Download or read book Energy and Civilization written by Vaclav Smil and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2018-11-13 with total page 564 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society throughout history, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. "I wait for new Smil books the way some people wait for the next 'Star Wars' movie. In his latest book, Energy and Civilization: A History, he goes deep and broad to explain how innovations in humans' ability to turn energy into heat, light, and motion have been a driving force behind our cultural and economic progress over the past 10,000 years. —Bill Gates, Gates Notes, Best Books of the Year Energy is the only universal currency; it is necessary for getting anything done. The conversion of energy on Earth ranges from terra-forming forces of plate tectonics to cumulative erosive effects of raindrops. Life on Earth depends on the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy into plant biomass. Humans have come to rely on many more energy flows—ranging from fossil fuels to photovoltaic generation of electricity—for their civilized existence. In this monumental history, Vaclav Smil provides a comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. Humans are the only species that can systematically harness energies outside their bodies, using the power of their intellect and an enormous variety of artifacts—from the simplest tools to internal combustion engines and nuclear reactors. The epochal transition to fossil fuels affected everything: agriculture, industry, transportation, weapons, communication, economics, urbanization, quality of life, politics, and the environment. Smil describes humanity's energy eras in panoramic and interdisciplinary fashion, offering readers a magisterial overview. This book is an extensively updated and expanded version of Smil's Energy in World History (1994). Smil has incorporated an enormous amount of new material, reflecting the dramatic developments in energy studies over the last two decades and his own research over that time.

Download or read book Growing energy written by Kathryn A. Zeimetz and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Biodiesel written by Greg Pahl and published by Chelsea Green Publishing. This book was released on 2008-09-15 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For anyone who is trying to keep up with the extremely rapid developments in the biodiesel industry, the second edition of Biodiesel: Growing a New Energy Economy is an invaluable aid. The breathtaking speed with which biodiesel has gained acceptance in the marketplace in the past few years has been exceeded only by the proliferation of biodiesel production facilities around the United States--and the world--only to confront new social and environmental challenges and criticisms. The international survey of the biodiesel industry has been expanded from 40 to more than 80 countries, reflecting the spectacular growth of the industry around the world. This section also tracks the dramatic shifts in the fortunes of the industry that have taken place in some of these nations. The detailed chapters that cover the industry in the United States have also been substantially rewritten to keep abreast of its many new developments and explosive domestic growth. An expanded section on small-scale, local biodiesel production has been added to better represent this small but growing part of the industry. Another new section has been added to more fully explore the increasingly controversial issues of deforestation and food versus fuel, as well as GMO crops. The second edition concludes with updated views on where the industry is headed in the years to come from some of its key players.

Download or read book Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation written by Ottmar Edenhofer and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2011-11-21 with total page 1088 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report (IPCC-SRREN) assesses the potential role of renewable energy in the mitigation of climate change. It covers the six most important renewable energy sources - bioenergy, solar, geothermal, hydropower, ocean and wind energy - as well as their integration into present and future energy systems. It considers the environmental and social consequences associated with the deployment of these technologies, and presents strategies to overcome technical as well as non-technical obstacles to their application and diffusion. SRREN brings a broad spectrum of technology-specific experts together with scientists studying energy systems as a whole. Prepared following strict IPCC procedures, it presents an impartial assessment of the current state of knowledge: it is policy relevant but not policy prescriptive. SRREN is an invaluable assessment of the potential role of renewable energy for the mitigation of climate change for policymakers, the private sector, and academic researchers.

Download or read book The Political Economy of Clean Energy Transitions written by Douglas Arent and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 631 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A volume on the political economy of clean energy transition in developed and developing regions, with a focus on the issues that different countries face as they transition from fossil fuels to lower carbon technologies.

Download or read book International Energy Outlook written by and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Real Energy written by Phaedra Bonewits and published by Red Wheel/Weiser. This book was released on 2007-02-09 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Energy. Psi, prana, mana, chi, divine power, the tao, reiki, or "vibes," every system of magic and mysticism calls the energies that power its practices by different names. Whether questioning the power of prayer or a healing session with a Reiki master an underlying question exists of whether this energy is all the same or if they exist as distinctly different "wavelengths" of some universal power? When New Agers, occultists, spiritual healers, metaphysicians, artists, and Neopagans talk about the "energies" they use, what do they actually mean? Now, for the first time, a single book discusses the vocabulary, magic, metaphysics, art, and science of energy from a multi-model, 21st century perspective. Lessons included will cover: Physical vocabulary of energy Metaphysical vocabulary of energy How the laws of magic affect energy The Importance of Focus Real Energy will then take these lessons to the next level giving you direction on how to understand and begin working with different energies. Half of the book is dedicated to showing you how to work with specific energies, including: the four elements, crystals, plants, animals, your own body, nature spirits, ancestors, and deities to accomplish your goals and enhance life experiences. Specific energy work practices are also covered, including: Reiki, The Huna System, working with "Pure" ESP and PK, Feng Shui, and the Tantra System. With tips from scientists, artists, magicians, and spiritual teachers, Real Energy will give you a solid introduction to both the theory and practice of energy work.

