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Books > Business & Economics > Industry & industrial studies > Energy industries & utilities
This book provides a comprehensive discussion and analysis of global energy resources, international energy markets, international energy forecasts for the first quarter of the 21st century, conventional and alternative energy technologies and pertinent historical developments of world energy. It is organized into four parts with 27 chapters that cover advance energy technologies, primary and alternative energy resources and country profiles. Part I introduces conventional energy resources; Part II covers alternative energy sources and conservation; Part III covers energy modelling and forecast methods for anlaysing energy development in the United States of America and the world; Part IV provides a country-by-country analysis of energy issues, law, resources and programs. It is indeed an assessment of the outlook for international energy that relates to major fuels, transportation, electricity and the environment.
Historically, economic crises have triggered the global policy of transferring the management of irrigation systems to water users associations. The impact of these transfers has been very complex and recent studies have shown that the outcomes vary from region to region, and are diverse even within a single country. The present study looks at 16 irrigation ditches in Colombia, where management was transferred from the Colombian government to water users associations. Some examples show an improvement in organizational stability, following the transfer of management, while others demonstrate a deterioration. A conceptual framework is presented, for the establishment of a sustainable management policy, based on an inter-relationship between the community, the environment and science and technology. For an effective implementation of the framework, the role of government, water users associations and farmers are considered to be the key elements, and it is believed that an effective integration of these players contributes to successful and sustainable management. The water users organization needs to follow an integral and participatory management approach, enlarging its span of action beyond mere operation activities, into the area of improvement of the standard of living of farmers. Encouraging the adoption of irrigated agriculture under criteria of sustainability, profitability, competitiveness, equity and multi-functionality is the way forward. The RUT Irrigation District is one of the most progressive irrigation districts in Colombia, and it is here that the conceptual framework has been intensively analyzed and evaluated.
Anthropogenic climate change may lead to intensification of the global hydrological cysle and to increased flooding risk of rivers across Europe. A series of extreme floods in European rivers in the last decades have stimulated discussions about the possible effects of climate variability/change and human interventions in river basins. A synoptic-climatological analysis was carried out to elucidate the observed precipitation change in the Meuse basin, in northwestern Europe. The findings of this research will be valuable to those developing improved flood protection strategies, as well as those engaged in water resource management in river basins similar to the Meuse.
Water transmission and distribution systems are pressurized hydraulic networks, consisting of pipes and other appurtenant components such as reservoirs, pumps, valves and surge devices. Analysis, design and flow control problems in such systems can best be dealt with using network synthesis. This approach aims to directly determine design variables in order to achieve a specified behaviour of the system under steady state or transient flow conditions. There are enormous advantages to be achieved in applying such a model to a wide variety of problems in engineering practice. The innovative theoretical framework described in this thesis, incorporates necessary and sufficient conditions for solvability, as well as methods/algorithms for the efficient solution of network problems.
This addition to the ISOR series introduces complementarity models in a straightforward and approachable manner and uses them to carry out an in-depth analysis of energy markets, including formulation issues and solution techniques. In a nutshell, complementarity models generalize: a. optimization problems via their Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions b. on-cooperative games in which each player may be solving a separate but related optimization problem with potentially overall system constraints (e.g., market-clearing conditions) c. conomic and engineering problems that aren't specifically derived from optimization problems (e.g., spatial price equilibria) d. roblems in which both primal and dual variables (prices) appear in the original formulation (e.g., The National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) or its precursor, PIES). As such, complementarity models are a very general and flexible modeling format. A natural question is why concentrate on energy markets for this complementarity approach? s it turns out, energy or other markets that have game theoretic aspects are best modeled by complementarity problems. The reason is that the traditional perfect competition approach no longer applies due to deregulation and restructuring of these markets and thus the corresponding optimization problems may no longer hold. Also, in some instances it is important in the original model formulation to involve both primal variables (e.g., production) as well as dual variables (e.g., market prices) for public and private sector energy planning. Traditional optimization problems can not directly handle this mixing of primal and dual variables but complementarity models can and this makes them all that more effective for decision-makers.
Since 1961 the Adelphi Papers have provided some of the most informed accounts of international and strategic relations. Produced by the world renowned International Institute of Strategic Studies, each paper provides a short account of a subject of topical interest by a leading military figure, policymaker or academic.
