Book Description

The current status of fossil fuel and alternative energy is a hot topic of today. Many different sides have many different opinions on the transition strategy that will work best as fossil fuel reserves slowly diminish. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for fossil fuels allows us to begin envisioning the role of various alternative fuels to replace these energy sources. Hydrogen fits into this transition mostly by replacing oil in the transportation sector as the main energy carrier. Natural gas and biofuels seem to be the best short-term solution, but after 2050, hydrogen transportation must become the norm as we move into a sustainable energy sector by 2100. Fuel-cell vehicles will be able to run off hydrogen more efficiently and be far cleaner than conventional gas-powered vehicles. As production of fossil fuels slows and proven reserves fall, prices will rise and alternative sources will become economically competitive with fossil fuels. Nuclear, geothermal, wind, PV, and wave energy will all be needed to provide for the total global energy demands. A hydrogen platform will also be developed through this century for the transportation sector. Hydrogen will serve as an energy carrier for vehicles and will be used as a form of chemical storage for energy in stationary applications, produced most likely by off-peak excess power. Based on the above information, all countries in the world can be analyzed to assess their potential to become early adopters for hydrogen energy. Even though a basic statistical approach might not provide very accurate results, it provides an insight on early adopters and the status of countries in terms of several commonly measured properties.