China's meteoric rise to economic powerhouse might be charted with dams. Every river in the country has been tapped to power exploding cities and factories - every river but one. Running through one of the richest natural areas in the world, the Nujiang's raging waters were on the verge of being dammed when a 2004 government moratorium halted construction. Might the Chinese dragon bow to the angry river? Would Beijing put local people and their land ahead of power and profit? Could this remote region actually become a model for sustainable growth? Ed Grumbine travelled to the far corners of China's Yunnan province to find out. He was driven by a single question: Could this last fragment of wild nature withstand China's unrelenting development? But as he hiked through deep-cut emerald mountains, backcountry villages, and burgeoning tourist towns, talking with trekking guides, school children, and rural farmers, he discovered that the problem wasn't as simple as growth versus conservation. In its struggle to "build a well-off society in an all-round way", Beijing juggles a host of competing priorities: health care for impoverished villagers; habitat for threatened tigers, cars for a growing middle class; clean air for all citizens; energy to power new cities; and, rubber for the global marketplace. All the issues China faces are bound together - and to larger forces in Asia, the United States, and the world. "Where the Dragon Meets the Angry River" is an incisive meditation on the fate of China and the planet. Will the Angry River continue to flow? Will Tibetan girls from subsistence farming families learn to read and write? Can China and the U.S. come together to lead action on climate change? Far-reaching in its history and scope, this unique book pieces together the many facets of conservation and development in China, from the poorest rural hamlets to a globalized world. Ed Grumbine doesn't have a crystal ball, but he does show us the real-world consequences of decisions now being made in Beijing and beyond.

China's meteoric rise to economic powerhouse might be charted with dams. Every river in the country has been tapped to power exploding cities and factories - every river but one. Running through one of the richest natural areas in the world, the Nujiang's raging waters were on the verge of being dammed when a 2004 government moratorium halted construction. Might the Chinese dragon bow to the angry river? Would Beijing put local people and their land ahead of power and profit? Could this remote region actually become a model for sustainable growth? Ed Grumbine travelled to the far corners of China's Yunnan province to find out. He was driven by a single question: could this last fragment of wild nature withstand China's unrelenting development? But as he hiked through deep-cut emerald mountains, backcountry villages, and burgeoning tourist towns, talking with trekking guides, school children, and rural farmers, he discovered that the problem wasn't as simple as growth versus conservation. In its struggle to 'build a well-off society in an all-round way', Beijing juggles a host of competing priorities: health care for impoverished villagers; habitat for threatened tigers, cars for a growing middle class; clean air for all citizens; energy to power new cities; and, rubber for the global marketplace. All the issues China faces are bound together - and to larger forces in Asia, the United States, and the world. "Where the Dragon Meets the Angry River" is an incisive meditation on the fate of China and the planet. Will the Angry River continue to flow? Will Tibetan girls from subsistence farming families learn to read and write? Can China and the U.S. come together to lead action on climate change? Far-reaching in its history and scope, this unique book pieces together the many facets of conservation and development in China, from the poorest rural hamlets to a globalized world. Ed Grumbine doesn't have a crystal ball, but he does show us the real-world consequences of decisions now being made in Beijing and beyond.

There is a rapid growth of interest in the use of renewable resources, and in particular bio-resources for the manufacture of future, sustainable chemicals and materials. This movement is encouraged by end-user concerns over security of supply, legislation forcing substitution of many common chemicals, new standards for bio-based products and consumer pressure. With increasing pressure around the world to move towards bio-based chemicals, it is essential that the bio-economy is underpinned with sound science and technology. This Faraday Discussion addresses some of the critical issues in this field by bringing together experts in different but complementary areas in the chemical sciences. The book explores topics such as how green chemistry can complement biotechnology in the production of chemicals and materials; catalytic technologies best suited for the biomass challenge; biomass conversion technologies; and whether existing bio-based chemicals and materials should be used or new molecules and processes created to deal with new components.

The main objective of this book is to evaluate alternative energy systems in buildings regardless of their location and climatic conditions. To do so, evaluations have been conducted in temperate and marine weather conditions in developed countries like Germany; in a semiarid climate in Spain; and in a humid subtropical climate in Brazil. Over the past few years, the use of passive cooling and heating technologies has become more common for reducing the energy consumption of buildings. However, these technologies are not often used for some building systems. Buildings intended for children or the elderly are often climatized to improve indoor thermal conditions. In this book, a cost reduction in climatization based on passive systems is proposed and studied. Building site optimisation is performed to improve thermal behavior. To achieve this, computational fluid dynamics tools have been used. The integration of these passive systems allows the peak power demand to be reduced by up to 50% and the yearly energy consumption to be reduced by approximately 40%. These reductions are studied for conventional and renewable energy systems, showing that passive systems provide better thermal comfort and reduce initial investment and energy consumption, making low-cost buildings feasible.

Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. A fully up-to-date, comprehensive wind energy engineering resource This thoroughly updated reference offers complete details on effectively harnessing wind energy as a viable and economical power source. Globally recognized wind expert Pramod Jain clearly explains physics, meteorology, aerodynamics, wind measurement, wind turbines, and electricity. New energy policies and grid integration procedures are covered, including pre-deployment studies and grid modifications. Filled with diagrams, tables, charts, graphs, and statistics, Wind Energy Engineering, Second Edition, is a definitive guide to current developments and emerging technologies in wind energy. Wind Energy Engineering, Second Edition covers: The worldwide business of wind energy Wind energy basics Meteorological properties of wind and air Wind turbine aerodynamics Turbine blade element models and power curves Wind measurement and reporting Wind resource assessment Advanced resource assessment topics, including

Energy efficiency measures are generally less expensive than a renewable energy (RE) system to provide the same amount of energy saved. The Energy Information Administration reports that, on average, a dollar spent on efficiency saves $2 off the cost of a renewable energy system to provide the same amount of energy [IEA, 2011]. But as the saying goes "you can't save yourself rich" and having installed sophisticated controls and efficient systems, we need some source of energy to power them. On-site renewable energy systems offer several advantages, especially when operated in concert with a larger utility system. The main reasons to consider RE is cost-effectiveness, but other reasons are as diverse as: reduction of atmospheric emissions; compliance with regulations requiring RE; enhanced reliability through redundant energy supply; abate risks related to fuel availability and cost, or risk of fuel-spills during delivery; score points in a sustainability rating; or as a mitigation measure in a larger environmental-permitting process. Renewable energy technologies used on buildings include daylighting; solar photovoltaics; solar water heating; solar ventilation air preheating; passive solar heating and cooling load avoidance; wind power; biomass heat (or cogeneration as discussed in Chapter 8); anaerobic digestion of waste; and geothermal heat. Ground source heat pumps are also often considered, in-part, RE systems. Daylighting and the envelope measures (passive heating and cooling) are often considered efficiency measures, but daylighting is a direct and obvious use of solar energy in buildings, and photovoltaics (PV), Solar Water Heating and Solar Ventilation Air preheating are technologies to consider on any building project. We even consider an example of hydroelectric power on the water supply to a building. We cover the operating principle of each type of system, list components and provide schematic diagram of how components are assembled into systems; provide information for cost estimate and life cycle cost calculation, describe how system size may be optimized to minimize life cycle cost, and we stress the importance of operations and maintenance (O&M) over a long performance period. Significant emphasis is placed on integration of RE into the conventional utility system, at both the site level and from the perspective of the larger utility system, so that savings due to the RE may be realized without compromising the reliability of the system. Case studies are presented to exemplify application of each technology.

In the 1970s, Hydro-Quebec declared in a publicity campaign
"We Are Hydro-Quebecois." The slogan symbolized the extent
to which hydroelectric development in the North had come to both
reflect and fuel French Canada's aspirations in the South. The
slogan helped southerners relate to the province's northern
territory and to accept the exploitation of its resources.

In "Power from the North, " Caroline Desbiens explores how
this culture of hydroelectricity helped shape the material landscape
during the first phase of the James Bay hydroelectric project. She
analyzes the cultural forces that contributed to the transformation of
the La Grande River into a hydroelectric complex. Policy makers and
Quebecers did not, she argues, view those who built the dams as mere
workers - they saw them as pioneers in a previously uninhabited
landscape now inscribed with the codes of culture and spectacle.

This dynamic book reveals that drawing power from the North involves
not only the cultural erasure of Aboriginal homelands but also
rewriting the region's history in the language of identity and
territoriality. To reverse this trend, Desbiens calls for a truly
sustainable resource management, one in which all actors bring an
awareness of their own cultural histories and visions of nature, North,
and nation to the negotiating table.

Caroline Desbiens is a professor of geography at Laval
University. She holds the Canada Research Chair in Historical Geography
of the North."

