Energy audits have multiple goals including reducing energy consumption, managing costs and environmental impact. Improving the energy performance of existing buildings through energy retrofit measures is a great opportunity for developing sustainability in our structures and developing a green building economy. Green Energy Audit of Buildings considers this opportunity with a new and modern interpretation of the classic methodologies. This comprehensive guide to green energy audits integrates energy audit and LEED (R) methodologies to focus on energy and environment as strategic elements. In addition to these methodologies, Green Energy Audit of Buildings includes 45 check-list for field surveys and 97 technical sheets of possible energy retrofit actions that can be applied to existing real-world cases. Covering both the technical and economical points of view, Green Energy Audit of Buildings provides a comprehensive understanding and method for analyzing buildings and facilities in order to promote sustainability. Engineers, architects, energy assessors and mangers in charge of building maintenance will all find this a key reference as well as lecturers, students and researchers looking to develop their understanding of sustainable buildings.

Technological innovation combined with scientific research has always constituted a driving force of transformation in our societies. At the same time, it is no longer simply possible to transfer technologies from the North to the South; it is also essential to consider technical innovations that are adapted to the social, environmental, cultural and economic conditions of receiving countries, and which can be appropriated by their potential users and as such prove to be real technologies for fostering development.

The first International Scientific Conference on the topic organized by the UNESCO Chair Technologies for Development at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in 2010 focused on its four priority sectors: Technologies for Sustainable Development of Habitat and Cities, ICTs for the Environment, Science and Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Technologies for the Production of Sustainable Energy.

This volume reflects the main outcomes of the conference and provides some significant orientation and success criteria for the effective implementation and use of innovative technologies, their aims, their particular applications in the context of developing countries, their accessibility for users, and their appropriation by producers and stakeholders in the field of development both in the North and South, thus ensuring their sustainability. This kind of scientific cooperation also highlights the added values for northern researchers in sharing their knowledge and know-how, leading to a real win-win partnership.

The authors gathered within this book include representatives from academic and research institutions and other organizations from diverse countries and offer a significant synergy of competences, approaches and disciplines. "

This book sheds light on the topic of financial water risk by examining the modeling challenges associated with physical, regulatory, and reputational water risk in finance. It explores various approaches to operationalize water risk from a financial analysis, investment management, and climate science perspective. The analysis of tools to assess water risk provides the basis for the development of appropriate risk-return management techniques in finance and beyond. This book provides new insights by focusing on financial water threats and their related opportunities. It will be of interest to both academics and practitioners who work at the interface of finance, economics, nature, and society.

Bridging the gap between concepts derived from Second Law of Thermodynamics and their application to Engineering practice, the property exergy and the exergy balance can be a tool for analyzing and improving the performance of energy conversion processes. With the exergy analysis it is possible to evaluate the performance of energy conversion processes not only on a thermodynamics basis but also by including production costs and environmental aspects and impacts of the studied processes. This comprehensive approach of the use of energy has, as one of the most important feature, the identification of sustainable ways of energy resources utilization. Based on the fundamentals of the exergy concept, its calculation, graphical representations and exergy balances evaluation, Exergy: Production Cost And Renewability describes the application of detailed exergy and thermoeconomic analysis to power plants and polygeneration systems, petroleum production and refining plants (including hydrogen production), chemical plants, biofuel production routes, combined production of ethanol and electricity, aircraft systems design, environmental impact mitigation processes and human body behavior. The presented case studies aim at providing students, researchers and engineers with guidelines to the utilization of the exergy and thermoeconomic analysis to model, simulate and optimize real processes and industrial plants.

Gaining a theoretical understanding of the properties of ultra-relativistic dense matter has been one of the most important and challenging goals in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). In this thesis, the author analyzes dense quark matter in QCD with gauge group SU(2) using low-energy effective theoretical techniques and elucidates a novel connection between statistical properties of the Dirac operator spectrum at high baryon chemical potential and a special class of random matrix theories. This work can be viewed as an extension of a similar correspondence between QCD and matrix models which was previously known only for infinitesimal chemical potentials. In future numerical simulations of dense matter the analytical results reported here are expected to serve as a useful tool to extract physical observables such as the BCS gap from numerical data on the Dirac spectrum.

This book comprises select proceedings of the 43rd National Systems Conference on Innovative and Emerging Trends in Engineering Systems (NSC 2019) held at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India. The contents cover latest research in the highly multidisciplinary field of systems engineering, and discusses its various aspects like systems design, dynamics, analysis, modeling and simulation. Some of the topics covered include computing systems, consciousness systems, electrical systems, energy systems, manufacturing systems, mechanical systems, literary systems, social systems, and quantum and nano systems. Given the scope of the contents, this book will be useful for researchers and professionals from diverse engineering and management background.

