This book highlights the present scenario of energy demand and power generation technologies in tropical countries. The tropics are well known to receive direct sunlight. Furthermore, different than four-season countries, tropical countries have a continuous summer-like season, and therefore, they are rich in clean energy sources, like solar and biomass. Home to 40% of the world’s population, the demand for energy in these countries keeps increasing. With the present serious global concern on the environment, the choice of power generation is no doubt the cleanest possible resources. This book delves into the opportunity that various tropical countries have in pursuing environmentally friendly power generation systems.
This book highlights the present scenario of energy demand and power generation technologies in tropical countries. The tropics are well known to receive direct sunlight. Furthermore, different than four-season countries, tropical countries have a continuous summer-like season, and therefore, they are rich in clean energy sources, like solar and biomass. Home to 40% of the world’s population, the demand for energy in these countries keeps increasing. With the present serious global concern on the environment, the choice of power generation is no doubt the cleanest possible resources. This book delves into the opportunity that various tropical countries have in pursuing environmentally friendly power generation systems.
This book highlights the present scenario of energy demand and power generation technologies in tropical countries. The tropics are well known to receive direct sunlight. Furthermore, different than four-season countries, tropical countries have a continuous summer-like season, and therefore, they are rich in clean energy sources, like solar and biomass. Home to 40% of the world's population, the demand for energy in these countries keeps increasing. With the present serious global concern on the environment, the choice of power generation is no doubt the cleanest possible resources. This book delves into the opportunity that various tropical countries have in pursuing environmentally friendly power generation systems.
This Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report (IPCC-SRREN) assesses the potential role of renewable energy in the mitigation of climate change. It covers the six most important renewable energy sources - bioenergy, solar, geothermal, hydropower, ocean and wind energy - as well as their integration into present and future energy systems. It considers the environmental and social consequences associated with the deployment of these technologies, and presents strategies to overcome technical as well as non-technical obstacles to their application and diffusion. SRREN brings a broad spectrum of technology-specific experts together with scientists studying energy systems as a whole. Prepared following strict IPCC procedures, it presents an impartial assessment of the current state of knowledge: it is policy relevant but not policy prescriptive. SRREN is an invaluable assessment of the potential role of renewable energy for the mitigation of climate change for policymakers, the private sector, and academic researchers.
The tropical zones are dominated by developing countries, which mainly face problematic environmental issues. Different than four-season countries, tropical countries have a continuous summer-like season and therefore they are rich in clean energy sources like solar and biomass. Hence, the mitigations of environment and energy issues in the tropics would require specific understanding and different approach to solutions. This book offers an assortment of studies on scenarios of environment as well as energy demand and power generation technologies in the tropics. Many of the countries within the tropics are highly populated, and this results in various problems related to the environment and energy. The demand for energy in these countries keeps increasing but concurrently there are also environmental issues that require serious attention. As the global concern on the environment is alarming today, the choice of power generation should be of the cleanest possible resource. This various reports on research activities carried out in the tropics on the aspect of environment and energy presented in this book are highly beneficial for those who like to see an improvement in the tropics with regard to environment and energy systems.
This open access book presents a picture of the current energy challenges on the African continent (and the Sub-Saharan region in particular) and proposes pathways to an accelerated energy transition. Starting with an analysis of the status quo and the outlook for Africa’s energy demand and energy access, it provides an account of the available resources, including hydrocarbons and renewable energy resources, which are playing an increasingly crucial role. It then moves on to analyze the level of investment required to scale-up Africa’s energy systems, shedding light on the key barriers and elaborating on potential solutions. It also provides a suggestion for improving the effectiveness of EU–Africa cooperation. While mainly intended for policymakers and academics, this book also speaks to a broader audience interested in gaining an overview of the challenges and opportunities of the African energy sector today and in the future.
A 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.
Production from tropical agricultural systems will need to increase to satisfy the rising food demand of an increasing population coupled with changes in consumption patterns. At the same time, the agricultural sector is a significant source of greenhouse gases (GHG) in many developing countries, which can be attributed mainly to land-use change and methane emissions from rice and livestock. But how can we reconcile less GHG emissions from tropical agricultural systems while increasing productivity? Due to the interactive nature of these issues, this book is compiled of articles on natural resource management, as well as the socio-economic aspects of GHG mitigation. The scope of mitigation options in tropical agriculture is discussed for three different activities: (a) agroforestry; (b) rice-based production systems; (c) pasture/animal husbandry. Agronomic solutions alone will not be sufficient, as the institutional and economic frameworks within which farmers operate dictate whether a recommended agronomic management practice is acceptable. The prevention of deforestation, and the re-forestation of degraded land, could become key elements to national climate protection programs of some developing countries. Alternative management practices in rice-based and pasture systems may offer win-win options to reduce emissions and improve resource-use efficiencies.
Hybrid Poly-generation Energy Systems: Thermal Design and Exergy Analysis provides an analysis of the latest technologies and concepts of hybrid energy systems, focusing on thermal applications. The book guides readers through an introduction to hybrid poly-generation systems and the storage options available before working through the types of hybrid systems, including solar, fuel cells, combustion, and heating and cooling. An analysis of the economic and environmental impact of each system is included, as well as methods and approaches for exergy and energy improvement analysis. This book can be used as a tool for understanding new concepts in this emerging field and as a reference for researchers and professionals working on the integrated cogeneration of power systems. - Guides the reader through hybrid processes they can apply to their own system designs - Explains operational processes and includes multiple examples of optimization techniques - Includes renewable energy sources, CO2 capturing processes in combined systems and advanced exergy analysis methods
Prosopis (Prosopis juliflora) is a xerophyte which, in its native habitats has been a desert plant. As long as it was confined to that habitat, P. juliflora was a great resource, improving the region's micrometeorology, binding its sandy soil, and providing shelter, fuel, feed, food, medicines, and cosmetics to the people of such regions. In particular, for the economically weaker inhabitants, P.juliflora was a lifeline.But when P. juliflora was indiscriminately introduced in other regions of the world in a hope to derive similar benefits from it, things began to go awry. Indeed, among the invasive species of plants which are spreading at an alarming rate in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, P.juliflora is arguably the most hardy and resilient. It is growing so explosively that it even enters roads and homes, driving humans out of their dwellings. The resulting damage to biodiversity is enormous. This book highlights the dual role played so far by P. juliflora and itemizes the facets that make it a blessing in some contexts and a bane in other contexts.Authored by leading experts in the field, Prosopis juliflora: Attributes, Impact, Utilization is the first title of its kind to comprehensively discuss this hardy plant species. It will be an essential read for students, researchers and governmental agencies interested in plant biology, forestry, plant ecology, invasive plant species and environmental science. - Summarizes all the key information available on P. juliflora, from its origin and systematics to its future prospects - Discusses colonization, utilization and eradication - Authored by leading experts in the field with over 40 years of experience