In the late 1990s, West Texas was full of rundown towns and pumpjacks, aging reminders of the oil rush of an earlier era. Today, the towns are thriving as 300-foot-tall wind turbines tower above those pumpjacks. Wind energy has become Texas's latest boom, with the Lone Star State now leading the nation. How did this dramatic transformation happen in a place that fights federal environmental policies at every turn? In The Great Texas Wind Rush, environmental reporters Kate Galbraith and Asher Price tell the compelling story of a group of unlikely dreamers and innovators, politicos and profiteers. The tale spans a generation and more, and it begins with the early wind pioneers, precocious idealists who saw opportunity after the 1970s oil crisis. Operating in an economy accustomed to exploiting natural resources and always looking for the next big thing, their ideas eventually led to surprising partnerships between entrepreneurs and environmentalists, as everyone from Enron executives to T. Boone Pickens, as well as Ann Richards, George W. Bush and Rick Perry, ended up backing the new technology. In this down-to-earth account, the authors explain the policies and science that propelled the "windcatters" to reap the great harvest of Texas wind. They also explore what the future holds for this relentless resource that is changing the face of Texas energy.

This book presents a comprehensive review of energy research studies from authors around the globe, including recent research in building energy, the applications of biogas; ground-source heat pump technology advancements; sustainable green energies development and technologies; membrane technology for sustainable growth; applications of wind energy in the Sudan; renewable energy in heating, ventilation and indoor air quality systems, and agriculture; increasing energy efficiency; and evaluation of meteorological data with respect to renewable energy applications.

This book reviews past U.S. exports of utility-scale wind turbine nacelles and blades, and assesses the potential for future U.S. exports of these products to markets in Canada and Latin America. These markets are growing in importance and, though they are smaller than the Chinese and European markets, are significant potential export destinations for U.S. producers. The results of this analysis indicate that U.S. exports increased annually during 20072011, with Canada and Latin America accounting for the largest share of exports, but that the total volume of U.S. exports remains low in comparison to global exports. Markets in Ontario, Western Canada, and Mexico are growing rapidly and U.S. producers are positioned to increase exports to these places in the next few years.

This book is a clean energy technology market overview for India and China with two primary objectives: (1) to analyse the clean energy markets in India and China and (2) to identify opportunities for trade and investment through 2020. Clean energy technologies include renewable energy, hybrid and co-generation, and energy efficiency technologies for power generation; alternative fuels; and advanced technologies for transportation. They produce power for a wide range of applications using no fuel or less fuel than fossil-fuel-based technologies, produce no or fewer pollutants than conventional technologies and can use renewable energy sources, which, unlike fossil fuels, are not depleted over time. The renewable energy technologies considered in this book are biomass and biofuels, waste-to-energy, solar power, wind power, geothermal, hydropower, and ocean power. This is an edited, excerpted and augmented edition of two U.S. Department of Commerce publication.

Food versus Fuel presents a high-level introduction to the science and economics behind a well-worn debate, that will debunk myths and provide quality facts and figures for academics and practitioners in development studies, environment studies, and agricultural studies. Compiled by an internationally renowned scientist and authority, and to include perspectives from 'pro' and 'anti' biofuels experts and activists, from the North and South, the aim of this book is to bring a balanced approach to the current debate on the major issues affecting the development of biofuels in a concise and clear manner in order to provide an informed, nuanced but accessible introduction, grounded in science and economics rather than conjecture and controversy.

Food versus Fuel presents a high-level introduction to the science and economics behind a well-worn debate, that will debunk myths and provide quality facts and figures for academics and practitioners in development studies, environment studies, and agricultural studies. Compiled by an internationally renowned scientist and authority, and to include perspectives from 'pro' and 'anti' biofuels experts and activists, from the North and South, the aim of this book is to bring a balanced approach to the current debate on the major issues affecting the development of biofuels in a concise and clear manner in order to provide an informed, nuanced but accessible introduction, grounded in science and economics rather than conjecture and controversy.

The move towards sustainable energy production and use is one the most challenging and profound changes currently taking place in the world's established and emerging economies. Energy and Innovation: Structural Change and Policy Implications presents a series of informative case studies from Norway, the United Kingdom, Poland, the United States, Russia, Japan, and China that demonstrate how the pace of sustainable energy production differs by country. This variability is examined under three section headings: Part 1 - Sustainable Energy Challenges and Policies; Part 2 - Innovation Challenges in Different Economic Contexts; and, Part 3 - The Adoption of Energy Solutions by Different Technology and Organization Sectors. Part 1 examines the challenges of increasing sustainable energy production. The main themes include differences between countries in the European Union concerning energy consumption, energy security, smart metering, and resistance to change. Part 2 presents challenges to innovation in different economic systems. The authors contrast developed European and North American systems with emerging economies such as that of China. Their focus is on improving the innovation capabilities of firms and organizations through enhanced access to knowledge. Solutions include corporate collaborations with the academic sector and access to investment capital. Part 3 surveys the range of industry sectors that are adopting environmentally-friendly solutions. There is a special focus on start-up companies that are working to bring new energy-production technologies to the market.

