Solar Energy Reading Answers

Feb 13, 2025

Solar Energy Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Solar Energy Reading Answers has a total of 12 IELTS questions in total. In the questions (29-35) you have to choose the correct heading from the given options for the given paragraphs. In the next questions (36-40) you have to tell whether the statement is true, false or not given.

The IELTS Reading section is an essential part of the test that evaluates a candidate's comprehension and analysis of various passage types. You will work through a number of IELTS reading practice problems in this section that resemble actual test situations. These questions are designed to help you improve your ability to recognize essential concepts, extract particular facts, and make inferences. Practicing Solar Energy IELTS reading problems can help you get comfortable with the structure and increase your confidence for the exam, regardless of whether you are studying for the Academic or General Training module.

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Section 1 SOLAR ENERGY

A. The increasing need for sustainable and renewable sources of energy to replace oil, coal and gas has led to rapid improvements In the design of systems for gathering the greatest source of energy easily available to humanity - the sun. Despite great interest in these solar power systems, a great deal of research and promotion is still needed: in 2008 they accounted for less than 0.02% of global power generation.

B. The sun's energy can be harnessed in a number of ways, including the direct conversion of its light energy into electricity by the use of photovoltaic cells. Many householders and businesses in developed countries have now installed photovoltaic solar panels on their roof spaces and in some regions are even feeding power back into a country's electrical grid systems and receiving income or reduced power bills in return.

C. A less well-known method of harnessing solar energy on a large scale is that of solar thermal (heat) energy, or STE. This method is based on a principle obvious to all - that the sun's energy heats air and other materials such as stone, water, or cement. This method has in fact been in use in some form since ancient Roman times. Stone chimneys, heated by the sun, were used as a way of drawing air through buildings to provide ventilation. Such systems are still in use in traditional building designs in the Middle East.

D. Contemporary researchers in many countries including the USA, Germany, China, Spain and Australia are working on a variety of technologies to utilize STE. One attraction is that STE does not require any fuel and generates almost no pollutants. This is not to say that there are no costs in STE: all renewable technologies require significant inputs in research and development and capital infrastructure costs. But proponents of STE and other renewables argue that the costing of current fuel sources ignores their environmental impacts such as the contribution to global warming and the long-term costs associated with that. Hence the interest in developing sustainable long-term STE systems.

E. STE systems are often divided into three basic types, that is Iow-, medium- and high- energy. In the first two, the main aim is to collect the sun's energy directly in water storage systems on roofs, to heat water for a variety of household purposes. One interesting experimental design by Harold Hay in the 1960's uses a water storage bladder on the roof, with a moveable cover. In hot weather. The roof bladder stores heat rising from the building during the day, and when uncovered, releases it to the atmosphere at night. When heating is required, the cover is removed in daytime to absorb heat, and replaced at night so that heat is radiated back into the building.

F. The most exciting developments for large-scale power generation require high- temperature systems which concentrate the sun's heat (CSP, or concentrated solar power). These systems are obviously more suited to large areas of relatively empty desert. Temperatures up to 600-8000c can be achieved in these plants. The heat is then used in various ways to drive turbines which generate electricity. When combined with methods of storing the heat and releasing it at night. CSP has the potential to replace traditional fossil fuels as a way of generating power available 24 hours a day for the basic needs that we take for granted.

G. Several designs for CSP use massive arrays of ground-level mirrors to reflect the sun's heat and turn water into steam. Another design uses a tower (a Solar Updraft Tower) covering a massive area, allowing air heated by the sun to rise through it and turn large turbines to produce electricity.

H. Issues with all CSP designs include the huge area of land required for the mirrors or towers, and the height of updraft towers, which could reach up to 750 metres in one ambitious European project. Even though in experiments in the USA one solar dish design managed to convert 31% of the solar energy falling on it into electricity, in a typical STE plant much of the land used is not actually covered in equipment and producing power, and so conversion rates are closer to 2.5%.

Questions 29 - 35

Choose the correct heading for paragraphs

B — H from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number, i - x.

i. Environmental problems with renewable energy systems

ii. Solar thermal energy for heating and cooling

iii. Possibility of uninterrupted power supply from solar

iv. Overall contribution of solar to world energy production

v. Solar energy benefits the nation and the individual

vi. Widespread attention to the importance of investment in STE

vii. Problem with large-scale solar plants

viii. Research funding for solar energy

ix. Early uses of solar thermal energy

x. Different technologies for concentrating solar heat

29. Paragraph B

Answer: V

Supporting statement:Many householders and businesses in developed countries have now installed photovoltaic solar panels

Keywords: installed, solar panels

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 3

Explanation: The text mentions that photovoltaic solar panels are now widely installed on the roofs of homes and businesses in nations with advanced economies. In certain areas, these systems even send electricity back into the nation's electrical grid systems, generating cash or decreasing power bills in exchange.

