Energy technology and engineering Books

Book SynopsisCarbon capture and sequestration (or storage), known as CCS, has attracted congressional interest as a measure for mitigating global climate change because large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from fossil fuel use in the United States are potentially available to be captured and stored underground and prevented from reaching the atmosphere. Large, industrial sources of CO2, such as electricity-generating plants, are likely candidates for CCS because they are predominantly stationary, single-point sources. Electricity generation contributes over 40% of U.S. CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. Currently, U.S. power plants do not capture large volumes of CO2 for CCS. This book provides an overview of what CCS is, how it is supposed to work, why it has gained the interest and support of some members of Congress, and what some of the challenges are to its implementation and deployment across the United States.

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Book SynopsisFederal policymakers have long been concerned about the impact of manmade carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions on global climate change. To address these concerns, Congress has been debating a range of potential initiatives for reducing atmostpheric CO2 from U.S. sources. Legislative proposals would seek to limit U.S. CO2 emissions to specific (historical) levels through emissions caps, carbon taxes, or other regulatory mechanisms. Many of these proposals dictate or anticipate a declining long-term trajectory for annual U.S. carbon emissions. The most prominent CO2 proposals seek reductions of nationwide CO2 emissions to 1990 levels or lower by 2030. This book examines key uncertainties associated with CO2 emissions abatement measures, with a focus on available and emerging technologies, and new source review permits.

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Book SynopsisIt is certain that energy production and, particularly, the generation and sustained growth of electricity constitute indispensable elements for the economic and social progress of any country. Energy, undoubtedly, constitutes the motive force of civilisation and it determines, to a high degree, the level of the future economic and social development of that country. This book examines energy power in Latin America and the Caribbean and the future role of renewable and nuclear energy sources in the region''s electricity generation.

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Book SynopsisLarge-scale power plants and energy producers discard massive heat energy that goes unused. Energy efficiency techniques such as insulation or properly maintained heating systems are less likely when it requires high investments. While "conservation" generally refers to the reduction of total energy usage, "efficiency" means increasing the yield per unit of energy. In many cases, the energy needed to heat water or refrigerate products can also be reduced through conservation and application of more efficient technologies. Heat pump water heaters use electricity to "move" heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly. Therefore, they can be two to three times more energy-efficient than conventional electric resistance water heaters. This book examines the full application of energy-efficient water-heating systems, focused on heat pump devices. The main objective is to present a brief introduction of the working principles of this equipment, and concentrate on descriptions and applications where both "purposes" of the system are used, the heating and the cooling components, maximising its effectiveness.

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Book SynopsisSince the 1960s, the U.S. electric power system has experienced a major blackout about once every 10 years. Each has been a vivid reminder of the importance society places on the continuous availability of electricity and has led to calls for changes to enhance reliability. At the root of these calls are judgements about what reliability is worth and how much should be paid to ensure it. In principle, comprehensive information on the actual reliability of the electric power system and on how proposed changes would affect reliability ought to help inform these judgements. Yet, comprehensive, national-scale information on the reliability of the U.S. electric power system is lacking. This book helps to address this gap by assessing trends in U.S. electricity reliability based on information reported by electric utilities on power interruptions experienced by their customers.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an overview of middle income households across the United States, which are under significant financial strain, and rising energy bills are a contributor to this stress. Energy efficiency improvements have the potential to provide significant benefits to these households, by lowering bills, increasing the structural integrity of homes, improving health and comfort, and reducing exposure to volatile, and rising, energy prices. Middle income households are also responsible for a third of U.S. residential energy use. Increasing the energy efficiency of their homes would deliver substantial public benefits: reducing power system costs, easing congestion on the grid, and avoiding emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. To achieve those goals, utilities and governments are beginning to look beyond typical residential energy efficiency programs and are turning to programs that improve the energy efficiency of the entire house by sealing the leaks, reducing plug loads, adding insulation, and replacing inefficient heating and cooling systems.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors present current research in the study of bioenergy systems and their biological sources and environmental impact. Topics discussed include the assessment of sustainability of bioenergy systems; soil loss as a forgotten aspect of biofuel production; effective biocatalysts for lignocellulosic biofuel by a proteomics study of fungal secretome; enhancing the interface between agricultural production, and tree biomass/bioenergy systems to improve farm-scale productivity in Western Australia; hydrogen and ethanol comparison as fuels for internal combustion engines; and hydrogen production by mixed cultures.

