The Energy Mix Lab
How a country powers itself, from coal to wind, is a set of trade-offs between cost, reliability, the environment and energy security. Explore the changing UK energy mix and weigh renewable against non-renewable.
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What powers the country? ⚡
The **energy mix** is the combination of sources a country uses for its power. Split them two ways: **non-renewable** fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) and nuclear, which will run out or add carbon, and **renewable** sources (wind, solar, hydro) that refill naturally. No source is perfect. Choosing a mix means weighing **cost**, **reliability**, **environmental impact** and **energy security**. This lab explores how the mix has changed and how to judge those trade-offs. (Percentages here are approximate - real figures shift every year.)
The words you need 🗂️
Four terms unlock almost every energy question.
Match each source to what it is 🔗
- Coal
- Wind
- Uranium
- Hydroelectric power
- A non-renewable fossil fuel burned in power stations
- A renewable source using turbines, but intermittent
- Fuels nuclear power: non-renewable but low-carbon
- Renewable power from falling or flowing water
Spot the renewable ♻️
Which of these energy sources is renewable?
- Solar power
- Coal
- Natural gas
- Oil
The UK mix has changed 📉
A century ago the UK ran almost entirely on **coal**. Since then the mix has shifted a lot: - **Coal** has fallen sharply and is now almost phased out for electricity.\n- **Gas** grew rapidly in the 1990s (the "dash for gas").\n- **Renewables** (especially wind) have risen fast since around 2010. The drivers: dwindling coal reserves, **climate targets** to cut carbon, and a push for **energy security**. Next you will plot part of that renewables trend.
Plot the renewables trend 📈
An interactive activity.
Read the trend 🔍
What does that rising line best show about the UK energy mix?
- The share of electricity from renewables has grown sharply since 2010
- Renewables have fallen out of use since 2010
- Coal now provides most UK electricity
- The energy mix has stayed exactly the same
Weighing the trade-offs ⚖️
There is no free lunch in energy. Each type wins on some measures and loses on others - grade-9 answers weigh both sides rather than declaring one simply "best".
Why go renewable? ✅
Select the TWO genuine advantages of renewable energy.
- They produce very low carbon emissions
- They will not run out
- They always generate power regardless of the weather
- They are always the cheapest option to build
Match each stakeholder to its view 👥
- Environmental group
- Energy company
- Government
- Local resident
- Pushes for a rapid switch to renewables to cut emissions
- Weighs profit, investment cost and reliable supply
- Balances energy security, consumer cost and climate targets
- May object to a wind farm or fracking site built nearby
Order the UK transition 🕰️
An interactive activity.
Choose an energy strategy 🧭
An interactive activity.
Evaluate the shift ✍️
An interactive activity.
The grade-9 habit 🌟
Weak energy answers pick a side: "renewables are good, fossil fuels are bad." The best answers **weigh genuine trade-offs** - cost, reliability, environmental impact and energy security - and accept that the right mix depends on a country's rivers, wealth, climate and existing infrastructure. Anchor that judgement in the **named contrast**: Germany's Energiewende shows a wealthy developed nation deliberately rebuilding its mix, while Costa Rica shows an emerging country using its geography (rivers for hydro) to run on renewables. Reference specifics like these, not vague generalisations, and you turn a description into an evaluation.