As the Earth's oil supply runs out, and the effects of climate change threaten nations and their populations, the search for carbon-neutral sources of energy becomes more important and increasingly urgent. This book focuses on solutions to the energy problem, and not just the problem itself. It describes the major energy-generation technologies currently under development, and provides an authoritative summary of the current status of each one. It stresses the need for a balanced portfolio of alternative energy technologies. Certain solutions will be more appropriate than others in particular locations, due to the differences in availability of natural resources such as solar, wind, wave, tidal and geothermal. In addition, nuclear options (both fission and fusion), as well as technologies such as fuel cells, photovoltaics, artificial photosynthesis and hydrogen (as an energy carrier), all have a potential role to play. A state-of-the-art critique of energy efficiency in building design is also included. Each chapter is written by an acknowledged international expert and provides a non-technical overview of the competing and complementary approaches to energy generation. Broad in scope and comprehensive in treatment, Energy..beyond Oil provides an authoritative synthesis of the scientific and technological issues which are essential to the survival of the human race in the near future. The book will be of interest and use to graduate students and researchers in all areas of energy studies, and will also be highly useful for policy-makers and professionals in the environmental sector as well as a more general readership who wish to learn more about this extremely topical subject.
Author(s): Katherine Blundell, Fraser Armstrong
Year: 2007
Language: English
Pages: 240
Contents......Page 6
The problems to be solved......Page 12
What are the actual needs?......Page 13
What are the true costs of the different energy solutions in terms of human fatalities?......Page 14
Energy from the Sun......Page 16
The nature of the solutions......Page 17
The way forward......Page 18
Introduction......Page 20
Principles......Page 21
How climate change will affect our lives......Page 33
Taking action......Page 36
Technological and policy innovation......Page 39
Summary and conclusions......Page 42
Postscript......Page 43
Resources and further information......Page 44
Some further UK focused reading and sources......Page 45
Introduction......Page 46
High-temperature resources......Page 49
Hot dry rock or enhanced geothermal systems......Page 50
Medium-temperature resources......Page 52
Low-temperature systems with heat pumps......Page 54
Potential for future growth......Page 56
Resources and further information......Page 57
Web Resources......Page 59
4. Wave and tidal power......Page 60
Wave energy resources......Page 61
Comparing wave energy converters—‘Wave Hub’......Page 66
Tidal energy resources......Page 67
Tidal barrage schemes......Page 68
Tidal current turbines......Page 70
Assessment of wave and tidal current resources (UK)......Page 75
Summary and conclusions......Page 78
Resources and further information......Page 80
Introduction......Page 82
Wind energy resource......Page 83
Public acceptance......Page 88
Technical development......Page 89
Concluding remarks......Page 93
Further Reading......Page 94
The physics of fission......Page 95
Cutting carbon emissions......Page 98
Economics......Page 99
Reliability of electricity supplies......Page 101
Potential new reactor technology......Page 104
Investor considerations—delivery and operational performance......Page 108
Investor considerations—waste......Page 110
Public attitudes......Page 112
The longer term future......Page 113
Introduction......Page 116
Principles of fusion......Page 117
Attributes of fusion......Page 119
The current status of fusion research......Page 120
The next steps—ITER and IFMIF......Page 124
Fast track studies......Page 128
Conclusions......Page 129
Resources and further information......Page 130
Principles......Page 131
Conversion efficiencies......Page 133
Cost and supplies of raw materials......Page 135
How PV cells are developing......Page 136
Summary......Page 144
Resources and further information......Page 145
Introduction......Page 148
Principles of photosynthesis......Page 149
Biomass......Page 152
The photosynthetic water splitting apparatus......Page 154
Artificial photosynthesis: a new technology......Page 160
Policies and implementation......Page 161
Resources and further information......Page 164
Introduction......Page 167
Hydrogen and electricity: energy carriers......Page 168
Hydrogen production......Page 171
Hydrogen storage......Page 173
A sustainable energy future......Page 176
Resources and further information......Page 177
Introduction......Page 180
The principles......Page 181
Applications of fuel cells......Page 182
Market developments and regulation......Page 183
Technological developments......Page 185
From today to tomorrow: changing the game......Page 187
Resources and further information......Page 190
Introduction......Page 192
Low-energy buildings......Page 194
The new directive on the energy performance of buildings......Page 203
Summary and conclusions......Page 205
References......Page 206
13. Governing the transition to a new energy economy......Page 208
Energy politics......Page 210
Sustainable energy policy......Page 211
Socio-technological transitions......Page 213
Critical policy considerations......Page 216
Transforming energy/environmental governance......Page 220
References......Page 222
14. Summary......Page 226
C......Page 232
E......Page 233
F......Page 234
H......Page 235
M......Page 236
P......Page 237
S......Page 238
U......Page 239
Z......Page 240