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Book SynopsisNew applications of horizontal drilling techniques and hydraulic fracturing, in which water, sand, and chemical additives are injected under high pressure to create and maintain fractures in underground formations, allow oil and natural gas from shale formations to be developed. As exploration and development of shale oil and gas have increased, including in areas of the country without a history of oil and natural gas development, questions have been raised about the estimates of the size of these resources, as well as the processes used to extract them. This book examines the environmental and public health requirements, risks, and size of shale resources of unconventional oil and gas development.

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Book SynopsisThe U.S. electric power system has historically operated at such a high level of reliability that any major outage, either caused by sabotage, weather, or operational errors, makes new headlines. The transmission system is extensive, consisting mainly of transformers, switches, transmission towers and lines, control centers, and computer controls. A spectrum of threats exists to the electric system ranging from weather-related to terrorist attacks. The main risk from weather-related damage or terrorist attack against the electric power industry is a widespread power outage that lasts for an extended period of time. This book explores the infrastructure reliability and vulnerabilities in the electric system; who should be responsible for implementing appropriate actions; who should pay; and should reliability guidelines or standards be implemented by the federal government or industry groups.

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Book SynopsisDue to the growth in natural gas production from shale gas, the United States is benefiting from some of the lowest prices for natural gas in the world and faces the question of how to best use this resource. Different segments of the U.S. economy have different perspectives on the role natural gas can play. Suppliers, which have become the victims of their own production success, are facing low prices that are forecast to remain low. Some companies that have traditionally produced only natural gas have even turned their attention to oil in order to improve their financial situation. Smaller companies are having a difficult time continuing operations and larger companies, have bought into many shale gas assets. Prices have remained low even as consumption has increased, in part, because producers have raised production to meet the demand and because companies have improved efficiency and extraction techniques. This book examines what has changed in the natural gas industry and focuses on the demand side and ancillary benefits to the U.S. economy.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a broad perspective of sediment transport in rivers, reservoirs, estuaries, and coastal areas. It deals with the related fundamentals of sediment transport, computational modelling of cohesive and non-cohesive sediments transport, and sedimentation engineering management. Topics include river morphological changes after dam removal, local scour and its monitoring, marsh edge erosion, turbidity dynamics in a bay surrounded by marshes, effects of harbour construction on hydrodynamic and morphodynamic processes in a coastal area, and impact of climate change on sediment yield from a watershed, are discussed. The breath of the topics covered will be of interest to researchers and practising engineers alike. This book contains twelve chapters.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a comprehensive review of energy research studies from authors around the globe, including recent research in determining potential energy and environmental impacts; sustainable development and environmentally friendly systems; helping agriculture and horticulture through technology, energy efficiency and environmental protection; clean and green energy technologies; heat pump features, characteristics and refrigerants; a passive system for energy needs in green houses; design and operation of low consumption passive human comfort solutions; and the pretreatment of cellulosic biomass for better yield of bioethanol production.

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Book SynopsisWind energy has been the fastest growing source of U.S. electric power generation in recent years. The increase in federal funding for wind technologies and involvement of multiple agencies has raised questions about fragmented, overlapping, or duplicative federal support. This book examines federal wind-related initiatives; programs or groups of agency activities that promoted wind energy through a specific emphasis or focus. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) identifies wind-related initiatives implemented by federal agencies in fiscal year 2011; assesses the extent of fragmentation, overlap, and duplication, if any, among these initiatives, and the extent to which they were co-ordinated; and examines how agencies allocate support to projects through their initiatives and the extent to which they assess applicant need for support.

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Book SynopsisThe development of low-carbon energy is progressing too slowly to limit global warming. With power generation still dominated by coal and governments failing to increase investment in clean energy, the target of controlling the rise in global temperature is a tough task. This book is written so as to address some of the issues as well as waste management practices of fossil fuels and modified fossil fuels through ten original and very interesting chapters. Carbon sequestration of fossil fuels has been greatly emphasised so as to reduce the carbon footprint. The book starts with an overview of fossil fuels which include oil, natural gas and its hydrates, coal, kerogen shale, and peat. Information on reserves and extraction of each type of fuel is presented in Chapter One. The book continues with Chapter Two, where increased levels of sophistication for fossil fuels have been discussed to alleviate the subsequent depletion of fossil fuels. In Chapter Three partial substitution of coal by renewable biomass in existing coal-fired boilers for power generation is presented. It has been stated that hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) offers a promising conversion process to upgrade raw biomass feedstock. In Chapter Four, discussion on the types of biomass and the ways to modify the same have been presented. Through Chapters Five to Eight the reader will know the great potentials of gasification, mineral carbonation, geo-engineering and remote sensing in achieving almost zero emission.

