Drawing on contributions from more than thirty scholars and experts in the field, this book examines the role of business as an enabler, as an inhibitor, and ultimately as a co-actor in global sustainability transformations expected over the next few decades. The Role of Business in Global Sustainability Transformations employs several theoretical perspectives and provides abundant examples and cases to discuss a variety of emerging concepts, phenomena, and trends shaping business sustainability. Weaving through the chapters, the editors present core tensions and sources of inertia towards transformative change, and acknowledge that envisioning multiple solutions and pathways are possible and desirable. They advocate for the need to align visions, actions and time horizons between policy, society and business in addressing the interlinked socio-ecological challenges that our society currently faces. This book will be an important resource for scholars and professionals working in the field of sustainability and sustainable business, and a vital educational text for students interested in this discipline.

Most photovoltaic (PV) installations utilise heavy conventional glass or polycarbonate panels, and even newly developed thin plastic or metal films for PV cell use may fracture during both construction and application. Textile fabrics, the most widespread flexible materials in everyday use, offer a solution to the need for lightweight, flexible solar PV generators. Solar Textiles: The Flexible Solution for Solar Power is about the incorporation and operation of solar cells on textile fabrics. The combination of textile manufacturing and solar PV cell technology opens up further avenues for both the textile and semiconductor industries. Thus, this book reflects the progressively increasing commercial interest in PV cell technology and the versatility that their integration in textiles provides. Discusses textiles as electrical substrates Explains the photovoltaic effect and associated parameters Offers special consideration of solar cells on textiles Compares fibres and fabrics and how to implement PV activity on a textile Describes manufacturing methods outside of semiconductor technology Includes applications open only to textiles This work is aimed at textile technologists, electronic engineers, solar technologists, civil engineers and designers in building fabrics and architecture.

This book introduces the working principle, materials, and design of seawater batteries and reviews the current state-of-the-art technologies in cells and modules. This book looks at the characteristics of seawater, then reviews the basic electrochemical processes involved in the storage of electrical charge in seawater batteries, and then discusses the development of anode, cathode, and membrane materials, and cell engineering progress. In particular, Chapter 3 contains the latest research and development results for rechargeable seawater batteries. The book has been written for a broad readership including graduate students, academic and industrial researchers working on sustainable, low-cost energy.

The volume contains peer-reviewed proceedings of EPREC 2021 with a focus on control applications in the modern power system. The book includes original research and case studies that present recent developments in the control system, especially load frequency control, wide-area monitoring, control & instrumentation, optimization, intelligent control, energy management system, SCADA systems, etc. The book will be a valuable reference guide for beginners, researchers, and professionals interested in advancements in the control system.

In recognition of the fact that billions of people in the developing world do not have access to clean energies, the United Nations launched the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative to achieve universal energy access by 2030. Although electricity grid extension remains the most prevalent way of providing access, it is now recognized that the central grid is unlikely to reach many remote areas in the near future. At the same time, individual solutions like solar home systems tend to provide very limited services to consumers. Mini-grids offer an alternative by combining the benefits of a grid-based solution with the potential for harnessing renewable energies at the local level. The purpose of this book is to provide in-depth coverage of the use of mini-grids for rural electrification in developing countries, taking into account the technical, economic, environmental and governance dimensions and presenting case studies from South Asia.

This book reports on research carried out by a consortium of British and Indian researchers on off-grid electrification in South Asia. It provides state-of-the art technical knowledge on mini-grids and micro-grids including renewable energy integration (or green mini-grids), smart systems for integration with the central grid, and standardization of systems. It also presents essential analytical frameworks and approaches that can be used to analyze the mini-grids comprehensively including their techno-economic aspects, financial viability and regulatory issues. The case studies drawn from South Asia demonstrate the application of the framework and showcase various successful efforts to promote mini-grids in the region. It also reports on the design and implementation of a demonstration project carried out by the team in a cluster of villages in Odisha (India).

The book's multi-disciplinary approach facilitates understanding of the relevant practical dimensions of mini-grid systems, such as demand creation (through interventions in livelihood generation and value chain development), financing, regulation, and smart system design. Its state-of-the art knowledge, integrated methodological framework, simulation exercises and real-life case analysis will allow the reader to analyze and appreciate the mini-grid-related activities in their entirety. The book will be of interest to researchers, graduate students, practitioners and policy makers working in the area of rural electrification in developing countries.

