A remote mountain village currently uses a diesel generator to produce electricity. The village council is considering switching to a geothermal power station. Describe two advantages and one disadvantage of using geothermal energy compared with burning fossil fuels such as diesel to generate electricity.

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Physics (4PH1) — 4.3 Energy resources and electricity generation · Describe · 4 marks · View as Markdown

Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).

Geothermal power stations use heat energy from the Earth's core to generate electricity. Diesel is a fossil fuel.

Model answer (4 marks)

Advantage 1: Geothermal energy is renewable – the heat from the Earth can be replenished as it is used, whereas diesel is a fossil fuel that will eventually run out.
Advantage 2: Geothermal power does not release greenhouse gases, so it does not contribute to global warming, unlike diesel combustion which emits CO₂.
Disadvantage: Geothermal power stations can only be built where geothermal heat is accessible – they are limited to geologically active areas and cannot be installed everywhere, whereas diesel can be transported to any remote location.

Examiner tips

  • Use the exact terms ‘renewable’ and ‘non‑renewable’ and ‘greenhouse gases’/‘CO₂’ to gain full marks.
  • Show the comparison clearly – list each advantage and disadvantage separately.
  • Mention the limitation of location for geothermal to satisfy the disadvantage point.

Common mistakes

  • Confusing renewable with non‑renewable
  • or using vague words like
  • clean

Mark scheme (4 marks)

  1. Advantage 1: geothermal energy is renewable / can be replenished whilst it is being used, whereas fossil fuels are non-renewable / will eventually run out
  2. Advantage 2: geothermal energy does not release greenhouse gases / does not cause global warming, whereas burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases which cause global warming
  3. Disadvantage: geothermal power stations can only be built in locations where geothermal heat is accessible / not available everywhere / limited to geologically active areas
  4. Disadvantage developed OR additional comparative point: fossil fuels / diesel can be transported to any location and used anywhere, making them more flexible for remote or geologically unsuitable areas

Key terms in this question

fossil fuels · geothermal energy

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