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Book SynopsisToday''s oil and gas are at record prices, whilst global energy demand is increasing from population and economic development pressures. New and highly improved methods to detect, explore, and exploit new resources of oil and gas are necessary to maintain the world''s energy needs toward sustainable economic development. This books aim is to offer the latest developments in several areas related to the above mentioned goals. As authors, it is our understanding and expectation, that interested readers will find plenty of useful, insightful, and reliable information for their energy-related tasks.

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Book SynopsisMany countries, reflecting very different geographies, markets, and power systems, are successfully managing high levels of variable renewable energy on the electric grid, including that from wind and solar energy. This book documents the diverse approaches to effective integration of variable renewable energy among six countries: Australia (South Australia), Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Spain, and the United States (Colorado and Texas), and summarises policy best practices that energy ministers and other stakeholders can pursue to ensure that electricity markets and power systems can effectively co-evolve with increasing penetrations of variable renewable energy. There is no one-size fits all approach; each country has crafted its own combination of policies, market designs, and system operations to achieve the system reliability and flexibility needed to successfully integrate renewables. Notwithstanding this diversity, the approaches all coalesce around five strategic areas: lead public engagement, particularly for new transmission; co-ordinate and integrate planning; develop rules for market evolution that enable system flexibility; expand access to diverse resources and geographic footprint of operations; and improve system operations. This book also underscores the value of countries sharing their experiences. The more diverse and robust the experience base from which a country can draw, the more likely that it will be able to implement an appropriate, optimised, and system-wide approach.

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Book SynopsisThe production of energy feedstocks and fuels requires substantial water input. Not only do biofuel feedstocks like corn, switchgrass, and agricultural residues need water for growth and conversion to ethanol, but petroleum feedstocks like crude oil and oil sands also require large volumes of water for drilling, extraction, and conversion into petroleum products. Moreover, in many cases, crude oil production is increasingly water dependent. Competing uses strain available water resources and raise the spectre of resource depletion and environmental degradation. Water management has become a key feature of existing projects and a potential issue in new ones. This book examines the growing issue of water use in energy production by characterising current consumptive water use in liquid fuel production. As used throughout this book, "consumptive water use" is the sum total of water input less water output that is recycled and reused for the process. The estimate applies to surface and groundwater sources for irrigation but does not include precipitation. Water requirements are evaluated for five fuel pathways: bioethanol from corn, ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks, gasoline from Canadian oil sands, Saudi Arabian crude, and U.S. conventional crude from onshore wells. Regional variations and historic trends are noted, as are opportunities to reduce water use.

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Book SynopsisDigital networks are the foundation of the information services, such as cell phones, e-mail, and the Internet, and are an expanding and indispensable part of our lives. With the wide availability of these networks, many of the devices and equipment we use in buildings increasingly depend on these networks for the functions they perform. Today, networked devices are mostly electronics, but other types of devices are gaining rich communications ability. While the information services provided by these networks are perceived almost universally to provide a net benefit to society, one drawback to these networks is that they increase energy use, both through the direct energy use of the network interfaces and equipment that comprise the network, and in the effect they have on the operating patterns of devices connected to the network. This book investigates a variety of technology and policy issues related to the energy used by digital networks to further the development of several energy efficiency technologies. Several of these technologies have since been introduced to the market, saving energy in California, the United States, and globally.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the first of the Environmental Protection Agency''s (EPA''s) triennial reports on the current and potential future environmental impacts associated with the requirements of the Clean Air Act. It reviews environmental and resource conservation impacts, as well as opportunities to mitigate these impacts, at each stage of the biofuel supply chain: feedstock production, feedstock logistics, biofuel production, biofuel distribution, and biofuel use. The information included here is considered foundational for future efforts to quantitatively compare the environmental impacts of alternative scenarios for meeting the goals of the RFS2 program, representing the best available information through July 2010 and reflecting the current understanding about biofuel production and use, including input from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an overview of various energy strategies that are available to Guam in the pursuit of diversifying fuel sources and reducing fossil energy consumption 20% by 2020 (20x20). The information in this book is based upon input from the Guam Energy Task Force (GETF), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory''s (NREL''s) Guam Initial Technical Assessment Report, and additional stakeholders. The information presented in this strategic energy plan is intended to be used by the GETF in developing an energy action plan. The next step in reaching the 2020 goal involves selecting the most appropriate strategies from the options outlined in this strategic plan and creating a roadmap for implementation in the Guam Energy Action Plan. The strategies are categorised based on the time required to implement them. Near-term strategies can be accomplished in 1-2 years, mid-term strategies require 3-5 years, long-term strategies require 6-8 years, and some strategies require 8 or more years before they can be fully implemented. The prioritisation of the strategies will help facilitate the development of an action plan and the selection of appropriate strategies for meeting Guam''s 2020 goal.

