The UK has declared a 'climate emergency' and pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050. So how do we get there? Drawing on actions, policies and technologies already emerging around the world, Chris Goodall sets out the ways to achieve this. His proposals include: -Building a huge over-capacity of wind and solar energy, storing the excess as hydrogen. -Using hydrogen to fuel our trains, shipping, boilers and heavy industry, while electrifying buses, trucks and cars. -Farming - and eating - differently, encouraging plant-based alternatives to meat -paying farmers to plant and maintain woodlands. -Making fashion sustainable and aviation pay its way, funding synthetic fuels and genuine offsets. -Using technical solutions to capture CO2 from the air, and biochar to lock carbon in the soil. What We Need To Do Now is an urgent, practical and inspiring book that signals a green new deal for Britain.

Handbook of Biofuels Production, Second Edition, discusses advanced chemical, biochemical, and thermochemical biofuels production routes that are fast being developed to address the global increase in energy usage. Research and development in this field is aimed at improving the quality and environmental impact of biofuels production, as well as the overall efficiency and output of biofuels production plants. The book provides a comprehensive and systematic reference on the range of biomass conversion processes and technology. Key changes for this second edition include increased coverage of emerging feedstocks, including microalgae, more emphasis on by-product valorization for biofuels' production, additional chapters on emerging biofuel production methods, and discussion of the emissions associated with biofuel use in engines. The editorial team is strengthened by the addition of two extra members, and a number of new contributors have been invited to work with authors from the first edition to revise existing chapters, thus offering fresh perspectives.

This groundbreaking new book features holistic coverage of technological breakthroughs, financing trends, workforce development issues, and comparative regional case studies in solar energy. It provides a global bird's-eye view of the industry for scientists, engineers, business leaders, and policymakers - anyone seriously engaged in the rapidly evolving field of solar energy. The expert author's analysis includes primary data from the first comprehensive solar industry survey conducted in the United States, insights from key thought leaders in the energy sector, and case studies from international leaders in solar development. "Solar Energy Markets" examines six key drivers of the solar industry: 1) a new culture of environmentalism; 2) policy and markets; 3) financing and venture capital; 4) economics and cost-competitiveness; 5) innovation; and 6) labor. In a field too often marked by divisive over-specialization, this resource provides invaluable context, demonstrating how the solar field s innovative triumphs and inherent challenges play out in the real global marketplace.
Analyzes key drivers of the solar industry at international, national and local levels Synthesizes the first comprehensive surveys of the U.S. solar industry Uniquely ties together technological innovation with market implications for engineers, business leaders and policymakers alikeExamines the evolving role of China in global solar markets"

The impending threats of catastrophic climate change and peak oil are driving our society towards increased use of biomass for energy, chemical compounds and other materials - the beginnings of a biobased economy. As alternative development models for the biobased economy emerge, we need to determine potential applications, their perspectives and possible impacts as well as policies that can steer technological and market development in such a way that our objectives are met. Currently, it is still far from clear what will be the most sustainable routes to follow, which technologies should be included, and how their development will affect, and be affected by, research, public opinion and policy and market forces. This groundbreaking work, edited by a group of leading researchers originally from Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands, sets out to unpick the complex systems in play. It provides an illuminating framework for how policy and market players could and should drive the development of a biobased economy that is effective, sustainable, fair and cost efficient. Starting with a state-of-the-art overview of major biobased technologies, including biorefinery and technologies for the production of biofuels, biogas, biomass feedstocks for chemistry and bioplastics, it discusses how different actor groups interact through policy and markets. Information from case studies is used to demonstrate how the potential of the biobased economy in different parts of the world, such as North America, Europe, and emerging economies like China and Brazil can be realised using research, debate, policy and commercial development. The result is an essential resource for all those working in or concerned with biobased industries, their policy or research.

Hydrogen could be a significant fuel of the future, with the potential to make a major contribution to the resolution of pressing social and environmental problems such as carbon emissions, energy security and local air pollution.

This book, based on four years of detailed research, subjects the promise and potential of hydrogen to searching, in-depth socio-economic analysis. It discusses the different technologies for the production, distribution, storage and use of hydrogen, and analyzes the economics of these technologies and their current market prospects. It also describes various experiences with aspects of a hydrogen economy in two parts of the world the UK and Canada and then assesses the nature of different hydrogen futures that might develop depending on how the technology, economics, social acceptance and policy frameworks play out in different contexts.