This book reviews the status of energy efficiency and renewable energy legislation introduced during the 110th Congress. Most action in the second session is focused on the FY2009 budget request, the Farm Bill (H.R. 2419), and the proposed Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act (H.R. 5351). DOE's FY2009 budget request seeks $1,256.1 million for DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) programs, compared to FY2008 appropriations of $1,722.4 million for EERE. H.R. 5351 is similar to H.R. 2776. It would extend or re-establish several tax incentives that would support renewable electricity production, biofuels production, transportation efficiency and conservation, buildings efficiency, and equipment efficiency. The bill proposes to offset the cost of those incentives primarily by reducing two subsidies for oil and natural gas production.

High petroleum and gasoline prices, concerns over global climate change, and the desire to promote domestic rural economies have greatly increased interest in biofuels as an alternative to petroleum in the U.S. transportation sector. While recent proposals have set the goal of significantly expanding biofuel supply in the coming decades, questions remain about the ability of the U.S. biofuel industry to meet rapidly increasing demands. This book outlines some of the current supply issues facing biofuels industries, including implications for agricultural feedstocks, infrastructure concerns, energy supply for biofuel production, and fuel price uncertainties. Included in this book is a summary of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 as well as an analysis of this document and testimonial responses to the issues it raises.

Solar energy is derived ultimately from the sun. It can be divided into direct and indirect categories. Most energy sources on Earth are forms of indirect solar energy, although we usually don't think of them in that way. Coal, oil and natural gas derive from ancient biological material which took its energy from the sun (via plant photosynthesis) millions of years ago. All the energy in wood and foodstuffs also comes from the sun. Movement of the wind (which causes waves at sea), and the evaporation of water to form rainfall which accumulates in rivers and lakes, are also powered by the sun. Therefore, hydroelectric power and wind and wave power are forms of indirect solar energy. Direct solar energy is what we usually mean when we speak of solar power -- it is the use of sunlight for heating or generating electricity. Solar energy research and applications have been receiving increasing attention throughout the world as solar energy must play a much greater role in the energy mix in upcoming years. This book examines new research in this frontier field.

The main objective of this book is to develop an Ecologically Sound Integrated Energy Plan at district level to arrive at an optimal mix of energy sources that can meet the energy demand in a region by keeping in view the development priorities of the region. The book presents a conceptual design for energy systems which could meet demand of all sectors in a region. The proposed design in principle, supplies enough energy for the sustainable development of a region. The plan proposed is based on the Decision Support System approach (DSS) and is flexible, adaptable and ecologically sound. Contents: Preface; Introduction; Potential Assessment of Wind Energy in Uttara Kannada District; Bioenergy Potential and Prospects; Hydro Energy Potential and Prospects; An Ecologically Friendly Optimal Design of Hydroelectric Projects; Solar Energy Potential and Prospects; Energy Consumption Patterns in the Domestic Sector; Energetics in Paddy Cultivation; Energy Utilisation in Industrial Sector; Integrated Regional Energy Planning; Summary.

The economic and political aspects of energy subsidies, viewed both theoretically and empirically, with a focus on fossil fuel subsidies in developing nations. Government subsidies to energy are widespread and represent a heavy burden on public budgets in many countries. Both producers and consumers may be subsidized; the most common subsidies are for motor fuel consumption and electricity production and consumption. The subsidies to consumers often prove particularly harmful because they result in increased energy consumption, increased carbon emissions, and distortionary effects on consumer behavior. This book fills a void in the literature by providing a first, broad and diverse, analysis of several aspects of the economic and political economy aspects of government energy subsidies. The contributors take both theoretical and empirical approaches, with most of the focus on subsidies to fuel and electricity in non-OECD countries. The chapters cover such topics as energy pricing, reelection incentives for politicians that may encourage excessive subsidies; political corruption and "bribing equilibria," the the "resource curse" in developing countries when the gains from natural resource windfalls are largely wasted, the "entitlement" of energy subsidies in autocracies, and distributional issues when subsidies targeted to the poor are removed in high-income countries. One chapter discusses nonharmful subsidies: the potential economic effects of subsidizing the manufacturing and deployment of renewable energy. Contributors Carolyn Fischer, Mads Greaker, Mohammad Habibpour, Michelle Harding, Christina Kolerus, Christos Kotsogiannis, Jim Krane, Alber Touna Mama, Raffaele Miniaci, Marco Pani, Ian Parry, Carlo Perroni, Leonzio Rizzo, Knut Einar Rosendahl, Carlo Scarpa, Neda Seiban, Suphi Sen, Jon Strand, Paola Valbonesi, Herman Vollebergh

