MODELING THE FORMATION OF EXPECTATIONS
Author: JOHN D. STERMAN
Publisher:
Published: 2018
Total Pages: 0
ISBN-13: 9781033656402
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Energy and Civilization
Author: Vaclav Smil
Publisher: MIT Press
Published: 2018-11-13
Total Pages: 564
ISBN-13: 0262536161
DOWNLOAD EBOOKA comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society throughout history, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. "I wait for new Smil books the way some people wait for the next 'Star Wars' movie. In his latest book, Energy and Civilization: A History, he goes deep and broad to explain how innovations in humans' ability to turn energy into heat, light, and motion have been a driving force behind our cultural and economic progress over the past 10,000 years. —Bill Gates, Gates Notes, Best Books of the Year Energy is the only universal currency; it is necessary for getting anything done. The conversion of energy on Earth ranges from terra-forming forces of plate tectonics to cumulative erosive effects of raindrops. Life on Earth depends on the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy into plant biomass. Humans have come to rely on many more energy flows—ranging from fossil fuels to photovoltaic generation of electricity—for their civilized existence. In this monumental history, Vaclav Smil provides a comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. Humans are the only species that can systematically harness energies outside their bodies, using the power of their intellect and an enormous variety of artifacts—from the simplest tools to internal combustion engines and nuclear reactors. The epochal transition to fossil fuels affected everything: agriculture, industry, transportation, weapons, communication, economics, urbanization, quality of life, politics, and the environment. Smil describes humanity's energy eras in panoramic and interdisciplinary fashion, offering readers a magisterial overview. This book is an extensively updated and expanded version of Smil's Energy in World History (1994). Smil has incorporated an enormous amount of new material, reflecting the dramatic developments in energy studies over the last two decades and his own research over that time.
Renewable Energy Technologies and Resources
Author: Nader Anani
Publisher: Artech House
Published: 2019-11-30
Total Pages: 235
ISBN-13: 1630815756
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis exciting new resource presents comprehensive coverage of renewable energy technologies and resources. The book focuses on solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal, wind, hydro and tidal energy technologies, and describes the scientific principles and physical systems used for the harvesting and harnessing of these resources. The environmental and economic impacts of using these methods are also explained by using worked examples, exercises and suggested laboratory experiments. Photovoltaics and the modeling of these systems are discussed in depth, along with the environmental and social issues of utilizing a specified biomass as an energy source. Readers will also learn how to effectively calculate the cost and payback time for a given renewable energy plant by understanding the factors affecting the cost of generating electricity from a renewable energy system. Simulations using ORCAD and Simulink are included. Based on the author’s experience in the field of development and delivery of renewable energy models, this book provides concise, practical solutions that will appeal to both student and professional practitioners.
Understanding Risks and Uncertainties in Energy and Climate Policy
Author: Haris Doukas
Publisher: Springer
Published: 2018-12-10
Total Pages: 271
ISBN-13: 3030031527
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis open access book analyzes and seeks to consolidate the use of robust quantitative tools and qualitative methods for the design and assessment of energy and climate policies. In particular, it examines energy and climate policy performance and associated risks, as well as public acceptance and portfolio analysis in climate policy, and presents methods for evaluating the costs and benefits of flexible policy implementation as well as new framings for business and market actors. In turn, it discusses the development of alternative policy pathways and the identification of optimal switching points, drawing on concrete examples to do so. Lastly, it discusses climate change mitigation policies’ implications for the agricultural, food, building, transportation, service and manufacturing sectors.
Building Performance Simulation for Design and Operation
Author: Jan L.M. Hensen
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2012-09-10
Total Pages: 538
ISBN-13: 1134026358
DOWNLOAD EBOOKEffective building performance simulation can reduce the environmental impact of the built environment, improve indoor quality and productivity, and facilitate future innovation and technological progress in construction. It draws on many disciplines, including physics, mathematics, material science, biophysics and human behavioural, environmental and computational sciences. The discipline itself is continuously evolving and maturing, and improvements in model robustness and fidelity are constantly being made. This has sparked a new agenda focusing on the effectiveness of simulation in building life-cycle processes. Building Performance Simulation for Design and Operation begins with an introduction to the concepts of performance indicators and targets, followed by a discussion on the role of building simulation in performance-based building design and operation. This sets the ground for in-depth discussion of performance prediction for energy demand, indoor environmental quality (including thermal, visual, indoor air quality and moisture phenomena), HVAC and renewable system performance, urban level modelling, building operational optimization and automation. Produced in cooperation with the International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA), and featuring contributions from fourteen internationally recognised experts in this field, this book provides a unique and comprehensive overview of building performance simulation for the complete building life-cycle from conception to demolition. It is primarily intended for advanced students in building services engineering, and in architectural, environmental or mechanical engineering; and will be useful for building and systems designers and operators.