Download or read book Renewable Energy Forecasting written by Georges Kariniotakis and published by Woodhead Publishing. This book was released on 2017-09-29 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Renewable Energy Forecasting: From Models to Applications provides an overview of the state-of-the-art of renewable energy forecasting technology and its applications. After an introduction to the principles of meteorology and renewable energy generation, groups of chapters address forecasting models, very short-term forecasting, forecasting of extremes, and longer term forecasting. The final part of the book focuses on important applications of forecasting for power system management and in energy markets. Due to shrinking fossil fuel reserves and concerns about climate change, renewable energy holds an increasing share of the energy mix. Solar, wind, wave, and hydro energy are dependent on highly variable weather conditions, so their increased penetration will lead to strong fluctuations in the power injected into the electricity grid, which needs to be managed. Reliable, high quality forecasts of renewable power generation are therefore essential for the smooth integration of large amounts of solar, wind, wave, and hydropower into the grid as well as for the profitability and effectiveness of such renewable energy projects. - Offers comprehensive coverage of wind, solar, wave, and hydropower forecasting in one convenient volume - Addresses a topic that is growing in importance, given the increasing penetration of renewable energy in many countries - Reviews state-of-the-science techniques for renewable energy forecasting - Contains chapters on operational applications

Download or read book Geothermal Energy Systems written by Ibrahim Dincer and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2021-03-25 with total page 527 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Geothermal Energy Systems provides design and analysis methodologies by using exergy and enhanced exergy tools (covering exergoenvironmental, exergoeconomic, exergetic life cycle assessment, etc.), environmental impact assessment models, and sustainability models and approaches. In addition to presenting newly developed advanced and integrated systems for multigenerational purposes, the book discusses newly developed environmental impact assessment and sustainability evaluation methods and methodologies. With case studies for integrated geothermal energy sources for multigenerational aims, engineers can design and develop new geothermal integrated systems for various applications and discover the main advantages of design choices, system analysis, assessment and development of advanced geothermal power systems. - Explains the ability of geothermal energy power systems to decrease global warming - Discusses sustainable development strategies for using geothermal energy sources - Provides new design conditions for geothermal energy sources-based district energy systems

Download or read book Electric Renewable Energy Systems written by Muhammad H. Rashid and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2015-11-25 with total page 604 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: - This derivative volume stemming from content included in our seminal Power Electronics Handbook takes its chapters related to renewables and establishes them at the core of a new volume dedicated to the increasingly pivotal and as yet under-published intersection of Power Electronics and Alternative Energy. While this re-versioning provides a corollary revenue stream to better leverage our core handbook asset, it does more than simply re-package existing content. Each chapter will be significantly updated and expanded by more than 50%, and all new introductory and summary chapters will be added to contextualize and tie the volume together. Therefore, unlike traditional derivative volumes, we will be able to offer new and updated material to the market and include this largely original content in our ScienceDirect Energy collection. - Due to the inherently multi-disciplinary nature of renewables, many engineers come from backgrounds in Physics, Materials, or Chemical Engineering, and therefore do not have experience working in-depth with electronics. As more and more alternative and distributed energy systems require grid hook-ups and on-site storage, a working knowledge of batteries, inverters and other power electronics components becomes requisite. Further, as renewables enjoy broadening commercial implementation, power electronics professionals are interested to learn of the challenges and strategies particular to applications in alternative energy. This book will bring each group up-to-speed with the primary issues of importance at this technological node. - This content clarifies the juncture of two key coverage areas for our Energy portfolio: alternative sources and power systems. It serves to bridge the information in our power engineering and renewable energy lists, supporting the growing grid cluster in the former and adding key information on practical implementation to the latter. - Provides a thorough overview of the key technologies, methods and challenges for implementing power electronics in alternative energy systems for optimal power generation - Includes hard-to-find information on how to apply converters, inverters, batteries, controllers and more for stand-alone and grid-connected systems - Covers wind and solar applications, as well as ocean and geothermal energy, hybrid systems and fuel cells

Download or read book Diversifying Power written by Jennie C. Stephens and published by . This book was released on 2020-09-17 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Diversifying Power, energy expert Jennie Stephens argues that the key to effectively addressing the climate crisis is diversifying leadership so that antiracist, feminist priorities are central. Stephens examines climate and energy leadership related to job creation and economic justice, health and nutrition, and housing and transportation. She explains why we need to reclaim and restructure climate and energy systems so policies are explicitly linked to social, economic, and racial justices. Diversifying Power shows that anyone working on issues related to energy or climate (directly or indirectly) can leverage the power of collective action. The work to shift away from an extractive, oppressive energy system has already begun. By highlighting the creative individuals and organizations making change happen, Diversifying Power provides inspiration and encourages action on climate and energy justice.