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This book provides the latest research on bioethanol production from first- and second- generation feedstock. Bioethanol has emerged as one of the main alternative biofuels in recent years. The book provides a perspective on the chemistry, sources and production of bioethanol highlighting the recent developments in the field. Through this book readers will learn basic and advanced bioethanol production technologies under one roof, including resource management and environmental and economic impacts. The topics discussed in the book will attract researchers and scholars focusing in this field as well as anyone who is interested in green and sustainable energy resources.

This book covers critical debates on policies, markets and emerging issues that shape renewable energy transition in the Asian region, which is fast becoming an epicenter of the global energy consumption. The chapters focus on domestic policies, geopolitics, technology landscape and governance structure pertaining to the development of renewable energy in different Asian countries ranging from China to the Middle East. The book presents an insightful view of the pace and magnitude of the energy transition. It presents critical steps countries are taking to promote affordable and clean energy (SDG 7) as well as strengthening climate mitigation actions (SDG 13). In addition, this book introduces the concept of co-innovation---a collaborative and iterative approach to jointly innovate, manufacture and scale up low-carbon technologies---and its role in promoting energy transition in Asia. Chapter 8 (Renewable energy deployment to stimulate energy transition in the Gulf Cooperation Council) is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

The ability of renewable energy sources to supply global energy needs - if not completely then to a significant degree - has been amply demonstrated. What needs to happen now in order to make large-scale implementation possible? Leading researchers and specialists in the various fields of renewable energy have once again been commissioned by EUREC Agency (the European Union Renewable Energy Centres Agency) to completely re-assess the position of renewable energy technologies in the context of global energy supply, and to recommend a development path for each technology branch based on this analysis. The Future for Renewable Energy 2 presents the results of this extensive research, incorporating the findings of specialists from over 40 renewable energy research institutes, which represent in total over 1000 scientists. The Future for Renewable Energy 2 examines each of the major renewable energy technologies. It provides a qualitative evaluation of their achievements to date, proposes for each sector detailed, realistic goals for a strong and coherent research, development and demonstration (RD&D) policy, and maps out a path to a stronger market and more widespread deployment of renewable energy sources. Individual chapters cover biomass, photovoltaics, small hydro, solar buildings, solar thermal power stations, wind energy and solar process heat as well as other renewables including ocean energy and solar chemistry. Further chapters discuss the integration of these various technologies and their uptake by developing countries. Essential reading for energy policy makers and planners, and for all those involved in renewables whether as researchers, manufacturers, utilities or practitioners, The Future for Renewable Energy 2 will be regarded as a critical and authoritative source for strategic planning of renewable energy development worldwide.

This book explores an ongoing puzzle: why don't catastrophic events, such as oil shocks and nuclear meltdowns, always trigger transitions away from the energy technologies involved? Jennifer F. Sklarew examines how two key factors - shocks and stakeholder relationships - combine to influence energy system transitions, applying a case study of Japan's trajectory from the time of the 1970s oil crises through the period following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Examining the role of diverse stakeholders' resilience priorities, she focuses on how changes in stakeholder cooperation and clout respond to and are affected by these shocks, and how this combination of shocks and relationship changes shapes energy policies and policymaking. From Japan's narrative, the book derives unique and universal lessons for cooperation on innovation and energy system resilience applicable to communities and nations around the globe, including implications for transitions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The book also places energy system resilience and innovation in the broader context of the food-energy-water-climate nexus. Building Resilient Energy Systems: Lessons from Japan will appeal to all levels of readers with an interest in energy policy, energy technologies and energy transitions: experts and specialists; academics and students; practitioners and policymakers.

Recent books have raised the public consciousness about the dangers of global warming and climate change. This book is intended to convey the message that there is a solution. The solution is the rapid development of hydrogen fusion energy. This energy source is inexhaustible and, although achieving fusion energy is difficult, the progress made in the past two decades has been remarkable. The physics issues are now understood well enough that serious engineering can begin.The book starts with a summary of climate change and energy sources, trying to give a concise, clear, impartial picture of the facts, separate from conjecture and sensationalism. Controlled fusion -- the difficult problems and ingenious solutions -- is then explained using many new concepts.The bottom line -- what has yet to be done, how long it will take, and how much it will cost -- may surprise you.
Francis F. Chen's career in plasma has extended over five decades. His textbook "Introduction to Plasma Physics" has been used worldwide continuously since 1974. He is the only physicist who has published significantly in both experiment and theory and on both magnetic fusion and laser fusion. As an outdoorsman and runner, he is deeply concerned about the environment. Currently he enjoys bird photography and is a member of the Audubon Society.