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Book SynopsisEnergy is central to sustainable development. It has huge environmental, social, and economic impacts, such as its influence on climate change, poverty reduction efforts, industrial and agricultural productivity and environmental and human health. The development of strategies towards a sustainable energy transition is one of the most important world challenges of the twenty-first century. The choices that we will make in the coming years about energy will determine what world future generations will inherit. This book gives an overview of the key issues, strategies, operational guidelines and policy implications of current research on the transition to more sustainable energy consumption. It investigates the important issue of the relation between human activities, energy systems and energy use. It addresses the environmental, social and economic impacts of energy consumption and their interrelationships. This book was written by academic and research experts in the field of energy, and they have developed strategies for an energy sustainable plan for the main energy-intensive sectors: energy production, transportation, buildings, agriculture and domestic appliances. The best opportunities and solutions for energy demand reduction are shown, including energy efficiency improvement, increases in the share of renewable energy sources, technological progress and behavioural changes in the field of energy. The aim of this work is to guide the reader toward more efficient policies and actions that will actually improve the future. The book also addresses the different issues faced by developing and developed countries, as well as their relative respective solutions. It presents various alternative pathways that are open to our societies. The methods of energy consumption assessment and modelling approaches are also discussed. All those who are interested in energy challenges will find practical knowledge and operational solutions in this book, providing a solid foundation for making well-informed choices in the future, as individuals and as societies.

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Book SynopsisSince the spring of 2009, billions of federal dollars have been allocated to state and local governments as grants for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and programs. The scale of this American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding, focused on "shovelready" projects to create and retain jobs, is unprecedented. Thousands of newly funded players -- cities, counties, states, and tribes -- and thousands of programs and projects are entering the existing landscape of energy efficiency programs for the first time or expanding their reach. The nation''s experience base with energy efficiency is growing enormously, fed by federal dollars and driven by broader objectives than saving energy alone. This book focuses on a selected set of ARRA-funded energy efficiency programs administered by state energy offices: the State Energy Program (SEP) formula grants, the portion of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) formula funds administered directly by states, and the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program (SEEARP).

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Book SynopsisPrevious research on the effects of wind energy facilities on surrounding home values has been limited by small samples of relevant home-sale data and the inability to account adequately for confounding home-value factors and spatial dependence in the data. This book provides a spatial hedonic analysis of the effects of wind energy facilities on surrounding property values in the United States to help fill those gaps. The impact of wind power projects on residential property value in the United States is also discussed.

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Book SynopsisGlobal investment in renewable energy has grown sharply in the past five years as countries strive to meet growing energy demands, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and strengthen energy security. Given that a broad group of services are indispensable to the development and functioning of renewable energy projects, the rapid expansion in renewable energy investment and installed capacity world-wide implies a similarly vibrant global market for renewable energy services. This book offers estimates of the U.S. and global markets for trade and investment in services essential to energy production in the solar, wind, small hydropower, and geothermal sectors, as well as discusses trade barriers affecting these services. The book also describes federal programs that provide grants, loans, loan guarantees, and other direct or indirect incentives for energy efficiency, energy conservation, and renewable energy.