Transboundary rivers and lakes are often the remaining new sources of water that can be developed for human uses. These water sources were not used in the past because of the many complexities involved. Written and edited by the world 's leading water and legal experts, this unique and authoritative book analyses the magnitudes of the transboundary water problems in different parts of the world. It also examines difficulties and constraints faced to resolve these problems.
Over the years, the electric power industry has been using optimization methods to help them solve the unit commitment problem. The result has been savings of tens and perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars in fuel costs. Things are changing, however. Optimization technology is improving, and the industry is undergoing radical restructuring. Consequently, the role of commitment models is changing, and the value of the improved solutions that better algorithms might yield is increasing. The dual purpose of this book is to explore the technology and needs of the next generation of computer models for aiding unit commitment decisions. Because of the unit commitment problem's size and complexity and because of the large economic benefits that could result from its improved solution, considerable attention has been devoted to algorithm development in the book. More systematic procedures based on a variety of widely researched algorithms have been proposed and tested. These techniques have included dynamic programming, branch-and-bound mixed integer programming (MIP), linear and network programming approaches, and Benders decomposition methods, among others. Recently, metaheuristic methods have been tested, such as genetic programming and simulated annealing, along with expert systems and neural networks. Because electric markets are changing rapidly, how UC models are solved and what purposes they serve need reconsideration. Hence, the book brings together people who understand the problem and people who know what improvements in algorithms are really possible. The two-fold result in The Next Generation of Electric Power Unit Commitment Models is an assessment of industry needs and new formulations and computational approaches that promise to make unit commitment models more responsive to those needs.
Did miners really owe their souls to the company store? Did they receive lower pay than in other jobs, despite the constant danger they faced? Was the quality of life in mining towns uniformly dismal? Soft Coal, Hard Choices answers these and other questions. The book contradicts many myths using evidence ranging from company records to oral histories to statistics collected by state and federal governments. While most studies of labor in the coal industry focus on union struggles, Fishback discloses the beneficial impact of competition among employers for labor. He further examines the impact of legal environment and the development of institutions like company towns. Careful analysis using economic theory and statistics reveals numerous insights about the welfare of coal miners in the early 1900s. Unions helped miners obtain higher wages, but so did competition among employers. Employers were unable to exploit local and housing monopolies because the miners had the option of moving from town to town. Workers choosing between mining and other jobs faced a hard choice between similar alternatives. High hourly earnings and freedom from close supervision in mining helped compensate miners for accepting more risk of accidents and layoffs. The combination of narrative and analysis in Soft Coal, Hard Choices will interest historians, economists, and the general reader alike.
Cross-border pipelines provide a relatively safe but economic tool for transportation of large quantities of oil and gas across international borders. Nowadays the international oil and gas pipeline network is expanding millions of kilometers worldwide. Meanwhile, just like any other industrial activities, pipelines cannot be kept completely safe from accidents. In the case of crossborder pipelines, unless appropriate measures have been taken by the parties involved for the prevention of such accident, the risks of such accidents are greater since control and monitoring are shared and it is more difficult to attribute blame for any transboundary damage.This book addresses the impact and application of various policy instruments and regulation at the international level, which may be considered as an appropriate instrument to guarantee the safety of cross-border oil and gas pipelines. Furthermore, this book addresses the issue of international responsibility for significant damage which may be caused by the cross-border pipelines, with an emphasis on the roles of states. The author provides answers to questions such as: What are the potential harms associated with cross-border oil and gas pipelines? What is the international legal regime applicable to cross-border pipelines? What are measures used to prevent and reduce damage which may be caused by crossborder pipelines? Is the current international legal regime applicable to crossborder and cross-country pipelines designed in such a way that it enables an effective prevention of trans-boundary damage? Under which conditions can states be held responsible for trans-boundary damage caused by pipelines?An economic analysis of safety and environmental regulation in relation to cross-border oil and gas pipelines in providing actors with adequate incentive to internalize pollution cost complements the book. Moreover, a detailed study of provisions of international and regional instruments in prevention of transboundary damage and compensation of such damage caused by crossborder pipelines will be provided. As a result this book contains the latest update of international and regional instruments with respect to prevention and compensation of transboundary damage caused by pipelines.