The book ends by setting out the policy drivers and levers which could stimulate a virtuous circle of research and development, innovation and investment that might ultimately generate a sustainable hydrogen economy. This is essential reading for economists, engineers, business leaders, investors, policy makers, researchers and students who are interested in the future of the energy system and the part that hydrogen might play in it.

* A reliable, accessible and comprehensive guide for students of photovoltaic applications, brimming with information and carefully designed to meet the needs of its readers * Features exercises and recommends further reading at the end of each chapter, and provides detailed technical appendices with essential equations, data sources and standardsPhotovoltaics manufacturing and engineering has been growing at an exponential rate, and with this growth comes an increase in the number of people studying the subject. This has resulted in the demand for a reliable, accessible and comprehensive guide for students of photovoltaic (PV) applications and renewable energy engineering.The award-winning authors present a thoroughly considered textbook that is brimming with information and carefully designed to meet the needs of its readers. Along with exercises and recommended further reading at the end of each chapter, the book features a set of detailed technical appendices that provide essential equations, data sources and standards. The book is well illustrated and readable, with an abundance of diagrams and illustrations, and will provide the reader with all the information needed to work with photovoltaics.Related Titles: Understanding Renewable Energy Systems 1-84407-128-6 (2004) Planning and Installing Photovoltaic Systems 1-84407-131-6 (2004) Solar Energy Pocket Reference 1-84407-306-8 (2005)

Miscanthus has been enthusiastically promoted as a second generation biomass crop, and this book provides a comprehensive review of this knowledge. Miscanthus, also known as elephant grass, is a high yielding grass crop that grows over three metres tall, resembles bamboo and produces a crop every year without the need for replanting or fertiliser application . The rapid growth, low mineral content, and high biomass yield of Miscanthus increasingly make it a favourite choice as a biofuel, outperforming switchgrass and other alternatives. There is over 20 years of research evidence to support its promotion as a second generation biomass crop. The author reviews many field measurements of yields as well as the physiology of the crop, and why it is so productive while at the same time requiring low inputs to grow it. It also shows how as a key biofuel crop it can contribute to mitigating climate change and how uptake of the adoption of Miscanthus production can be promoted, particularly in Europe and North America. The book will be key reading for students taking courses in the areas of Environmental Science and Engineering, Climate Change Impacts, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation. It will also be of interest to researchers of second generation biomass crops, and policy developers working in biofuel production and utilization.

Growing concerns about the impacts of climate change and dependence on fossil fuels have intensified interest in bioenergy from sugar cane and other crops, highlighting important links between energy, environment and development goals. Sub-Saharan Africa is characterized by severe poverty; the possibility to exploit a renewable energy resource offers valuable avenues for sustainable development and could support a more dynamic and competitive economy. This book describes how the bioenergy expansion will improve rural livelihoods, reduce costly energy imports, reduce GHG emissions, and offer new development paths. Drawing on international experience, it is shown that harnessing this potential will require significant increases in investment, technology transfer, and international cooperation. Because of its high efficiency, the authors argue that sugar cane should be viewed as a global resource for sustainable development and should command much greater focus and concerted policy action. Through an analysis of the agronomy, land suitability and industrial processing of sugar cane and its co-products, along with an assessment of the energy, economic and environmental implications, this volume demonstrates that sugar cane offers a competitive and environmentally beneficial resource for Africa's economic development and energy security. With forty-four authors representing thirty organisations in sixteen countries, the book offers a truly international and interdisciplinary perspective by combining technical and economic principles with social, political and environmental assessment and policy analysis.

This book highlights the challenges faced by renewable energy enterprises (REEs) in emerging markets, by reflecting on the enterprises' own stories and experiences. Research into REEs has focused largely on successful businesses and business models, and developed markets. With significant opportunities for renewable energy enterprise in emerging markets, this book presents a unique business-level perspective. It highlights the key barriers and outlines the strategic and operational solutions for success articulated by the entrepreneurs themselves. The research draws on interviews with entrepreneurs in twenty-eight emerging markets, including Barbados, Cambodia, Chile, Ghana, Indonesia, India, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda. The book concludes by summarising the key solutions for success and illustrating how successful REEs put them into practice. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of renewable energy, sustainable business and the sustainability agenda in emerging markets.