30. Paragraph C

Answer: IX

Supporting statement:This method has in fact been in use in some form since ancient Roman times.

Keywords: method, Roman

Keyword Location: Para C, Lines 3-4

Explanation:The text states that since ancient Roman times the sun’s heat has been used to heat up stone, water, or cement. In order to ventilate structures, air was drawn via stone chimneys that were heated by the sun. In the Middle East, these techniques are still utilized in conventional building designs.

31. Paragraph D

Answer: VI

Supporting statement: Hence the interest in developing sustainable long-term STE systems.

Keywords: interest, sustainable

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 7-8

Explanation: According to the text STE does not require any fuel and generates almost no pollutants in comparison to the existing fuel sources which causes global warming and has a negative effect on the environment. This one difference has made people more interested to invest in STE as it is more clean and long term.

32. Paragraph E

Answer: II

Supporting statement:The roof bladder stores heat rising from the building during the day, and when uncovered, releases it to the atmosphere at night.

Keywords: heat, building

Keyword Location: Para E, Line 5

Explanation: According to the passages In the 1960s, Harold Hay created an innovative experimental design that had a water storage bladder on the roof with a moveable cover. The roof bladder absorbs heat that rises from the structure during the day and releases it into the atmosphere at night when it is exposed in hot weather. In order to absorb heat during the day and reflect it back into the building at night, the cover is removed when heating is needed.

33. Paragraph F

Answer: III

Supporting statement:generating power available 24 hours a day for the basic needs that we take for granted.

Keywords: 24 hours, basic needs

Keyword Location: Para F, Line 7

Explanation: As per the above text concentrated solar power has the ability to take the place of conventional fossil fuels as a means of producing power that is available at all times for essentials that we take for granted.

34. Paragraph G

Answer: X

Supporting statement:ground-level mirrors to reflect the sun's heat and turn water into steam. Another design uses a tower

Keywords: reflect, steam

Keyword Location: Para G, Lines 1- 2

Explanation: The passage mentions that Massive arrays of ground-level reflectors are used in some CSP systems to reflect solar heat and convert water into steam. An alternative design makes use of a tower (a Solar Updraft Tower) that covers a huge land, allowing sun-heated air to rise through it and power enormous turbines to generate energy.

35. Paragraph H

Answer: VII

Supporting statement:Issues with all CSP designs include the huge area of land required

Keywords: Issues, designs

Keyword Location: Para H, Line 1

Explanation:The enormous amount of land needed for the mirrors or towers is one of the issues with the CSP designs. Another is the height of the updraft towers, which in one ambitious European idea may reach 750 meters.

Questions 36 — 40

Do the following statements agree with the

information given in the text above?

In boxes 36 — 40 on your answer sheet, write:

TRUE If the statement agrees with the information

FALSE If the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN If there is no information on this

36. Photovoltaic cells can only be set up on homes and small businesses.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The text has no mention about the limited use of Photovoltaic cells in homes and small businesses.

37. The building costs for solar thermal energy plants are low.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement:This is not to say that there are no costs in STE

Keywords: costs, STE

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 3-4

Explanation: According to the text the cost of setting up a is not low but instead it is given that all renewable technologies require a great amount of inputs in research and development and capital infrastructure costs. Also the land used for a STE plant is usually not covered in the total cost of equipment and the process of producing power.

38. In CSP systems, the sun's energy is indirectly used for heating domestic water

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: CSP use massive arrays of ground-level mirrors to reflect the sun's heat and turn water into steam

Keywords: CSP, water

Keyword Location: Para G, Lines 1-2

Explanation: The text states that the energy produced by the CSP can be indirectly used to heat the water in a domestic setting.

39. CSP systems are too dangerous to be used near cities.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The text has no mention of the CSP system creating any threat or danger near cities.

40. USA-based commercial CSP systems are now turning around 30% of sunlight into

electricity.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement:Even though in experiments in the USA one solar dish design managed to convert 31% of the solar energy falling on it into electricity

Keywords: USA, electricity

Keyword Location: Para H, Line 3

Explanation: The text states that although the USA, through some experiments, has somehow managed to convert 31% of solar energy but they were not successful in converting it into electricity.

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