Powering the Low-Carbon Economy: The Once and Future Roles of Renewable Energy and Natural Gas


Book Description

Natural gas provides a natural complement to variable renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. It is the cleanest fossil fuel, emitting less than half the carbon dioxide and a fraction of the smog-forming pollutants that coal power plants do. Moreover, it can be used in a variety of efficient, flexible, and scalable generating technologies, enabling it to back up wind and solar generation on a range of time and geographic scales. If new supplies can be produced responsibly, natural gas can deliver immediate reductions in carbon emissions from the power sector. Methane, the main component of natural gas, already is being captured from landfills and other renewable sources, which can contribute a growing share of natural gas supplies in the decades ahead. As renewable energy and natural gas become more economical, their share in global power generation markets is increasing at the expense of coal. Working together, renewable energy and natural gas can facilitate a rapid decarbonization of the power sector and provide the foundation for a low-carbon energy future, starting now. -- from back cover.




Carbon Capture and Storage


Book Description

Climate change is one of the main threats to modern society. This phenomenon is associated with an increase in greenhouse gas (GHGs, mainly carbon dioxide—CO2) emissions due to anthropogenic activities. The main causes are the burning of fossil fuels and land use change (deforestation). Climate change impacts are associated with risks to basic needs (health, food security, and clean water), as well as risks to development (jobs, economic growth, and the cost of living). The processes involving CO2 capture and storage are gaining attention in the scientific community as an alternative for decreasing CO2 emissions, reducing its concentration in ambient air. The carbon capture and storage (CCS) methodologies comprise three steps: CO2 capture, CO2 transportation, and CO2 storage. Despite the high research activity within this topic, several technological, economic, and environmental issues as well as safety problems remain to be solved, such as the following needs: increase of CO2 capture efficiency, reduction of process costs, and verification of the environmental sustainability of CO2 storage.




Hybrid Energy Systems


Book Description

Hybrid Energy Systems: Strategy for Industrial Decarbonization demonstrates how hybrid energy and processes can decarbonize energy industry needs for power and heating and cooling. It describes the role of hybrid energy and processes in nine major industry sectors and discusses how hybrid energy can offer sustainable solutions in each. Introduces the basics and examples of hybrid energy systems Examines hybrid energy and processes in coal, oil and gas, nuclear, building, vehicle, manufacturing and industrial processes, computing and portable electronic, district heating and cooling, and water sectors Shows that hybrid processes can improve efficiency and that hybrid energy can effectively insert renewable fuels in the energy industry Serves as a companion text to the author’s book Hybrid Power: Generation, Storage, and Grids Written for advanced students, researchers, and industry professionals involved in energy-related processes and plants, this book offers latest research and practical strategies for application of the innovative field of hybrid energy.







Applied Chemistry


Book Description

This updated edition of Gesser’s classic textbook has undergone a full revision and now has the latest material, including new chapters on semiconductors and nanotechnology. It includes a supplementary laboratory section with stepwise experimental protocols.




Converting Power into Chemicals and Fuels


Book Description

CONVERTING POWER INTO CHEMICALS AND FUELS Understand the pivotal role that the petrochemical industry will play in the energy transition by integrating renewable or low-carbon alternatives Power into Chemicals and Fuels stresses the versatility of hydrogen as an enabler of the renewable energy system, an energy vector that can be transported and stored, and a fuel for the transportation sector, heating of buildings and providing heat and feedstock to industry. It can reduce both carbon and local emissions, increase energy security and strengthen the economy, as well as support the deployment of renewable power generation such as wind, solar, nuclear and hydro. With a focus on power-to-X technologies, this book discusses the production of basic petrochemicals in such a way as to minimize the carbon footprint and develop procedures that save energy or use energy from renewable sources. Various different power-to-X system configurations are introduced with discussions on their performance, environmental impact, and cost. Technologies for sustainable hydrogen production are covered, focusing on water electrolysis using renewable energy as well as consideration of the remaining challenges for large scale production and integration with other technologies. Power into Chemicals and Fuels readers will also find: Discussion of recent advances in power-into-x technologies for the production of ethylene, propylene, formic acid, and more Coverage of every stage in the power-into-x process, from power generation to upgrading the final product Thermodynamic, technoeconomic, and life cycle assessment analyses of each major process Power into Chemicals and Fuels is a valuable resource for scientists and engineers working in the petrochemicals and hydrocarbons industries, as well as for all industry professionals in these and related fields.