This book gathers the main scientific outputs related to POREEN, a four-year project on partnering opportunities between Europe and China in the renewable energy and environmental industries, financed by the European Commission. It investigates the main challenges and opportunities related to Sino-European cooperation in the green sector with a focus on sustainable growth. The first part of the book outlines the characteristics of Chinese and European cooperation, from a policy, macro and microeconomic point of view. It examines the key elements of green policy developed so far, bilateral trade flows, as well as bilateral investment flows. The second part presents an overview and recommendations on what legal framework is necessary to boost integration between Europe and China. In addition, corporate social responsibility and firm related aspects are considered. The third part of the book focuses on engineering-related research activity. It highlights the state of the art of Europe-China cooperation in key areas such as low carbon buildings, mobility and transportation that may have a huge potential impact on bilateral cooperation between Europe and China in the years ahead.

The integration of renewable energy resources into the electricity grid presents an important challenge. This book provides a review and analysis of the technical and policy options available for managing variable energy resources such as wind and solar power. As well as being of value to government and industry policy-makers and planners, the volume also provides a single source for scientists and engineers of the technical knowledge gained during the 4-year RenewElec (renewable electricity) project at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Vermont, Vermont Law School, and the Van Ness Feldman environmental law firm. The first part of the book discusses the options for large scale integration of variable electric power generation, including issues of predictability, variability, and efficiency. The second part presents the scientific findings of the project. In the final part, the authors undertake a critical review of major quantitative regional and national wind integration studies in the United States. Based on comparisons among these studies, they suggest areas where improvements in methods are warranted in future studies, areas where additional research is needed to facilitate future improvements in wind integration studies and how the research can be put into practice.

The meteoric rise of the photovoltaic (PV) industry is an incredible story. In 2013, Google s investments in PV systems totaled about half a billion dollars and Warren Buffet, one of the famous investors, invested $2.5 billion in the world s largest PV system in California. These gigantic investments by major financial players were made only 40 years after the first two terrestrial PV companies, Solarex and Solar Power Corporation, were formed in the USA. Back in 1973, the two companies employed 20 people and produced only 500 watts of PV power. Now, just 40 years later, over a million people work in the PV industry. The worldwide capacity of operating PV electric generators equals the capacity of about 25 nuclear power plants. The PV industry is growing at an annual rate of 30 percent, equivalent to about five new nuclear power plants per year. Today, solar electricity is a significant supplier of electricity needs, to the extent that PV is forcing the restructuring of 100-year-old electric power utilities. This book describes how this happened and what lies ahead for PV power generation."

Wind power is often held up as the most accessible and cost-effective route to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and improving our energy independence, yet knowledge of what it offers is often clouded by myths and misunderstandings, which can hamper its adoption. This new book, the result of an ambitious project coordinated by the European Wind Energy Association, aims to present the facts about wind energy. It includes six sections discussing: technology grid integration economics of wind its industry and markets its environmental impacts the scenarios and targets for wind energy. Contributions are drawn from nine leading research bodies across Europe, and the material is global in its scope. It is therefore an essential resource and reference for those whose work or study demands an in-depth examination of the subject, and for anyone who wants detailed, accurate and up-to-date information on this key energy source.

The resources race is on. Powering our digital lives and green technologies are some of the Earth’s most precious metals ― but they are running out. And what will happen when they do?

The green-tech revolution will reduce our dependency on nuclear power, coal, and oil, heralding a new era free of pollution, fossil-fuel shortages, and crossborder tensions. But there is a hidden dark side to this seemingly utopian vision.

In this international bestseller, award-winning journalist and documentary-maker Guillaume Pitron reveals that, by breaking free of fossil fuels, we are in fact setting ourselves up for a new dependence ― on rare metals such as cobalt, gold, and palladium.

These are essential to electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels, as well as our smartphones, computers, tablets, and other technologies. But we know very little about how rare metals are mined and traded, or their environmental, economic, and geopolitical costs; meanwhile, China has captured the lion’s share of the market and is using it to consolidate its position as a leading global power.

Drawing on six years of research across a dozen countries, The Rare Metals War is a vital exposé of the ticking time-bomb that lies beneath our new technological order.

