- 2076 Baisakh · 6 marks
Renewable sources and least suitable for Nepal
Short answer
Renewable energy sources are naturally replenished and inexhaustible, such as hydropower, solar, wind and biomas. For Nepal, tidal energy is impossible because it is landlocked; among feasible sources, geothermal is least suitable due to low-temperature hot springs that cannot generate power economically.
What do you mean by renewable energy sources? Write with examples. Which one is least suitable for our country? Support your answer.
Renewable energy sources are sources that are naturally replenished on a human time scale and do not get exhausted by use. They cause little pollution and their "fuel" is free.
Examples
| Source | How electricity is produced | Example in Nepal |
|---|---|---|
| Hydropower | Water head turns turbine | Kali Gandaki A, Upper Tamakoshi |
| Solar | PV cells convert sunlight | Nuwakot (Devighat) 25 MW solar, rooftop PV |
| Wind | Wind turns rotor | Small pilot turbines (Nawalparasi, Dhaulagiri) |
| Biomass/biogas | Burn or digest organic matter | Household biogas, bagasse in sugar mills |
| Geothermal | Earth heat drives turbine | Hot springs only, not used for power |
| Tidal/wave | Sea tides drive turbine | Not possible |
Least suitable for Nepal
Tidal (and wave/ocean) energy is least suitable — Nepal is a landlocked country with no sea coast, so it cannot be used at all.
Among sources that physically exist in Nepal, geothermal (and large-scale wind) are the least suitable:
- Geothermal: Nepal has hot springs (Tatopani, Jumla, Myagdi), but their temperatures are low (below about 75 °C) and capacity is small, suitable only for bathing or heating, not for power.
- Wind: Wind speeds are good only in a few remote high-altitude places (e.g. Mustang) far from load and grid, with difficult transport and turbulent mountain wind.
By contrast, Nepal's steep rivers give huge hydropower potential (about 83,000 MW theoretical, ~43,000 MW economically feasible) and about 300 sunny days a year favour solar. So hydro and solar are the most suitable, while tidal (absent) and geothermal are the least.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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