This title addresses one of the most talked-about sectors of recent times. Undoubtedly, there are political, technical, economic, commercial and legal challenges to meeting global, regional and domestic renewable, carbon and energy-efficiency targets. However, tremendous opportunities are open to those who understand the industry and its drivers. Featuring contributions by thought leaders in their fields from both the public and private sectors, this new book guides readers through key policy matters, broader challenges and future trends, all of which underpin the current and future direction of this sector. There is analysis of issues for financiers, risk identification, allocation and management and project structuring, with in-depth guidance on each. Given the diversity of technologies, specific chapters are dedicated to providing technical, commercial and legal guidance on wind, solar, hydro and embedded generation. Finally, the book considers clean coal technologies and carbon capture and storage which, although not renewable projects, have an important role to play in reducing global emissions and preserving a diversified fuel source mix. This book is aimed at those among the business community who want to understand how this sector will impact on their business, whether they be corporates, project developers, financiers or economists.

This four-volume set, edited by a leading expert in the field, brings together in one collection a series of papers that have been fundamental to the development of renewable energy as a defined discipline. Some of the papers were first published many years ago, but they remain classics in their fields and retain their relevance to the understanding of current issues. The papers have been selected with the assistance of an eminent international editorial board. The set includes a general introduction and each volume is introduced by a new overview essay, placing the selected papers in context. The range of subject matter is considerable, including coverage of all the main renewable technologies, the fundamental principles by which they function, and the issues around their deployment such as planning, integration and socio-economic assessment. Overall, the set provides students, teachers and researchers, confronted with thousands of journal articles, book chapters and grey literature stretching back decades, with a ready-made selection of and commentary on the most important key writings in renewable energy. It will be an essential reference for libraries concerned with energy, technology and the environment.

Heating and cooling represent significant energy loads around the world, with the associated high level of carbon emissions. Many countries have commitments in place to derive an increasing proportion of the energy they use for heating and cooling from renewable sources; some are seeing greater success than others in moving towards these targets.

This best practices handbook from the International Energy Agency's Renewable Energy Technology Deployment (RETD) Implementing Agreement provides energy policymakers and professionals in the renewable energy industry with a practical, easy to use guide and toolkit to the most effective policy options for deploying renewable energy for heating and cooling in the residential sector.

The book opens with a comparative review of renewable energy for heating and cooling policies in a broad range of IEA member countries in Europe, Asia and North America and then goes on to present the policy approaches of the individual countries and more detailed studies of specific programmes. The second part of the book presents readers with flowcharts which allow them to navigate directly to the best practices which are most relevant to their situation. Planning, design and implementation are all covered, each with examination of the possible barriers that may be faced and the most appropriate policy response used to date.

pUlished with IEA-RETD.

A feed-in tariff is where the price per unit that a utility or supplier has to pay for renewable electricity is kept at a premium, which allows electricity generators to sell renewable energy sources at a fixed tariff for a determined period of time. Supporters argue that the feed-in model is one that, if implemented around the world, would greatly assist the energy revolution that is so desperately required: through CO2 reduction, job creation, export market creation and improved energy security. It was recommended in the Stern Report as the best policy tool for the fastest, lowest-cost deployment of renewables, and Germany's world leadership in renewable energy is largely due to their exemplary version.Feed-in Tariffs is a concise introduction to feed-in law, presented in the context of other renewable energy policies, and examining the experience of countries that have implemented this model. The author argues that the policy should be implemented anywhere with a suitable national power grid infrastructure, and proposes variations on the policy for those areas without. Alternative models are examined, and their comparative advantages and disadvantages discussed, to provide policy makers with the information required to consider feed-in tariffs as a model, and to introduce the concept to renewable energy technology manufacturers, producers and investors.Published with the World Future Council

Environmental and human catastrophe looms ever larger for planet Earth. Powerful action is required now to turn a deepening global crisis into an unprecedented opportunity for positive change. This book shows how a dramatic transformation of how humans relate to the Earth, and to one another, can be achieved. Surviving the Century is the first major publication by the World Future Council (WFC), a new international voice for future generations. Reflecting the positive mission of the WFC, each chapter addresses a different critical issue in a systematic and constructive way, describing and analysing the topic before indicating real solutions. The eight main issues covered are: countering climate chaos, renewable energy policy, local farming systems, rainforests and climate change, creating sustainable cities, cradle to cradle production systems, a radical vision for trade and creating a living democracy. Surviving the Century is a must-have primer and action plan for all leaders in government, business and NGOs, and for all who want to be part of the historic opportunity to provide solutions to the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced. Published with the World Future Council.