The meteoric rise of the photovoltaic (PV) industry is an incredible story. In 2013, Google s investments in PV systems totaled about half a billion dollars and Warren Buffet, one of the famous investors, invested $2.5 billion in the world s largest PV system in California. These gigantic investments by major financial players were made only 40 years after the first two terrestrial PV companies, Solarex and Solar Power Corporation, were formed in the USA. Back in 1973, the two companies employed 20 people and produced only 500 watts of PV power. Now, just 40 years later, over a million people work in the PV industry. The worldwide capacity of operating PV electric generators equals the capacity of about 25 nuclear power plants. The PV industry is growing at an annual rate of 30 percent, equivalent to about five new nuclear power plants per year. Today, solar electricity is a significant supplier of electricity needs, to the extent that PV is forcing the restructuring of 100-year-old electric power utilities. This book describes how this happened and what lies ahead for PV power generation."

What if the solution to the climate crisis is . . . capitalism? Our age will be defined by the climate emergency. But contrary to the doomist narrative that's taken hold, the world has already begun deploying the solutions needed to deal with it. On a journey across five continents, Climate Capitalism tracks the unlikely heroes driving the fight against climate change. From the Chinese bureaucrat who did more to make electric cars a reality than Elon Musk, to the Danish students who helped to build the world's longest-operating wind turbine, or the American oil executive building the technology that can reverse climate damages, we meet the people working to scale technologies that are finally able to bend the emissions curve. Through stories that bring people, policy and technology together, Akshat Rathi reveals how the green economy is not only possible, but profitable. This inspiring blend of business, science, and history provides the framework for ensuring that future generations can live in prosperity and that the wheels of progress don't falter.

This book will provide the technical community with an overview of the development of new solutions and products that address key topics, including electric/hybrid vehicles, ultrafast battery charging, smart grids, renewable energy (e.g., solar and wind), peak shaving, and reduction of energy consumption. The needs for storage discussed are within the context of changes between the centralized power generation of today and the distributed utility of tomorrow, including the integration of renewable energy sources. Throughout the book, methods for quantitative and qualitative comparison of energy storage means are presented through their energy capacity as well as through their power capability for different applications. The definitions and symbols for energy density and power density are given and relate to the volume and weight of a given system or component. A relatively underdeveloped concept that is crucial to this text is known as the theory of Ragone plots. This theory makes possible the evaluation of the real amount of energy that can possibly release out of a given system, with respect to the level of power dependency chosen for the discharge process. From systems using electrochemical transformations, to classical battery energy storage elements and so-called flow batteries, to fuel cells and hydrogen storage, this book further investigates storage systems based on physical principles (e.g., gravitational potential forces, air compression, and rotational kinetic energy). This text also examines purely electrical systems such as superconductive magnets and capacitors. Another subject of analysis is the presentation of power electronic circuits and architectures that are needed for continuously controllable power flow to and from different storage means. For all systems described, the elementary principles of operation are given as well as the relationships for the quantified storage of energy. Finally, Energy Storage: Systems and Components contains multiple international case studies and a rich set of exercises that serve both students and practicing engineers.

What if the solution to the climate crisis is . . . capitalism? Our age will be defined by the climate emergency. But contrary to the doomist narrative that's taken hold, the world has already begun deploying the solutions needed to deal with it. On a journey across five continents, Climate Capitalism tracks the unlikely heroes driving the fight against climate change. From the Chinese bureaucrat who did more to make electric cars a reality than Elon Musk, to the Danish students who helped to build the world's longest-operating wind turbine, or the American oil executive building the technology that can reverse climate damages, we meet the people working to scale technologies that are finally able to bend the emissions curve. Through stories that bring people, policy and technology together, Akshat Rathi reveals how the green economy is not only possible, but profitable. This inspiring blend of business, science, and history provides the framework for ensuring that future generations can live in prosperity and that the wheels of progress don't falter.

