Energy Resources — Part 2: Non-conventional sources: visual lesson, ICSE Class 10 Geography (H.C.G. Paper 2)

Lesson

Energy that need not run out

Part 2 — Non-conventional sources are newer ways of producing power. Most are renewable and cause little pollution, so India is expanding them fast. Each needs the right geography: sunshine, steady wind, a high tidal range, hot rocks, nuclear minerals or cattle dung.

In this lesson you will

Name important areas for solar, wind and tidal energy in India and state their advantages and disadvantages
Name important areas for geothermal and nuclear energy in India
Explain how biogas is produced and why it benefits rural households
Interpret a table of installed capacity by source

Table of six non-conventional sources, what each needs and an example area
Source	Needs	Example area
Solar	Clear skies, open land	Western Rajasthan, Gujarat
Wind	Strong, steady winds	Tamil Nadu, Gujarat coast
Tidal	High tidal range, narrow gulf	Gulfs of Khambhat and Kutch
Geothermal	Hot rocks near the surface	Puga valley, Manikaran
Nuclear	Uranium, cooling water	Tarapur, Kalpakkam
Biogas	Cattle dung, farm waste	Villages across India

Concept

Solar energy

Photovoltaic (PV) cells turn sunlight directly into electricity; solar thermal devices (cookers, water heaters) use the sun’s heat. India gets strong sunshine on most days of the year. Large solar parks stand on dry, open land — Bhadla (Jodhpur, Rajasthan), Charanka (Patan, Gujarat), Pavagada (Karnataka). Rooftop panels and solar pumps serve homes and farms. Advantages: renewable, no fuel cost, no smoke, suits remote places. Disadvantages: no output at night and less on cloudy days; needs storage; large parks take much land.

Concept

Wind energy

Wind turbines turn the energy of moving air into electricity. They need strong, steady winds — on coasts, open plains and mountain gaps. Tamil Nadu is a leading state for wind power, with large wind farms around Muppandal (Kanyakumari district), where winds funnel through a gap in the Western Ghats. Other areas: Gujarat (Kutch coast), Maharashtra, Rajasthan (Jaisalmer), Karnataka. Advantages: renewable, clean, cheap to run. Disadvantages: output varies with the wind; noise; birds may be harmed; needs wide open land.

Table of states with important wind farms and example areas
State	Wind area (example)
Tamil Nadu	Muppandal, Kanyakumari district
Gujarat	Kutch coast
Rajasthan	Jaisalmer
Maharashtra	Satara district plateaus

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