This book focuses on nanotechnology in electrocatalysis for energy applications. In particular the book covers nanostructured electrocatalysts for low temperature fuel cells, low temperature electrolyzers and electrochemical valorization. The function of this book is to provide an introduction to basic principles of electrocatalysis, together with a review of the main classes of materials and electrode architectures. This book will illustrate the basic ideas behind material design and provide an introductory sketch of current research focuses. The easy-to-follow three part book focuses on major formulas, concepts and philosophies. This book is ideal for professionals and researchers interested in the field of electrochemistry, renewable energy and electrocatalysis.

The linkages between WTO rules governing trade and energy security with a certain degree of focus on India are the main subject of this book. The edited volume brings together the views of academics, policymakers and experts with extensive experience covering WTO and international trade issues. The issues examined include mapping the linkages between trade and energy security in the WTO agreements, case law, accession and Doha negotiations; assessing the issues that could be raised by energy deficit or energy surplus countries at the WTO; analyzing the provisions of the ECT and NAFTA vis-a-vis the Indian policy framework and examining the trade regimes of selected OPEC members and other major suppliers of fossil fuels to India. While the Indian perspective is evident in the contributions, this book will also be of interest to an international audience, as trade, the WTO and energy security are global concerns and of relevance to all practitioners and academics working on these issues."

This updated and revised new edition of Assessing Climate Change deals with the full gamut of essential questions in relation to global warming and climate change, uniquely providing a balanced and impartial discussion of this controversial subject. It shows that most of what is "known"about the Sun, historical climates and projections for the future lacks foundation and leaves great room for doubt. Assessing Climate Change (3rd Edition) examines the credibility of the global climate models which accuse greenhouse gases of causing the temperature rise of the 20th century, and provides a better understanding of the uncertainties regarding what might lie ahead in the future. Carefully considering the "evidence" brought forward by both alarmists and skeptics, this book: * has been brought completely up to date to end 2013; * examines the measurements of near surface temperatures on Earth and how much we can rely on them; * includes hundreds of graphs showing the data; * compares the current global warming trend with past climate fluctuations; * provides a systematic review of climate change in nearly all of its aspects; * expands the discussion of potential impacts of global warming (from whatever cause); * includes nearly 1000 references specific to the climate literature.

"Catalytic Microreactors for Portable Power Generation" addresses a problem of high relevance and increased complexity in energy technology. This thesis outlines an investigation into catalytic and gas-phase combustion characteristics in channel-flow, platinum-coated microreactors. The emphasis of the study is on microreactor/microturbine concepts for portable power generation and the fuels of interest are methane and propane. The author carefully describes numerical and experimental techniques, providing a new insight into the complex interactions between chemical kinetics and molecular transport processes, as well as giving the first detailed report of hetero-/homogeneous chemical reaction mechanisms for catalytic propane combustion. The outcome of this work will be widely applied to the industrial design of micro- and mesoscale combustors.

This collection of contributions from a diverse group of prominent international scientists and policy makers brings together their in-depth analyses and innovative ideas about how to resolve the 'energy for development' predicament. It includes studies quantifying the role of energy in socioeconomic development, analysis of the interplay between supranational and national institutions in policy implementation, the energy implications of demographic trends such as urbanisation, and exploration of supply-side issues such as the potential role of nuclear energy and 'cleaning' fossil fuel energy generation through carbon capture.

Power electronics is a branch of electrical engineering dealing with conversion and control of electric power using semiconductor power switches. This book, written by an international panel of more than 40 experts, provides an overview of modern power electronic converters and systems, and their applications. Topics covered include semiconductor power switches, multilevel, multi-input, modular, matrix, soft-switching, and Z-source converters, switching power supplies, and smart power electronic modules. Applications discussed encompass permanent magnet synchronous motor and induction motor drives, wind, photovoltaic, and automotive energy systems, shipboard power systems, the power grid, distributed generation and microgrids, uninterruptable power supplies, and wireless power transfer. Advanced control of power electronic systems is also examined. The book is essential reading for researchers and students working in power electronics, and for practising engineers specialising in the development and application of power electronic converters and systems.

The introduction of micro CHP - the simultaneous production of heat and power in a single building based on small energy conversion units such as Stirling and reciprocating engines or fuel cells - is of increasing political and public interest. This book introduces into micro CHP systems and technologies, and presents the results of the first such investigation carried out by four German research bodies.

Terahertz technology has moved on from being a useful but expensive circuit technique, applied largely in astronomy and space science, to become a subject in its own right, with important applications - terahertz imaging in particular. Indeed, the driving force in terahertz technology is currently imaging and spectroscopy. We now have the means to obtain images and chemical information in this frequency band. The images reproduced in this volume are striking and, not surprisingly, the clinical and analytical uses are the subject of intense activity. There is still, however, no complete range of active THz electronic components, but an encouraging conclusion of the book is that THz electronics will become necessary in communications systems in the foreseeable future. Terahertz technology has come of age, and the future lies open to new, exciting science and vital applications.