Climate change has never been more important than it is now, as it has become arguably the world's most urgent problem. Solving this problem is proving difficult and complex as it involves joint efforts by governments, companies, communities and innovators. The increased use of fossil fuels associated with global economic growths has led to rising GHG emissions and global warming. There are many challenges for countries that are enacting new climate and clean energy regulations in line with their Paris Agreement commitments. Good government policies and corporate strategies are essential to support these efforts as part of the global climate change crisis. This important book addresses the latest climate change impacts and developments in potential mitigation strategies. These include fossil to clean energy transition, smart low-carbon city designs, green transportation, electric vehicles, green agriculture, carbon emission trading, carbon capture solutions plus climate finance and risk management. Potential new policies and strategies to support the successful implementation of these important strategic areas are discussed together with high-level country and business case examples. This book is essential reading for policy makers, government employees, business executives, professionals, researchers and academics alike looking to affect change to global climate and energy policies.

Wind power is often held up as the most accessible and cost-effective route to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and improving our energy independence, yet knowledge of what it offers is often clouded by myths and misunderstandings, which can hamper its adoption.

This new book, the result of an ambitious project coordinated by the European Wind Energy Association, aims to present the facts about wind energy. It includes six sections discussing:

• technology
• grid integration
• economics of wind
• its industry and markets
• its environmental impacts
• the scenarios and targets for wind energy.

Contributions are drawn from nine leading research bodies across Europe, and the material is global in its scope. It is therefore an essential resource and reference for those whose work or study demands an in-depth examination of the subject, and for anyone who wants detailed, accurate and up-to-date information on this key energy source.

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.

This work is an account of the pioneering days of hydro-electricity in Scotland. It shows how each hydro project brought its own set of technical challenges, underlining the remarkable engineering achievements involved in bringing hydro-electric power to the wild glens of the Scottish Highlands. It concludes by looking at the future of hydro-electric power worldwide. Is hydro-electric power the sustainable technology of choice in a new century already riven with ecological angst.

A celebrated international bestseller that exposes the ticking time-bomb underneath our new technological order. The resources race is on. Powering our digital lives and green technologies are some of the Earth's most precious metals - but they are running out. And what will happen when they do? The green-tech revolution will reduce our reliance on nuclear power, coal, and oil, but by breaking free of fossil fuels, we are setting ourselves up for a new dependence - on rare metals like cobalt, gold, and palladium. These are essential to electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels, as well as our smartphones, computers, tablets, and other technologies. But we know very little about how rare metals are mined and traded, or their environmental, economic, and geopolitical costs - until now.

Global economic growth, recently fuelled by Asia's emerging economies, has greatly accelerated the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and boosted demand for scarce natural resources, including energy, food and mineral raw materials. These developments are pushing the planet close to its ecological boundaries. Transforming the world economy towards sustainability, while ensuring decent levels of resource use for all global citizens, is the greatest challenge of our time. This book explores how innovation systems need to be adapted to successfully confront these challenges. The first chapter introduces the concept of sustainability-oriented innovation systems which highlights the systematic differences between systems that have developed along current resource-intensive technological trajectories and those that address the impending environmental mega-problems. The subsequent articles present case studies of sustainability-oriented innovations in a number of policy areas, including energy efficiency, electric mobility and generation of renewable energy, in China and India. These case studies confirm the specificities of innovation systems geared towards a green techno-economic paradigm. This book was originally published as a special issue of Innovation and Development.

Renewable and carbon-neutral energy have been promoted as the future of energy production in the United States. Non-traditional energy sources show promise as alternatives to fossil fuels and may provide a sustainable source of energy in increasingly uncertain energy markets. However, these new sources of energy face their own set of political, administrative, and legal challenges. Green vs. Green explores how mixed land ownership and existing law and regulation present serious challenges to the development of alternative energy sources in the United States. Analytically examining and comparing five green energy sectors; wind, solar, geothermal, biofuel and hydro power, Ryan M. Yonk, Randy T. Simmons, and Brian C. Steed argue that discussing alternative energy without understanding these pitfalls creates unrealistic expectations regarding the ability to substitute "green" energy for traditional sources. The micro-goals of protecting individual areas, species, small-scale ecosystems, and other local environmental aims often limits ability to achieve macro-goals like preventing global climate change or transitioning to large-scale green energy production. Statutes and regulations designed to protect environmental and cultural integrity from degradation directly conflict with other stated environmental ends. Although there is substantial interest in adding clean energy to the grid, it appears that localized environmental interests interfere with broader environmental policy goals and the application of existing environmental laws and regulations may push us closer to gridlock. Green vs. Green provides a fascinating look into how existing environmental law created or will create substantial regulatory hurdles for future energy generations.