Explain why renewable energy resources are being used more frequently in the UK, and describe one disadvantage of relying on renewable energy resources to meet the UK's energy demands.
Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).
The UK government has set targets to increase the proportion of electricity generated from renewable energy resources. Renewable energy resources such as wind, solar and hydroelectricity now contribute a significant share of the UK's electricity supply.
Model answer (4 marks)
Renewable energy resources can be replenished while they are being used, so they will not run out. Fossil fuels are finite and will eventually be depleted. Renewable resources do not emit carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases, so they do not contribute to climate change when generating electricity.
A disadvantage is that their output depends on weather conditions – wind or sun is not always available, so they cannot reliably produce electricity on demand and may fail to meet peak demand.
A disadvantage is that their output depends on weather conditions – wind or sun is not always available, so they cannot reliably produce electricity on demand and may fail to meet peak demand.
Examiner tips
- Use the exact terms ‘replenished’, ‘finite’, ‘greenhouse gases’, ‘unreliable output’
- Show the cause–effect link between renewables and climate change
- Mention the weather‑dependency disadvantage clearly
Common mistakes
- Confusing renewables with fossil fuels in the same sentence
- Omitting the word ‘greenhouse gases’ or ‘carbon dioxide’
- Not specifying that the disadvantage is about reliability or peak demand
Mark scheme (4 marks)
- Renewable energy resources can be replenished whilst they are being used / they will not run out
- Fossil fuels / non-renewable resources are finite and will eventually run out / are being depleted
- Renewable resources do not produce carbon dioxide / greenhouse gases / do not contribute to climate change when generating electricity
- A valid disadvantage of renewable energy resources, e.g. output depends on weather conditions / wind or sun is not always available / they cannot produce electricity on demand / output is unreliable / they may not be able to meet peak demand
Key terms in this question
Related
- All OCR GCSE Physics A: Gateway Science (J249) revision notes →
- How to answer a "Explain" question →
- Decode the mark scheme abbreviations →
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