Download or read book How Solar Energy Became Cheap written by Gregory F. Nemet and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-05-20 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Solar energy is a substantial global industry, one that has generated trade disputes among superpowers, threatened the solvency of large energy companies, and prompted serious reconsideration of electric utility regulation rooted in the 1930s. One of the biggest payoffs from solar’s success is not the clean inexpensive electricity it can produce, but the lessons it provides for innovation in other technologies needed to address climate change. Despite the large literature on solar, including analyses of increasingly detailed datasets, the question as to how solar became inexpensive and why it took so long still remains unanswered. Drawing on developments in the US, Japan, Germany, Australia, and China, this book provides a truly comprehensive and international explanation for how solar has become inexpensive. Understanding the reasons for solar’s success enables us to take full advantage of solar’s potential. It can also teach us how to support other low-carbon technologies with analogous properties, including small modular nuclear reactors and direct air capture. However, the urgency of addressing climate change means that a key challenge in applying the solar model is in finding ways to speed up innovation. Offering suggestions and policy recommendations for accelerated innovation is another key contribution of this book. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of energy technology and innovation, climate change and energy analysis and policy, as well as practitioners and policymakers working in the existing and emerging energy industries.

Download or read book Revolutionary Power written by Shalanda Baker and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2021-01-14 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In September 2017, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, completely upending the energy grid of the small island. The nearly year-long power outage that followed vividly shows how the new climate reality intersects with race and access to energy. The island is home to brown and black US citizens who lack the political power of those living in the continental US. As the world continues to warm and storms like Maria become more commonplace, it is critical that we rethink our current energy system to enable reliable, locally produced, and locally controlled energy without replicating the current structures of power and control. In Revolutionary Power, Shalanda Baker arms those made most vulnerable by our current energy system with the tools they need to remake the system in the service of their humanity. She argues that people of color, poor people, and indigenous people must engage in the creation of the new energy system in order to upend the unequal power dynamics of the current system. Revolutionary Power is a playbook for the energy transformation complete with a step-by-step analysis of the key energy policy areas that are ripe for intervention. Baker tells the stories of those who have been left behind in our current system and those who are working to be architects of a more just system. She draws from her experience as an energy-justice advocate, a lawyer, and a queer woman of color to inspire activists working to build our new energy system. Climate change will force us to rethink the way we generate and distribute energy and regulate the system. But how much are we willing to change the system? This unique moment in history provides an unprecedented opening for a deeper transformation of the energy system, and thus, an opportunity to transform society. Revolutionary Power shows us how.

Download or read book Energy Fact Book written by and published by . This book was released on 1976 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Hydrogen and Fuel Cells written by International Energy Agency and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2004 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hydrogen and fuel cells are vital technologies to ensure a secure and CO2-free energy future. Their development will take decades of extensive public and private effort to achieve technology breakthroughs and commercial maturity. Government research programs are indispensable for catalyzing the development process. This report maps the IEA countries' current efforts to research, develop and deploy the interlocking elements that constitute a "hydrogen economy", including CO2 capture and storage when hydrogen is produced out of fossil fuels. It provides an overview of what is being done, and by whom, covering an extensive complexity of national government R & D programs. The survey highlights the potential for exploiting the benefits of the international cooperation. This book draws primarily upon information contributed by IEA governments. In virtually all the IEA countries, important R & D and policy efforts on hydrogen and fuel cells are in place and expanding. Some are fully-integrated, government-funded programs, some are a key element in an overall strategy spread among multiple public and private efforts. The large amount of information provided in this publication reflects the vast array of technologies and logistics required to build the "hydrogen economy."--Publisher description.

Download or read book Molecular Biology of the Cell written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Microbial Energy Conversion written by Zhenhong Yuan and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2018-05-22 with total page 568 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book provides an overview on various microorganisms and their industrialization in energy conversion, such as ethanol fermentation, butanol fermentation, biogas fermentation and fossil energy conversion. It also covers microbial oil production, hydrogen production and electricity generation. The content is up to date and suits well for both researchers and industrial audiences.