The demand on land to produce food, for urban development such as housing, industry, shopping areas, infrastructure and also for recreation has increased during the history of mankind. This has resulted in such activities as the reclamation of swamps, flood plains, tidal areas and even lakes by impoldering. Model simulations can be use to gain insight into the system behaviour of different land use and soil composition under temperate humid and humid tropic conditions, The existing package OPOL, based on a non steady model, was further developed to the version OPOL5 for the simulation of hydrological conditions and optimization of the main components of water management systems in polder areas in the temperate humid and humid tropical zone. This model reveals a system's behaviour as well as the effects of variation in the main components of the systems to the overall costs. For example, the designs of pumped drainage systems in polder areas can be optimized by varying the main components until the annual equivalent costs are minimum. A GIS tool has been used to complement OPOL5 for the simulation of the real situation in an area with respect to land use, damage, topography, and soil type. The model package has been applied to two case studies: one in the temperate humid zone, namely the Netherlands and to Thailand in the humid tropical zone.
This book highlights the relationship between the water sector and various other sectors in order to establish an improved understanding of the importance of water resources as an essential cross-cutting vector of socio-economic development. The book is both policy and practice oriented and is not constrained by existing definitions on water security. It includes actual experiences of policy, management, development and governance decisions taken within the water sector, and examples on how these have affected the energy and agricultural sectors as well as impacted the environment, and vice versa, as appropriate. It also discusses trade-offs, short and long-term implications, lessons learnt, and the way forward. The book includes case studies on cities, countries and regions such as Australia, China, Singapore, Central Asia, Morocco, Southern Africa, France, Latin America, Brazil and California.
* New chapter specifically on electric vehicles * Increased international focus, with more examples from outside the USA * Pedagogical features including learning objectives at the start of each chapter, in-chapter questions and end-of-chapter suggested online activities * Student companion website material: multiple choice questions and homework exercises * Instructor companion website material: lecture slides, solution files for instructors; suggested questions for discussion forums to increase engagement; and activities to achieve the chapter learning objectives, including quizzes with answers, that instructors can use to assess student attainment
Maintaining and improving energy security is one of the biggest challenges worldwide. The NATO ARW conference in Tashkent, October 2012, was devoted to discussing visions and concepts that are currently discussed in different research fields. Leading scientists have written concise contributions to introduce the reader to this exciting topic. The present volume summarizes the discussions at the conference.
Deregulation of Electric Utilities reviews the main issues relating to the changing environment in the utility industry. Topics covered in depth include compensation for stranded costs, efficiency gains, institutional design, pricing, economics of scale, and network externalities. In addition, this book assesses early experiences in electricity deregulation in continental Europe, New Zealand, North America, and the United Kingdom.
The problem of storing hydrogen safely and effectively is one of the major technological barriers currently preventing the widespread adoption of hydrogen as an energy carrier and the subsequent transition to a so-called hydrogen economy. Practical issues with the storage of hydrogen in both gas and liquid form appear to make reversible solid state hydrogen storage the most promising potential solution. "Hydrogen Storage Materials" addresses the characterisation of the hydrogen storage properties of the materials that are currently being considered for this purpose. The background to the topic is introduced, along with the various types of materials that are currently under investigation, including nanostructured interstitial and complex hydrides, and porous materials, such as metal-organic frameworks and microporous organic polymers. The main features of "Hydrogen Storage Materials" include: an overview of the different types of hydrogen storage materials and the properties that are of interest for their practical use;descriptions of the gas sorption measurement methods used to determine these properties, and the complementary techniques that can be used to help corroborate hydrogen uptake data; andextensive coverage of the practical considerations for accurate hydrogen sorption measurement that drive both instrument design and the development of experimental methodology. "Hydrogen Storage Materials" provides an up-to-date overview of the topic for experienced researchers, while including enough introductory material to serve as a useful, practical introduction for newcomers to the field.
This book treats the problem of transient hydraulic computation, for hydroelectric plants and pumping stations, with an emphasis on numerical methods. The topics covered include: the waterhammer in hydraulic systems under pressure; experimental results concerning the waterhammer; protection of pumping stations with reference to the waterhammer; hydraulic resonance in hydroelectric power plant and pumping stations; mass oscillation in hydraulic surge systems; hydraulic stability of systems endowed with surge tanks; experimental results in the study of mass oscillations; hydroelectric power plants and pumping stations designed in complex hydraulic schemes; and computation of unsteady motions in the intermediate domain between rapid and slow motions. This book is not a standard monograph based on previously published material, but is primarily grounded on the theoretical and applied results obtained by authors during more than 20 years of practice. It considers the problems of hydraulic computation as encountered in the design of a significant number of hydroelectric power plants and pumping stations in Romania.
