Benefits & Limitations of Energy Resource Management Strategies (Cambridge International IGCSE Environmental Management)

Benefits & limitations of energy management strategies

Reducing consumption

Benefits of reducing consumption

• Lowers energy bills for households and businesses
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by using less electricity and fuel

Limitations of reducing consumption

• Relies on people changing their behaviour, which can be difficult
• Some people may not be willing or able to cut their energy use

Insulation

Benefits of insulation

• Reduces heat loss, so homes need less heating in winter
• Provides long-term savings by lowering energy demand

Limitations of insulation

• High upfront cost, especially for older homes
• Installation can be disruptive if roofs, walls or floors need major work

Energy-efficient devices, including vehicles and electrically propelled vehicles

Benefits of energy-efficient devices and vehicles

• Use less electricity or fuel, reducing total energy demand
• Fully electric vehicles produce no exhaust emissions, improving air quality

Limitations of energy-efficient devices and vehicles

• Energy-efficient appliances and electric vehicles can be expensive
• Electric vehicles need charging points, which may be too slow to be convenient, or may not be widely available

Exploiting existing energy resources

Benefits of exploiting existing energy resources

• Increases energy security by using local energy sources
• Upgrading old power stations and grids reduces energy waste

Limitations of exploiting existing energy resources

• Greater use of fossil fuels increases emissions
• Improving infrastructure is costly and time-consuming

Education on energy conservation

Benefits of education on energy conservation

• Encourages long-term behaviour change in homes, schools and workplaces
• Low-cost strategy that can reach large numbers of people

Limitations of education on energy conservation

• Not everyone listens or changes their actions
• Education alone cannot reduce demand without supporting policies

Transport policies

Benefits of transport policies

• Improved public transport reduces car use and fuel consumption
• Cycle lanes and pedestrian zones lower emissions in busy areas

Limitations of transport policies

• Some areas lack reliable public transport, making it hard for people to reduce car use—public transport improvements require high investment
• Some measures (such as congestion charges) may be unpopular

Battery storage

Benefits of battery storage

• Stores excess renewable energy for use during peak demand
• Makes wind and solar power more reliable by balancing supply and demand

Limitations of battery storage

• Expensive to install and requires rare minerals
• Batteries degrade over time and create waste when replaced

Development of new energy resources

Benefits of developing new energy resources

• Improves future energy security by reducing reliance on fossil fuels
• Encourages innovation in cleaner technologies such as hydrogen and heat pumps

Limitations of developing new energy resources

• Requires large investment and many years of research
• Early-stage technologies may not yet be efficient or widely available

Exam Hint For stronger evaluation answers, try to balance practicality and impact. For example, reducing consumption is cheap but relies on behaviour, while developing new resources is effective but expensive. Showing this balance gains marks.

Remember that some strategies work best when used together. For example, energy-efficient devices save more energy when combined with insulation and reduced consumption. Showing these links can strengthen your answers.