# 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.

> OCR GCSE Physics A: Gateway Science (J249) — P6.1 Energy resources · Describe · 4 marks

> 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.

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. Solar energy is a renewable energy resource (whereas fossil fuels are non-renewable / finite)
2. Advantage: solar energy does not produce carbon dioxide / greenhouse gases / pollutants when generating electricity (accept: does not contribute to climate change / global warming)
3. Disadvantage: solar energy is unreliable / intermittent because it depends on sunlight (accept: does not generate electricity at night or on cloudy days)
4. 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)

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- [Revision notes for OCR GCSE Physics A: Gateway Science (J249)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
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