Energy resources
Distinguish capacity from generation and compare fossil fuel, renewable and demand-management choices.
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Part 1 of 4
Keep power and energy separate
Power is the rate of energy transfer. Electrical energy is power accumulated through time. A generator’s rated capacity is a maximum rate under stated conditions.
Demand varies through the day and year. Reliability depends on the system, including networks, storage and sources that can respond to demand.
Worked example
A fictional 2 MW generator operating steadily for three hours produces 6 MWh. At half output over the same period it produces 3 MWh.
Common mistake: MW and MWh describe different quantities.
Part 2 of 4
Compare extraction and generation
Fossil fuels provide concentrated energy but extraction and combustion affect landscapes, pollution and greenhouse gases. Renewables have different land, material and ecological effects.
Compare a stated service over a suitable lifetime. An electricity project can improve local access while also needing affordable connections and maintenance.
Worked example
A fictional household receives 4 kWh/day from a solar system while needing 6. Its recorded supply covers two-thirds of that daily amount; timing can still leave unmet needs.
Common mistake: A renewable label does not establish zero impacts or continuous supply.
Part 3 of 4
Evaluate an energy strategy
Diversification, efficiency and reduced demand can change exposure to supply shocks. Building design and behaviour affect consumption; grids and storage influence flexibility.
Evaluate economic, social and environmental outcomes separately. A low cash price may omit pollution, land or reliability costs.
Worked example
Fictional electricity use falls from 5,000 to 4,000 kWh/year after insulation: 20%. If energy prices rise by 30%, the bill index is 0.8 × 1.3 = 1.04, a 4% rise.
Common mistake: Energy savings and bill savings can diverge when prices change.
Part 4 of 4
Reliability and the geographical costs of supply
Installed capacity measures potential power at a moment; generated electricity is energy over a period. Output depends on the technology, operating conditions and availability. Comparing nameplate capacity alone does not establish how much demand a scheme meets.
Assess landscape and habitat effects, transmission routes, cost and the timing of supply. A diverse supply can improve resilience, but interdependence also creates exposure to outages or fuel disruption. Avoid assuming one technology has the same effects in every location.
Worked example
A fictional 100 MW generator operates at an average 30% of capacity for 24 hours: energy = 100 × 0.30 × 24 = 720 MWh. A 50 MW plant at 80% produces 960 MWh in that period. This does not establish relative cost, emissions or reliability during a demand peak.
Common mistake: MW and MWh cannot be substituted for one another.
Try a different resource
Percentage change
The starting year is the denominator. A negative percentage indicates a decrease.
| Year | Visitors |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 2300 |
| 2025 | 2530 |
Resource description
Fictional nature reserve annual visits
Write an explanation
Check your answer
- Define energy security and the service needed.
- Use generation and access evidence, not capacity alone.
- Consider environmental costs and distribution.
- Explain demand and system reliability alongside supply.
Practise and review a written answer
Case studies
Hornsea One offshore wind · Concentrated solar power at Noor Ouarzazate · Solar home systems in Bangladesh
These pages provide selected evidence. Check the whole case requirement with your teacher.
Read further
- www.aqa.org.uk — source or course reference
- www.aqa.org.uk — source or course reference
- qualifications.pearson.com — source or course reference
- www.sqa.org.uk — source or course reference
- www.eia.gov — source or course reference
- qualifications.pearson.com — source or course reference
- www.ocr.org.uk — source or course reference
- www.ocr.org.uk — source or course reference
- www.eduqas.co.uk — source or course reference
Power, energy and reliable supply · Adaptation to changing conditions
Course links
AQA GCSE Geography · Pearson Edexcel GCSE Geography B · Higher Geography · Pearson Edexcel GCSE Geography A · OCR GCSE Geography A · OCR GCSE Geography B · Eduqas GCSE Geography A
Next topics
Climate change: evidence, causes and responses · Resource security: stocks, conflicts and alternative futures
Selected teaching sequence with fictional worked data. The linked case records supply bounded evidence; they do not satisfy every course case requirement.
Scottish links identify reusable parts of the topic. Scottish landforms, soil, weather and disease requirements need additional course-specific teaching.