This book mainly investigates the cooperative optimal control of hybrid energy system, it presents security control, multi-objective optimization, distributed optimization and distributed control approaches for tackling with security, economic and stability problem of the hybrid energy system. It aims to solve some challenging problems including security issue, economic cost or benefits from both power generation side and load demand side, and coordination among different power generators. The methods proposed in this book is novel and attractive, it consists of the hierarchical optimal control strategy for the security issue, multi-objective optimization for both economic and emission issue, and distributed optimal control for coordination among power generators. Readers can learn novel methods or technique for tackling with the security issue, multiple-objective problem, and distributed coordination problem. It also may inspire readers to improve some drawbacks of existing alternatives. Some fundamental knowledge prepared to read this book includes basic principles of the multi-agents system, robust optimization, Pareto-dominance optimization, and background of electrical engineering and renewable energy.

This book explores the nexus of Sustainability and Information Communication Technologies that are rapidly changing the way we live, learn, and do business. The monumental amount of energy required to power the Zeta byte of data traveling across the globe's billions of computers and mobile phones daily cannot be overstated. This ground-breaking reference examines the possibility that our evolving technologies may enable us to mitigate our global energy crisis, rather than adding to it. By connecting concepts and trends such as smart homes, big data, and the internet of things with their applications to sustainability, the authors suggest that emerging and ubiquitous technologies embedded in our daily lives may rightfully be considered as enabling solutions for our future sustainable development.

Formulating effective responses to the global challenges of mitigating climate change and securing a sustainable energy future requires a clear understanding of the interdependent causalities between institutions, local decision making, strategic alliances and eco-innovations, as well as policies. It has been acknowledged that the linear "Manhattan project" model is not an adequate governance model for mastering the dynamic complexity of socio-technical transitions; therefore this book aims at advancing research on systematic transition management models. It offers qualitative and quantitative analyses of socio-technical transitions in road transportation and housing, bringing together tailored theorizing on sustainability transitions and applied system dynamics modeling. It highlights the interconnected causal feedbacks that are required to overcome the lock-in situation in road transportation and housing fueled by fossil energies. Showing which concerted actions and framework conditions are required in the transition phases in order to initiate and sustain socio-technical transition, it serves as a guide to model-based strategy making, policy design and analyses in support of sustainable futures.

Mercury (Hg) is one of the most toxic heavy metals, harmful to both the environment and human health. Hg is released into the atmosphere from natural and anthropogenic sources and its emission control has caused much concern. This book introduces readers to Hg pollution from natural and anthropogenic sources and systematically describes coal-fired flue gas mercury emission control in industry, especially from coal-fired power stations. Mercury emission control theory and experimental research are demonstrated, including how elemental mercury is oxidized into oxidized mercury and the effect of flue gas contents on the mercury speciation transformation process. Mercury emission control methods, such as existing APCDs (air pollution control devices) at power stations, sorbent injection, additives in coal combustion and photo-catalytic methods are introduced in detail. Lab-scale, pilot-scale and full-scale experimental studies of sorbent injection conducted by the authors are presented systematically, helping researchers and engineers to understand how this approach reduces the mercury emissions in flue gas and to apply the methods in mercury emission control at coal-fired power stations. Readers will arrive at a comprehensive understanding of various mercury emission control methods that are suitable for industrial applications. The book is intended for scientists, researchers, engineers and graduate students in the fields of energy science and technology, environmental science and technology and chemical engineering.

The book provides highly specialized researchers and practitioners with a major contribution to mathematical models' developments for energy systems. First, dynamic process simulation models based on mixture flow and two-fluid models are developed for combined-cycle power plants, pulverised coal-fired power plants, concentrated solar power plant and municipal waste incineration. Operation data, obtained from different power stations, are used to investigate the capability of dynamic models to predict the behaviour of real processes and to analyse the influence of modeling assumptions on simulation results. Then, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation programme, so-called DEMEST, is developed. Here, the fluid-solid, particle-particle and particle-wall interactions are modeled by tracking all individual particles. To this purpose, the deterministic Euler-Lagrange/Discrete Element Method (DEM) is applied and further improved. An emphasis is given to the determination of inter-phase values, such as volumetric void fraction, momentum and heat transfers, using a new procedure known as the offset-method and to the particle-grid method allowing the refinement of the grid resolution independently from particle size. Model validation is described in detail. Moreover, thermochemical reaction models for solid fuel combustion are developed based on quasi-single-phase, two-fluid and Euler-Lagrange/MP-PIC models. Measurements obtained from actual power plants are used for validation and comparison of the developed numerical models.