Memories of the Future


Book Description

Life courses, both professional and personal, are often directed by unplanned experiences. At crossroads, which path is followed and which hard choices are made can change the direction of one’s future. Wendell Bell’s life illustrates how totally unforeseen events can shape individual lives. As he notes, despite our hopes and our plans for the future, there is also serendipity, feedback, twists and turns, chance and circumstance, all of which shape our futures with sometimes surprising results. In Bell’s case, such twists and turns of chance and circumstance led to his role in developing the new field of futures studies. In Memories of the Future, Bell recognizes the importance of images of the future and the effect of these images on events to come. Such images—dreams, visions, or whatever we call them—help to determine our actions, which, in turn, help shape the future, although not always in ways that we intend. Bell illustrates, partly with the story of his own life, how people remember such past images of the future and how the memories of them linger and are often used to judge the real outcomes of their lives. This is a fascinating view of the work of an important social scientist and the people and events that helped define his life. It is also about American higher education, especially from the end of World War II through the 1960s and 1970s, a period of educational transformation that included the spread of the merit system; the increase in ethnic, racial, gender, and social diversity among students and faculty; and a massive increase in research and knowledge.




Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation


Book Description

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.




Climate Change and the World Bank Group


Book Description

This study from the Independent Evaluation Group draws lessons for development and climate change mitigation from the World Bank Group's far-reaching portfolio of projects in energy, forestry, transport, coal power, and technology transfer. Reviewing what has worked, what hasn't, and why, the evaluation's key findings include: Energy efficiency can offer countries direct economic returns that dwarf those of most other development projects, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Tropical forest protected areas, on average, significantly reduce tropical deforestation, preserving carbon and biodiversity. Deforestation rates are lower in areas that allowed sustainable use by local populations than in strictly protected areas. Deforestation rates were lowest of all in indigenous forest areas. For renewable energy projects, long-duration loans have been important in making projects financially viable.. But at prevailing carbon prices, carbon offset sales had little impact on most renewable energy projects rate of returns, and did not address investors need for up-front capital. Technology transfer broadly understood to include diffusion of technical and financial innovations related to low-carbon development has worked well when the logic of piloting and demonstration is well thought out, and when grants are used to mitigate the risk of pioneering efforts.




The Power of Renewables


Book Description

The United States and China are the world's top two energy consumers and, as of 2010, the two largest economies. Consequently, they have a decisive role to play in the world's clean energy future. Both countries are also motivated by related goals, namely diversified energy portfolios, job creation, energy security, and pollution reduction, making renewable energy development an important strategy with wide-ranging implications. Given the size of their energy markets, any substantial progress the two countries make in advancing use of renewable energy will provide global benefits, in terms of enhanced technological understanding, reduced costs through expanded deployment, and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to conventional generation from fossil fuels. Within this context, the U.S. National Academies, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), reviewed renewable energy development and deployment in the two countries, to highlight prospects for collaboration across the research to deployment chain and to suggest strategies which would promote more rapid and economical attainment of renewable energy goals. Main findings and concerning renewable resource assessments, technology development, environmental impacts, market infrastructure, among others, are presented. Specific recommendations have been limited to those judged to be most likely to accelerate the pace of deployment, increase cost-competitiveness, or shape the future market for renewable energy. The recommendations presented here are also pragmatic and achievable.