 GWh

Lifecycle intensity 24 g CO₂e/kWh

River ecology and low-flow constraints

Operating costs and grid connection need separate assessment

Stakeholder evidence

Grid operator: We need output when demand occurs, not only a yearly total.

Resident: Local environmental effects and affordability need consideration.

Climate adviser: Compare lifecycle boundaries consistently.

Capacity, output and land

ProjectCapacity (MW)Capacity factor (%)Annual output (GWh)Capital cost (£ million)New land footprint (ha)
Wind204070.081824
Solar roofs151418.4120
Small hydro104337.67198
Original fictional teaching data. These are not observations or predictions for a real place.
Resource description

Annual output = capacity × capacity factor/100 × 8,760 hours ÷ 1,000. Capacity is a power rate; output is an energy quantity.

Demand and emissions

MeasureValueUnit
Annual local demand100GWh
Wind: lifecycle emissions intensity12g CO₂e/kWh
Solar roofs: lifecycle emissions intensity35g CO₂e/kWh
Small hydro: lifecycle emissions intensity24g CO₂e/kWh
Original fictional teaching data. These are not observations or predictions for a real place.
Resource description

Fictional lifecycle intensity estimates use the same boundary. They are not operational emissions only; output timing, storage and grid losses are omitted.

Management alternatives

OptionCapital cost (£ million)BenefitLimitation
Wind18Estimated annual output 70.08 GWh; Lifecycle intensity 12 g CO₂e/kWhVariable generation and landscape effects; Operating costs and grid connection need separate assessment
Solar roofs12Estimated annual output 18.4 GWh; Lifecycle intensity 35 g CO₂e/kWhSeasonal generation and roof agreements; Operating costs and grid connection need separate assessment
Small hydro19Estimated annual output 37.67 GWh; Lifecycle intensity 24 g CO₂e/kWhRiver ecology and low-flow constraints; Operating costs and grid connection need separate assessment
Original fictional teaching data. These are not observations or predictions for a real place.
Resource description

Available capital budget: £20 million. Options are alternatives; their benefits cannot simply be added. Operating costs are separate.

Implementation-cost sensitivity

OptionCapital cost (£ million)Capital with 20% overrun (£ million)Operating assumption (£ million/year)Capital plus 10 years operating (£ million)
Wind1821.60.9927.9
Solar roofs1214.40.4816.8
Small hydro1922.80.4823.8
Original fictional sensitivity assumptions for advanced practice; these are not estimated real-project costs.
Resource description

The budget limits capital spending. Operating costs require a separate funding stream. Ten-year totals are undiscounted, hold annual costs constant and omit benefits, inflation and residual value. A 20% overrun is a stress scenario, not its probability.

Scenario assumptions

Capacity factors are fictional assumptions.; Annual balances do not represent hourly security or whole-system cost.

Supplementary geographical skill: Choropleth maps

The shading represents a percentage of households, not a total. Each class includes its lower boundary and excludes its upper boundary: a value of 20 belongs in 20–30, not 10–20.

Scroll the diagram sideways to see the full resource.

Fictional district flood surveyA–D use these non-overlapping classes: 0 to less than 10%; 10 to less than 20%; 20 to less than 30%; 30 to less than 40%. A has 1,000 households and D has 100 households.A: 2%B: 14%C: 24%D: 35%Share of households reporting flood damageA: 1,000 households; D: 100 households0 to less than 10%10 to less than 20%20 to less than 30%30 to less than 40%
DistrictReported damage (%)Households
A21000
B14500
C24500
D35100
Fictional district flood survey. Original fictional resource; not an official map or real dataset.
Resource description

A–D use these non-overlapping classes: 0 to less than 10%; 10 to less than 20%; 20 to less than 30%; 30 to less than 40%. A has 1,000 households and D has 100 households.

Original fictional model and resources: GeographyHelp. · Written practice context: https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/geography/AQA-70372-SMS.PDF