This book focuses on the performance optimization of fault diagnosis methods for power systems including both model-driven ones, such as the linear parameter varying algorithm, and data-driven ones, such as random matrix theory. Studies on fault diagnosis of power systems have long been the focus of electrical engineers and scientists. Pursuing a holistic approach to improve the accuracy and efficiency of existing methods, the underlying concepts toward several algorithms are introduced and then further applied in various situations for fault diagnosis of power systems in this book. The primary audience for the book would be the scholars and graduate students whose research topics including the control theory, applied mathematics, fault detection, and so on.

This book discusses energy recovery technology, a green innovation that can be used in buildings. This technology reduces energy consumption in buildings and provides energy savings to conventional mechanical ventilation systems. Divided into eight chapters, the book provides in-depth technical information, state-of-the-art research, and latest developments in the energy recovery technology field. Case-studies describe worldwide applications of energy recovery technology and its integrated system for building services. This book will be used as a general and technical reference book for students, engineers, professionals, practitioners, scientists, and researchers seeking to reduce energy consumption of buildings in various climatic conditions. Presents an overview of energy consumption scenarios in buildings and the needs for energy-efficient technologies at regional and global levels; Explains models and methods of energy recovery technology performance evaluation; Inspires further research into energy recovery technology for building applications.

Keep on running by clever burning! This book reports how humans created materials, machines and power plants with the help of fire and which fuels, with their advantages and disadvantages, they have used so far. "Climate rescuers" of all stripes, whether qualified for such challenge or not, want to eliminate the fire completely and replace it with electricity from photovoltaics and wind power. The book contains facts and evidence as to why solar panels and windmills cannot be sufficient to ensure all the world's energy needs. Neither combustion nor thermal engines are responsible for the environmental hazard till now, but the fuels they have received in the past. Let's feed the fire with nature-compatible fuels and let it unfold properly in very effective machines and systems! The book describes systematically and comprehensibly for everyone, thermodynamic laws and methods for the design of very efficient machines and drives, as well as regenerative, climate-neutral fuels. This lecture is highly recommended when seating in front of a fireplace or sitting beside a campfire.

This book reconsiders the basic approaches behind the BEM method and in particular assesses and validates the equations forming the general momentum theory. One part of the book concerns the validation, using numerical fluid mechanics (CFD), of the different terms in the equations forming the momentum theory. Other parts present new ideas for extending the theory and for enhancing the accuracy of the BEM approach. Besides a general introduction and explanation of the momentum theory, the book also deals with specialized topics, such as diffusor-augmented rotors, wind tunnel corrections, tip corrections, and combined momentum/vortex theory for design of wind turbine rotors. The book contains new as well as already published material, and the author has strived to put the material into a new and more consistent context than what usually is found in similar text books. The book is primarily intended for researchers and experienced students with a basic knowledge in fluid mechanics wishing to understand and expand their knowledge on wind turbine aerodynamics. The book is self-consistent, hence all necessary derivations are shown, and it should not be necessary to seek help in other literature to understand the contents of the book.

The consumption of petroleum has surged during the 20th century, at least partially because of the rise of the automobile industry. Today, fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas provide more than three quarters of the world's energy. Unfortunately, the growing demand for fossil fuel resources comes at a time of diminishing reserves of these nonrenewable resources. The worldwide reserves of oil are sufficient to supply energy and chemicals for only about another 40 years, causing widening concerns about rising oil prices. The use of biomass to produce energy is only one form of renewable energy that can be utilized to reduce the impact of energy production and use on the global environment. Biomass can be converted into three main products such as energy, biofuels and fine chemicals using a number of different processes. Today, it is a great challenge for researchers to find new environmentally benign methodology for biomass conversion, which are industrially profitable as well. This book focuses on the conversion of biomass to biofuels, bioenergy and fine chemicals with the interface of biotechnology, microbiology, chemistry and materials science. An international scientific authorship summarizes the state-of-the-art of the current research and gives an outlook on future developments.

In the last few years, awareness and worries about the exhaustion of natural resources are increasing, but this fact is still very much discussed about its analytical measurement, and therefore not yet demonstrated. However, what has been demonstrated is that the 6 billion inhabitants of the Earth move every kind of goods and wares around the world at about 8 tons per capita, which means about 50 billion tons per year. This is the same amount as is moved yearly by natural forces, such as winds, eruptions, earthquakes, rain.

