Sustainable Energy Technologies

This book examines the key aspects that will define future sustainable energy systems: energy supply, energy storage, security and limited environmental impacts. It clearly explains the need for an integrated engineering approach to sustainable energies, based on mathematical, biogeophysical, and engineering arguments. Resilient and efficient alternatives are compared to non-sustainable options. This book results from the collaboration of 50 international contributors.

• Covers all renewable energy sources, and all technologies from an engineering point of view
• Provides updated and detailed description of sustainable technologies for an informed dialogue between engineers and allied professionals dedicated to different energy specialities (including but not limited to energy storage, chemistry, bioengineering, built environment, decentralized systems, appropriate technologies)
• Supplies key mathematical elements and explanations for future coupling of technologies and hybrid applications
• Includes updated market trends and energy security information, essential for dialogue and decisions involving engineers and political, economic and social agents
• Defines energy sustainability and provides pivotal estimates of energy limits of the earth system
• Covers comprehensively solar-based technologies, and key geoscience elements impinging on the future sustainability of the global energy system.
• Numerous original and high quality illustrations and a practical format make for a reference book for professional use.

Preface

Chapter 1 : Introduction
Chapter 2 : Solar and Geothermal Energies Are Sustainable; Nuclear Power Is Not
Chapter 3 : Renewables - The Politics and Economics Behind Them
Chapter 4 : The Constructal Design Applied to Renewable Energy Systems
Chapter 5 : Integration of Renewable Energy Technologies in Buildings and Cities
Chapter 6 : Next Developments in Solar Thermal Technologies
Chapter 7 : Advances in Solar-Assisted Air Conditioning Systems for Tropical-Humid Locations
Chapter 8 : Absorption Thermodynamic Cycles: Advanced Cycles Based on Ammonia/Salt
Chapter 9 : Hybrid Solar and Geothermal Heating and Cooling
Chapter 10 : Thermal Energy Storage Systems for Solar Applications
Chapter 11 : Solar Photocatalytic Energy
Chapter 12 : Novel Solar Fuels from H2O and CO2
Chapter 13 : Tannins as Precursors of Supercapacitor Electrodes
Chapter 14 : Recent Contributions in the Development of Fuel Cell Technologies
Chapter 15 : Towards More Sustainable Aeronautics via the Use of Biofuels
Chapter 16 : Solar Cooking for All
Chapter 17 : Sustainable Wind Energy Systems
Chapter 18 : Tidal Current Technologies: Brief Overview and In-Depth Coverage of the State of the Art
Chapter 19 : From Large Dams to Sustainable Hydropower
Chapter 20 : Bioenergy Principles and Applications
Chapter 21 : Advanced Biomethane Processes
Chapter 22 : Human Energy: System Integration, Efficiency, Recovery
Chapter 23 : Sustainable Energy for Houses

Index