This text highlights the role that renewable energy can play in achieving sustainable development. It focuses on rural areas of developing countries, looking in particular at stand-alone solar home systems and grid-connected biomass cogeneration plants. It analyzes the main barriers to the successful transfer of renewable energy technology, with case studies from a range of South-East Asian, South Asian, Pacific and African countries, and explains the ways in which these obstables can be overcome. The roles of the key players involved and how the Kyoto Protocol can facilitate the transfer in order to mitigate climate change are also discussed.
This text is written by a number of authors from different countries and disciplines, affording the reader an invaluable and unbiased perspective on the subject of intensive groundwater development. Based on information gathered from the experience of many countries over the last decades, the text aims to present a clear discussion on the conventional hydrogeological aspects of intensive groundwater use, along with the ecological, legal, institutional, economic and social challenges. Divided into two main sections, the first group of authors put forward the positive and negative aspects of intensive groundwater use, whilst a second group provide an overview of the situation specific countries face as a consequence of this phenomenon. Fully revised and up-to-date, Groundwater Intensive Use makes a significant number of discoveries in a subject area that is topical in today's climate.
Examines the history of electricity provision in Africa and the effects of privatization and infrastructure changes in energy transformation, offering a critical window into development politics in African states. No country has managed to develop beyond a subsistence economy without ensuring at least minimum access to electricity for the majority of its population. Yet many sub-Saharan African countries struggle to meet demand. Why is this, and what can be done to reduce energy poverty and further Africa's development? Examining the politics and processes surrounding electricity infrastructure, provision and reform, the author provides an overview of historical andcontemporary debates about access in the sub-continent, and explores the shifting role and influence of national governments and of multilateral agencies in energy reform decisions. He describes a challenging political environment for electricity supply, with African governments becoming increasingly frustrated with the rules and the processes of multilateral donors. Civil society also began to question reform choices, and governments in turn looked to new development partners, such as China, to chart a fresh path of energy transformation. Drawing on over fifteen years of research on Uganda, which has one of the lowest levels of access to electricity in Africa and has struggled to construct several, large hydroelectric dams on the Nile, Gore argues that there is a critical need to recognize how the changing political and social context in African countries, and globally, has affected the capacity tofulfil national energy goals, minimize energy poverty and transform economies. Christopher Gore is Associate Professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada. OA EDITION This book has been made available as Open Access through the support of the Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Ryerson University; Ryerson International; and the Department of Politics and Public Administration, Ryerson University.
The challenges facing participants in competitive electricity markets are staggering: high price volatility introduces significant financial risk into an industry accustomed to guaranteed rates of return, while illiquid forward markets prevent effective hedging strategies from being implemented. Valuation, Hedging and Speculation in Competitive Electricity Markets: A Fundamental Approach, examines the unique properties which separate electricity from other traded commodities, including the lack of economical storage, and the impact of a scarce transmission network. The authors trace the sources of uncertainties in the price of electricity to underlying physical and economic processes, and incorporate these into a bid-based model for electricity spot and forward prices. They also illustrate how insufficient market data can be circumvented by using a combination of price and load data in the marking- to-market process. The model is applied to three classes of problems central to the operation of any electric utility or power marketer; valuing generation assets, formulating dynamic hedging strategies for load serving obligations, and pricing transmission contracts and locational spread options. Emphasis is placed on the difference between trades which can be 'booked out' in the forward markets, and those which must be carried through to delivery. Lately, significant attention has been given to the role of regulators in mitigating excessive price levels in electricity markets. The authors conduct a quantitative analysis of the long-term effects of regulatory intervention through the use of price caps. By modeling the dynamic interplay between the observed price levels and the decision toinvest in new generation assets, it is shown how such short term fixes can lead to long term deficits in the available generation capacity, and ultimately to market failures and blackouts.
This book provides a timely and comprehensive overview of the most recent developments in European Union energy and climate policy. With up-to date empirical analysis by more than a dozen leading experts and scholars from both Europe and the United States, this volume offers the most definitive assessment of this significant area of European integration and policymaking. Separate chapters address key issue areas, the policies of the leading EU member states, and themes that cut across policy and institutional boundaries.
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. |
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