Since the Kyoto Protocol entered into force on 16 February 2005 an investment on rational use of energy, savings and efficiency is the main premise supporting the development of new energy sources needed to meet the target of the KP and UNFCCC. If energy consumption decreases, renewable sources could cover a significant part of the demand of energy (in particular electricity), if consumption remains uselessly high because inefficient and less energy-consuming (acting also on final uses), renewable energy would become a reality, a feasible method even in these sectors. With investments being equal (today all in the sector of generation from fossil sources), if there were parallel researches on how to reduce consumption and wastes considerably (at least 35%) and on power plants from renewable sources, there would be also a reduction of gas emissions, without any negative influence on development.

New technologies (and new "energy products") will play a crucial role in the development of a market of "sustainable energy products" that should grow in a competitive way (cost-effective) to stand against the challenge of change.

This book discusses aspects of policy and techno-economic analysis of renewable energy in developing countries. Renewable energy technologies have been one of the most important strategies in addressing sustainable energy development and climate change. The roles of renewable energy in developing countries are vital, which include the accessibility of modern energy services in rural areas, climate change mitigation, energy security, green job creation and eventually improvement of quality of life. Part I of this book focuses on policy and strategy, while Part II focuses on technology development and feasibility. Chapters are contributed by leading experts from the ASEAN Center of Energy, government agencies, industries, and universities from five developing countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam and Bangladesh.

Jonathan Scragg documents his work on a very promising material suitable for use in solar cells. Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide (CZTS) is a low cost, earth-abundant material suitable for large scale deployment in photovoltaics. Jonathan pioneered and optimized a low cost route to this material involving electroplating of the three metals concerned, followed by rapid thermal processing (RTP) in sulfur vapour. His beautifully detailed RTP studies - combined with techniques such as XRD, EDX and Raman - reveal the complex relationships between composition, processing and photovoltaic performance. This exceptional thesis contributes to the development of clean, sustainable and alternative sources of energy

Rectenna Solar Cells discusses antenna-coupled diode solar cells, an emerging technology that has the potential to provide ultra-high efficiency, low-cost solar energy conversion. This book will provide an overview of solar rectennas, and provide thorough descriptions of the two main components: the diode, and the optical antenna. The editors discuss the science, design, modeling, and manufacturing of the antennas coupled with the diodes. The book will provide concepts to understanding the challenges, fabrication technologies, and materials required to develop rectenna structures. Written by experts in their specialized fields.

Presents potential biotechnological topics and strategies for the valuation of agricultural waste materials Provides technical concepts on the production of various commercially significant bio-products Introduces various microbial bioprocesses to sustainably valorise various potential wastes as renewable feedstocks for production of biofuels and biochemicals Explores the relevant scale-up opportunities, commercialization aspects and critical technological advances Explains concepts and recent trends in life cycle analyses in waste valorization

This book focuses on the complex topic of "Energy Transition with Economic Justice" and highlights research presented during the American Solar Energy Society's National Solar Conference (ASES SOLAR 2022) held at the University of New Mexico. This conference brings together a broad base of solar and renewable energy professionals and thought leaders, including researchers, architects, engineers, entrepreneurs, installers, manufacturers, economists, finance professionals, and policy makers, and provides a platform for the exchange of ideas, information and business insights and unbiased perspectives on progress toward greater sustainability. The conference papers explore interests of shared values and identify contentious issues in the transition towards 100% renewable energy in the United States, especially on public lands, within tribal communities, and frontier areas.

Miscanthus is a promising non-food crop yielding high quality lignocellulosic material which can be used in a number of ways, including energy and fibre production, thatching, and industrial use. This book encompasses the results and recommendations arising from extensive trials and experiments carried out by the leading European research organisations and institutions in the field. Much of the research was performed under the auspices of the Miscanthus Productivity Network, established under European Union's Directorate General for Agriculture (DG VI). This book presents expert guidance to growth conditions and breeding of Miscanthus, potential productivity and economics, environmental aspects, and harvesting, storage and utilisation. A guide to this increasingly important subject is long overdue and will be welcomed by all those involved in biomass production and renewable energies, or assessing the potential of Miscanthus as a non-food crop.

This book focuses on the operating conditions of wind, photovoltaic and off-grid power systems. It provides data collected from long-term measurements of actual industrial wind and solar farms, and offers detailed analyses of the results. This unique data is supported by a wealth of examples, tables, graphs and drawings based on real-world measurements. By providing comprehensive insights into the operation of renewable energy systems, this book broadens readers' understanding of energy sources and their practical application.