A solar farm is built in a sunny region to supply electricity to nearby homes. Describe how the energy source used by the solar farm differs from fossil fuels, and explain one advantage and one disadvantage of using solar energy as an energy resource.
Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).
A local council is deciding whether to replace an ageing coal-fired power station with a large solar farm to meet the electricity demands of the surrounding area.
Model answer (4 marks)
Solar energy is a renewable resource, unlike fossil fuels which are non‑renewable and finite.
Solar cells convert the Sun’s light directly into electricity, whereas fossil fuels are burned to produce heat that drives turbines.
Advantage: solar power does not emit carbon dioxide or other pollutants, so it does not contribute to climate change.
Disadvantage: solar power is intermittent; it cannot generate electricity at night or on cloudy days, making it unreliable.
Solar cells convert the Sun’s light directly into electricity, whereas fossil fuels are burned to produce heat that drives turbines.
Advantage: solar power does not emit carbon dioxide or other pollutants, so it does not contribute to climate change.
Disadvantage: solar power is intermittent; it cannot generate electricity at night or on cloudy days, making it unreliable.
Examiner tips
- Use the word ‘renewable’ to contrast with fossil fuels; mention direct conversion of light to electricity.
- State the key advantage (no CO₂) and a clear disadvantage (intermittency).
- Keep each point brief – 1–2 sentences per mark.
Mark scheme (4 marks)
- Solar energy is a renewable energy resource (whereas fossil fuels are non-renewable / finite)
- Advantage: solar energy does not produce carbon dioxide / greenhouse gases / pollutants when generating electricity (accept: does not contribute to climate change / global warming)
- Disadvantage: solar energy is unreliable / intermittent because it depends on sunlight (accept: does not generate electricity at night or on cloudy days)
- Fossil fuels are burned (combustion) to release thermal energy, whereas solar cells directly produce electricity from the Sun's energy (accept: no turbine / steam needed for solar)
Related
- All OCR GCSE Physics A: Gateway Science (J249) revision notes →
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- Decode the mark scheme abbreviations →
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