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What job could nuclear power do in a low-carbon electricity system?

An electricity system needs power at the times people use it, as well as enough energy over the year. Nuclear generation can be considered alongside storage, flexible demand and other dispatchable sources in meeting that need. Its value depends on the scenario, costs and available alternatives.

5–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • Which hours would be hardest to supply in your chosen electricity scenario?
  • How would a nuclear plant's operating pattern affect the amount of storage or backup needed in a chosen scenario?

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Energy

A solar cell's route from light to electricity

Shining sunlight onto a piece of silicon is only the first step in making solar power. When incoming photons knock electrons loose inside the semiconductor, an internal electric field built into the solar cell's layers must separate those charges and guide them into an external circuit before they simply recombine.

4–5 min
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