Declining cost of solar power generation

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1 Data-response Questions 1. Consider the following information: Declining cost of solar power generation DuPont, an American supplier of solar photovoltaic panels, said the cost of solar power generation would be about the same as that of coal-based power generation. This is due to a drop in production cost contributed by technology advances and production rises. Source: Adapted from various newspapers dated 18 November Source 2 A5 China Daily News 30 January 2010 Rising potential for new energy development in China The development of biomass energy in China has a great potential, such as using biodiesel, bioethanol, biogas and waste-to-energy. The Chinese government has speeded up the exploitation of biomass energy to renew the energy supply in recent years. Officials of the National Energy Administration said that advanced biomass energy was an important component of the new energy production system. Moreover, apart from the discovery of the Daqing ( 大慶 ) Oilfield in the 1960s, China has discovered a large amount of burning ice in Qinghai ( 青海 ). Burning ice, also called methane hydrate, is an ignitable energy. China is the third country to succeed in developing burning ice in tundra following the US and Canada. It is expected that burning ice will become a new source of energy for China. (a) According to, do you think that the drop in the cost of solar power generation will increase the popularity of solar energy in Hong Kong? Explain. (8 marks) 11

2 Liberal Studies: Data-response and Extended Response Questions Energy Technology and the Environment the reduction of waste and enhance people s environmental awareness. The reduction of waste disposal at landfills also relieved the pressure on landfills. Students can compare the reasons for the reduction of construction waste and domestic waste. For example, students can provide a simple comparison of the effectiveness of different schemes of the government for promoting the reduction of waste. While analyzing the statistics, students can take one item of the statistics as an example, so as to provide a simple analysis of the relationship between the changes in the amount of that kind of waste and factors like social development, government policy, people s environmental awareness and commercial consideration, and analyze the influences of these factors on the amount of solid waste. (b) Referring to Sources 1, 2, and 3 and based on your knowledge, to what extent do you think the HKSAR government s decision to build a new type of incinerator is in line with the principles of sustainable development? Ans. Landfills usually have a bad smell, which affects the natural environment or even the health of the residents nearby. This affects the quality of the environment and is not sustainable. The three landfills in Hong Kong are going to be filled up. Therefore, the government has decided to build a new type of incinerator to replace the landfills to handle solid waste. A b l e t o e x p l a i n b r i e f l y t h e disadvantages of using landfills to handle waste; but fails to clearly state one s stance on the question. 24 In order to handle the large amount of solid waste in Hong Kong and avoid the possible problems regarding the environment and land use caused by landfills, the building of incinerators by the government can burn all solid waste with high temperatures, while releasing only a small amount of pollutants. It is a relatively clean method of handling waste.

3 Theme 1 The Influences of Energy Technology Data-response Questions 1. Consider the following information about the fuel combination and supply chain of the China Light and Power Company Limited (CLP): Fuel combination of the CLP roup 40% 50% 30% 15% 30% Nuclear energy 35% Nuclear energy 2008 Mid-2010s (proposed) Source: Towards a reener Pearl River Delta (PRD): A Roadmap for Clean Energy eneration for Hong Kong, China Light and Power Company Limited, Downloaded from Source 2 Power supply chain of the CLP roup Australia Shenzhen Turkmenistan (Second West East Natural as Pipeline) User CLP power plants in Hong Kong Liquefied Natural as terminal Distribution Power transmission Low voltage cable High voltage cable Substation Substation and natural gas are the current major fuels for CLP s power generation. Although natural gas is cleaner than coal in power generation, the construction of natural gas pipelines, the electromagnetic waves of high voltage cables and the impact of substations on rural landscapes are all issues of concern. Source: Towards a reener Pearl River Delta (PRD): A Roadmap for Clean Energy eneration for Hong Kong, China Light and Power Company Limited, Downloaded from 45

4 Exam Practices Theme 1 The Influences of Energy Technology Data-response Questions 4. Consider the following information: (a) (i) According to, identify two kinds of artificial light in cities which are the sources of light pollution. (2 marks) (ii) Why would the above artificial light cause light pollution? Explain. (4 marks) 57

5 Liberal Studies: Data-response and Extended Response Questions Energy Technology and the Environment Extended Response Questions 1. Consider the following information: Route of China s energy transportation Russia Mediterranean Sea Black Sea Sudan Turkey eorgia Iraq Caspian Sea Turkmenistan Iran Saudi Arabia Persian ulf Yemen Kazakhstan Afghanistan Pakistan wadar Port India Xinjiang Mongolia China Shanghai Burma Yunnan uangdong Sittwe Thailand Daqing Indian Ocean Malacca Strait Angola Key Member state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Friendly country with China City Energy transportation hub pipeline Petroleum transportation route Routes under construction or planning (a) Referring to the above information, how can China protect energy security through the stable energy import from the Middle East, Africa and Asia? Explain. (b) To secure a stable energy supply, energy transportation security has to be first guaranteed. Do you agree with this statement? Explain using China as an example. 84