How Solar Energy Became Cheap
Author: Gregory F. Nemet
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2019-05-20
Total Pages: 261
ISBN-13: 0429643853
DOWNLOAD EBOOKSolar energy is a substantial global industry, one that has generated trade disputes among superpowers, threatened the solvency of large energy companies, and prompted serious reconsideration of electric utility regulation rooted in the 1930s. One of the biggest payoffs from solar’s success is not the clean inexpensive electricity it can produce, but the lessons it provides for innovation in other technologies needed to address climate change. Despite the large literature on solar, including analyses of increasingly detailed datasets, the question as to how solar became inexpensive and why it took so long still remains unanswered. Drawing on developments in the US, Japan, Germany, Australia, and China, this book provides a truly comprehensive and international explanation for how solar has become inexpensive. Understanding the reasons for solar’s success enables us to take full advantage of solar’s potential. It can also teach us how to support other low-carbon technologies with analogous properties, including small modular nuclear reactors and direct air capture. However, the urgency of addressing climate change means that a key challenge in applying the solar model is in finding ways to speed up innovation. Offering suggestions and policy recommendations for accelerated innovation is another key contribution of this book. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of energy technology and innovation, climate change and energy analysis and policy, as well as practitioners and policymakers working in the existing and emerging energy industries.
Sensor Technology: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications
Author: Management Association, Information Resources
Publisher: IGI Global
Published: 2020-02-07
Total Pages: 1618
ISBN-13: 1799824551
DOWNLOAD EBOOKCollecting and processing data is a necessary aspect of living in a technologically advanced society. Whether it’s monitoring events, controlling different variables, or using decision-making applications, it is important to have a system that is both inexpensive and capable of coping with high amounts of data. As the application of these networks becomes more common, it becomes imperative to evaluate their effectiveness as well as other opportunities for possible implementation in the future. Sensor Technology: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a vital reference source that brings together new ways to process and monitor data and to put it to work in everything from intelligent transportation systems to healthcare to multimedia applications. It also provides inclusive coverage on the processing and applications of wireless communication, sensor networks, and mobile computing. Highlighting a range of topics such as internet of things, signal processing hardware, and wireless sensor technologies, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for research and development engineers, IT specialists, developers, graduate students, academics, and researchers.
Energy Modelling Studies and Conservation
Author: Sam Stuart
Publisher: Elsevier
Published: 2013-10-22
Total Pages: 724
ISBN-13: 1483147037
DOWNLOAD EBOOKEnergy Modelling Studies and Conservation documents the proceedings of seminar of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe held in Washington D.C., on 24-28 March 1980. The volume begins with a Seminar Theme Paper that identifies background policy issues that lead to modeling; discusses points of view involved in energy policy modeling; defines the context of a set of energy conservation problems or questions being analyzed; and provides a forward-looking view of the subject and its problems. This is followed by 54 papers that are organized into three main topics: (1) energy models of major interest to individual countries; (2) the interaction between energy conservation measures and the economy; and (3) the international aspects of energy conservation models. The papers on Topic 1 cover forecasting methodologies, demand and conservation studies, and electricity and supply studies. The papers on Topic 2 present the experiences in countries such as Norway, UK, the USSR, and US. The papers on Topic 3 include studies on energy conservation policies in France, Germany, and Italy; and the MARKAL multi-period linear programming model for joint research and development in the field of new energy technologies of the 17 countries of the International Energy Agency.
Power System Optimization Modeling in GAMS
Author: Alireza Soroudi
Publisher: Springer
Published: 2017-08-29
Total Pages: 309
ISBN-13: 3319623508
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis unique book describes how the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) can be used to solve various power system operation and planning optimization problems. This book is the first of its kind to provide readers with a comprehensive reference that includes the solution codes for basic/advanced power system optimization problems in GAMS, a computationally efficient tool for analyzing optimization problems in power and energy systems. The book covers theoretical background as well as the application examples and test case studies. It is a suitable reference for dedicated and general audiences including power system professionals as well as researchers and developers from the energy sector and electrical power engineering community and will be helpful to undergraduate and graduate students.
Gas Generation Strategy
Author: Great Britain: Department of Energy and Climate Change
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Published: 2012-12-05
Total Pages: 72
ISBN-13: 9780101840729
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThe UK faces a threefold energy challenge: how to keep the lights on, at affordable prices while moving towards a sustainable low-carbon future. The Government believes that the best way to meet these goals is with a competitive, diverse, low carbon energy mix. Gas currently forms an integral part of the UK's generation mix and is a reliable, flexible source of electricity. Using gas as fuel in UK power stations currently provides a significant proportion of the country's electricity generation (around 40% in 2011). The Government expects gas to continue to play a major role in the electricity mix over the coming decades, alongside low-carbon technologies. Gas is also the cleanest fossil fuel and will have a key role in decarbonising the UK's economy. Also gas-fired power stations are relatively cheap and quick to build, and investment in new gas plants will offer employment opportunities throughout the country. The strategy is divided into 7 chapters: Chapter 1: Current role of gas generation; 2: Future role of gas generation; 3: Enabling investment in gas generation; 4: Ensuring secure and affordable gas supply; 5: Developing shale resources; 6: Carbon capture and storage; 7: Next steps.