Since the European Union's de-regulation policy for electricity and energy suppliers was implemented, new strategic configurations have emerged. Traditional restraints of geographical limitations on energy companies have been partly removed: the diversity at national regulatory and company level means that the European scene is one of a multiplicity of strategic configurations and developments, whilst also being complex and segmented.

This book highlights the strategic and regulatory challenges of European deregulation, with its main focus being on the business strategies within the emerging de-regulated electricity markets; various regulatory implications which are being raised in this new climate are discussed. Some of the central strategic issues facing the electricity industry in its new competitive context are explored and reviewed, with classical themes debated as a prelude to the following empirical investigation of actual business strategies pursued by the electricity and energy industries.

The main section of this work consists of 7 national case studies of business strategies which also include one North and one South American case. These were considered important inclusions as the North American companies are large investors in the European market, whilst the European companies invest in the South American market. The final chapter is a comparison and summary of the national patterns of market structures, business strategies and regulatory styles with a brief look at some challenges to be faced in future.

This book focuses on guidelines for reducing the energy consumption in warehousing processes. It presents a model of formal assessment for energy consumption in the context of storage-system logistics, as well as a computational model consisting of three sub-models: energy consumption models for forklifts and stacker cranes, respectively, and an energy intensity model for roller conveyors. The concept model is based on the assumption that the unit load is received at a zero-energy warehouse. Subsequent handling, transport and storage processes, in which the unit load is moved vertically and horizontally through the system, equate to changes in energy intensity within the logistics warehouse management system. Energy recovery based on the handling equipment used can be collected in batteries. The evaluation method takes into account the intensity of the energy supplied to the logistics system and reduces the storage of the recovered energy - this figure represents the energy needed to pass through the logistics unit load storage system, and can be expressed in an energy intensity map.

This book provides a comprehensive discussion of the public policy and management issues that are encountered in the regulation of infrastructure and utilities. Drawing from theoretical arguments and several case studies, the book is divided into three parts, namely devising regulation, installing regulation, and making regulation work. The first part covers theories of regulation, regulatory policies, strategies and tools, and regulatory reforms. The second part deals with the politics of regulation and regulatory capacity. The third part discusses regulatory commitment and investments, the performance of regulated industries, and the design of regulatory systems. Case studies pay attention to various sectors (including water, electricity, telecommunications, highways, railways, district heating, and airports) from countries in every region of the world. ; ;

This book explores the idea that daily lived experiences of climate change are a crucial missing link in our knowledge that contrasts with scientific understandings of this global problem. It argues that both kinds of knowledge are limiting: the sciences by their disciplines and lived experiences by the boundaries of everyday lives. Therefore each group needs to engage the other in order to enrich and expand understanding of climate change and what to do about it. Complemented by a rich collection of examples and case studies, this book proposes a novel way of generating and analysing knowledge about climate change and how it may be used. The reader is introduced to new insights where the book: * Provides a framework that explains the variety of simultaneous, co-existing and often contradictory perspectives on climate change. * Reclaims everyday experiential knowledge as crucial for meeting global challenges such as climate change. * Overcomes the science-citizen dichotomy and leads to new ways of examining public engagement with science. Scientists are also human beings with lived experiences that filter their scientific findings into knowledge and actions. * Develops a 'public action theory of knowledge' as a tool for exploring how decisions on climate policy and intervention are reached and enacted. While scientists (physical and social) seek to explain climate change and its impacts, millions of people throughout the world experience it personally in their daily lives. The experience might be bad, as during extreme weather, engender hostility when governments attempt mitigation, and sometimes it is benign. This book seeks to understand the complex, often contradictory knowledge dynamics that inform the climate change debate, and is written clearly for a broad audience including lecturers, students, practitioners and activists, indeed anyone who wishes to gain further insight into this far-reaching issue.

"International Energy Forum 1999" was held in Washington D.C. during November 5-6, 1999 in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Crystal City. Once again the main topic was Nuclear Energy. Various papers presented contained pros and cons of Nuclear Energy for generating electricity. We were aiming to clarify the often discussed subject matter of the virtues of Nuclear Energy with regard to Global Warming as compared to using fossil fuels for the generation of electricity. The latter is also currently the only way to operate our means of transportation like automobiles, planes etc. Therefore emission into the atmosphere of greenhouse gases constitutes the main source of Global Warming, which is absent in the case of Nuclear Energy. These arguments are often put forward to promote the use of Nuclear Energy. However not all is well with the Nuclear Energy. There are the questions of the waste problem so far unsolved, safety of Nuclear Reactors is not guaranteed to the extent that they are inherently safe. If we aim to construct inherently safe reactors, then the economics of a Nuclear Reactor makes it unacceptable.