Non-Conventional Sources of Energy

ICSE Class 10 · Geography · Chapter 11

What this chapter covers

Why India needs non-conventional energy
Solar energy
Wind energy
Tidal energy
Geo-thermal energy
Nuclear energy
Bio-gas
Comparing the non-conventional sources
Common mistakes to avoid

Key points

Non-conventional sources of energy are the newer sources: solar, wind, tidal, geo-thermal, nuclear and bio-gas energy.
All except nuclear are renewable; nuclear fuels are mined minerals.
Solar: Bhadla (Rajasthan), Charanka and Khavda (Gujarat), Pavagada (Karnataka), Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), Rewa (Madhya Pradesh), Kamuthi (Tamil Nadu); free and clean, but no power at night and needs much land.
Wind: Muppandal (Tamil Nadu), Kutch and Saurashtra (Gujarat), Jaisalmer (Rajasthan); clean and cheap to run, but variable and limited to windy sites.
Tidal: Gulf of Khambhat, Gulf of Kutch and the Sundarbans have potential; predictable, but barrages are costly and harm coastal life; no large plant works yet.
Geo-thermal: Puga (Ladakh), Manikaran (Himachal Pradesh), Tattapani (Chhattisgarh); steady supply, but few, remote sites and costly drilling.
Nuclear: Tarapur, Rawatbhata, Kalpakkam, Narora, Kakrapar, Kaiga, Kudankulam; huge output from little fuel and no smoke, but radioactive waste and accident risk.
Nuclear fuels: uranium from Jaduguda (Jharkhand) and Tummalapalle (Andhra Pradesh); thorium from monazite sands of Kerala.
Bio-gas: made from dung and waste in rural Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat; smokeless fuel plus manure, but needs cattle and works poorly in cold weather.
Solar and wind are growing fastest; India pairs them in hybrid parks and adds storage because their supply is not steady.

Questions answered

Define non-conventional sources of energy and name the six sources listed in the syllabus.

Non-conventional sources of energy are the sources of energy that have come into large-scale use only in recent decades. The six are solar, wind, tidal, geo-thermal, nuclear and bio-gas energy.

Which non-conventional source is non-renewable? Give a reason.

Nuclear energy, because its fuels, uranium and thorium, are minerals that are mined and cannot be replaced once used.

Name two solar parks in India and the states in which they are located.

Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan and Pavagada Solar Park in Karnataka. (Also acceptable: Charanka in Gujarat, Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, Kamuthi in Tamil Nadu.)

State two advantages and two disadvantages of solar energy.

Advantages: it is free and renewable; it produces no smoke and can reach remote villages. Disadvantages: there is no output at night and less on cloudy days; large parks need much land and storage is costly.

Why is Muppandal in Tamil Nadu an important wind energy area?

The south-west monsoon wind is funnelled through the Aralvaimozhi gap at the southern end of the Western Ghats and speeds up, giving strong, steady winds for turbines.

Name the two leading states for wind energy in India and give one disadvantage of wind energy.

Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Wind speed varies, so the supply of electricity is not steady.

What is tidal range? Why is the Gulf of Khambhat suitable for tidal energy?

Tidal range is the difference in height between the water level at high tide and at low tide. The Gulf of Khambhat is a long, narrowing inlet where the tide rises very high, giving a range of more than 6 m and up to about 11 m.

State one advantage of tidal energy that solar and wind energy do not have, and one reason why India has not built a large tidal plant.

Tides are fully predictable. A barrage across a gulf is very costly and harms mangroves and coastal life.

Past board exam questions

ICSE 2027 sample paper · 2 marks

There is ample potential of setting up biogas plants in India. The National Bioenergy Programme has been recommended by the concerned Ministry, for implementation in two phases. The spread of biogas technology is a boon for Indian farmers with its direct and guaranteed benefits. -(https://biogas.mnre.gov.in) (a) Why can generation of biogas be achieved in every household of rural India? (b) Mention two ways in which generation of this form of energy can prove to be a boon for Indian farmers.

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(a) Every rural household produces organic kitchen waste and animal dung, the raw materials that can be converted into biogas. (b) Any two: the slurry left behind is a rich bio-fertilizer (manure); it is cheap as no raw material has to be bought; it reduces the volume of waste; it improves hygiene in rural areas; it provides clean cooking fuel and saves firewood.

ICSE 2025 sample paper · 3 marks

[Picture: rows of flat, dark-blue panels made up of a grid of cells, set up in the open and tilted towards a bright sky.] (a) Identify the type of energy being harnessed in the above picture. (b) Mention why this form of energy is preferred over fossil fuels. (c) Why does India stand at an advantage in the production of this type of energy.

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(a) Solar energy. (b) It is a clean, non-polluting and inexhaustible source of energy (it reduces pressure on fossil fuels and is cheaper in the long run). (Any one) (c) India has a tropical location and receives strong rays of the sun (abundant sunshine) for a large part of the year.

ICSE 2025 board paper · 2 marks

With the rising price of fossil fuel every passing day, it is very important to develop non-conventional energy resource. — Bulletin – Department of non-conventional sources of energy (a) Name a non-conventional energy source that can be harnessed by taking advantage of India's vast coastline. (b) State one advantage of using geothermal energy.

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(a) Tidal energy (also wave energy / offshore wind energy). (b) It is a renewable, clean, pollution-free source that is available all the time, unlike solar and wind energy.

ICSE 2025 compartment paper · 2 marks

(a) Why is nuclear energy considered to be the energy of the future? (b) Name a mineral used for production of nuclear energy.

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(a) A very small quantity of nuclear fuel produces an enormous amount of energy, the fossil fuels (coal, petroleum) are exhaustible, and nuclear power does not emit greenhouse gases; so it can meet the growing demand for power in future. (b) Uranium (or thorium).

ICSE 2025 board paper · 2 marks

(a) How is Biogas formed? (b) Mention any one advantage of Biogas over other non-conventional energy resources.

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(a) Biogas (mainly methane) is formed by the decomposition (fermentation) of organic matter such as cattle dung, plant waste and human waste by bacteria in the absence of oxygen in a biogas plant/digester. (b) The slurry left behind is a rich manure, and it uses cheap waste available in villages; it can be produced at any time, regardless of weather.

ICSE 2024 sample paper · 3 marks

(a) Mention two advantages of wind energy. (b) What is the advantage of using nuclear power in place of conventional sources of energy?

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(a) 1. It is a renewable and inexhaustible source. 2. It is clean and pollution-free, and cheap once the windmills are installed. (b) A very small amount of nuclear fuel (uranium, thorium) produces a huge amount of electricity; it saves exhaustible coal and petroleum and does not give out smoke or greenhouse gases.

ICSE 2024 board paper · 3 marks

Give reasons for each of the following: (a) Geothermal energy is not popular in India. (b) Solar energy is gaining popularity. (c) Petroleum is considered a harmful source of energy.

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(a) There are very few suitable sites (hot springs, e.g. Puga valley in Ladakh, Manikaran) and they are in remote areas; the technology is costly. (b) It is renewable, free, abundant in tropical India with plenty of sunshine, and pollution-free; solar panels have become cheaper and are encouraged by government subsidies. (c) Burning petroleum releases carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and other gases that pollute the air and cause global warming; oil spills also pollute the sea.

ICSE 2023 board paper · 3 marks

Name the following: (a) A mineral used to generate nuclear energy. (b) The non-conventional energy source that has the most widespread potential usage in India. (c) An offshore oil field of India.

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(a) Uranium (also thorium). (b) Solar energy. (c) Mumbai High (Bombay High).