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Book SynopsisPresently, energy and the environment are closely related issues throughout the world. The indiscriminate use of fossil fuels has resulted in adverse effects on the environment (i.e, excessive production of greenhouse gases, pollution of underground and superficial waters, soil contamination). The international reserves of crude oil are declining, and some pessimistic references refer to an important detriment in the annual oil availability for 2050. Because of these facts, the necessity to develop novel sources of energy, especially fuels from sustainable sources, is mandatory. Such alternative sources of energy (ie: wind, solar, biomass, hydraulic) are potential renewable sources capable of changing the paradigm of productive activities around the world. In many cases, the energy production processes include resources commonly available or even the use of materials that are considered waste (ie: wastewaters, agriculture residues, urban solid wastes). Despite all the desirable characteristics involved, the processes included in the generation of renewable energy may not only positively impact the environment, but may also cause harm on surrounding areas. However, to our knowledge, relatively few works have been published carrying out this type of environmental cost-benefit analysis.

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Book SynopsisExpanding production of the United States'' vast shale gas reserves in recent years has put the country on a path towards greater energy independence, enhanced economic prosperity, and (potentially) reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. The corresponding expansion of gas-fired generation in the power sector driven primarily by lower natural gas prices has also made it easier and cheaper to integrate large amounts of variable renewable generation, such as wind power, into the grid. This book discusses the long-term hedge value of wind power and provides an analysis of wind and natural gas under different market structures.

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Book SynopsisChina is an energy-dependent country and its rapid economic growth in the past 30 years is accompanied by tremendous energy consumption. Constrained by resource endowment, most of the primary energy consumed in China is coal, which leads to serious global, regional and local environmental issues. To ensure sustainable development, China has formulated ambitious targets for developing renewable energy and dozens of policies to deliver it have been adopted. Especially since the enactment of the Renewable Energy Law in 2006, renewable energy has experienced a boom in China. Now China is the biggest developer of hydropower and wind power, as well as the biggest manufacturer of PV cells in the world. This book is a systematic review on renewable energy in China and focuses on four interrelated topics: resources, institution, policy and industry development. The introductory chapter will describe the overall picture of renewable energy in China. Then four industries, including wind power, solar power, biomass and ocean power, will be discussed in separate chapters around the policy, industry development, barriers and market prospective. In light of the important role in delivering renewable energy, the next chapter discusses the progress of smart grids in China, with a particular perspective on the institutional arrangement for promoting its development more effectively. A chapter is devoted to the progress of Golden Sun Program, the Chinese government''s initiative to promote the domestic solar power market. Another chapter addresses rural energy, poverty and renewable energy, a special topic on social and developmental aspects of renewable energy. The last chapter presents the topic of energy systems in transition and proposes policy suggestions for delivering renewable energy in China.

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Book SynopsisProduction of oil and natural gas from leases on federal lands and waters is an important part of the nation''s energy portfolio and a significant source of revenue for the federal government. This book examines steps Interior has taken to ensure the public receives a fair return on oil and gas resources since 2007. It also examines the number of tracts leased, along with the trends in associated coal production and revenues generated since 1990; BLM''s implementation of the process to estimate fair market value for coal leases; the extent to which BLM considers coal exports and domestic coal reserve estimates when estimating fair market value; and the extent to which BLM communicates information on federal coal lease sales to the public.

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Book SynopsisIncreasing demands on energy has necessitated the development of large-scale, low-cost, renewable energy. Solar energy is highly attractive and extremely promising as the energy reaching the earth from the sun is orders of magnitude larger than today''s global energy consumption and is quiet, requires low maintenance, has no restrictions on size, can be located close to the point on consumption, and is a clean, direct and efficient mode of energy conversion. The challenge lies in making solar power economically competitive while working with the materials readily available in abundance along with all their inherent constraints, also using those materials as economically as possible. Novel materials and structures are constantly being investigated for possible application in the area of photovoltaics (PVs). This book begins by discussing nanostructure-based PVs. It then continues to provide information on several topics that include the environmental impacts from end-of-life disposal of PVs; photocured polymer electrolyte membranes for dye-sensitised solar cells; economic analysis of support policies in PV systems; indoor PVs; effect of urban density on PV performance; and PV effects in nanoscale ferroelectrics.

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Book SynopsisThe proposed Keystone XL pipeline has received considerable attention recently. If constructed, the pipeline would transport crude oil (eg: synthetic crude oil or diluted bitumen) derived from oil sands resources in Alberta, Canada to destinations in the United States and ultimately the international market. Policymakers continue to debate various issues associated with the proposed pipeline. Although some groups have opposed previous oil pipelines -- Alberta Clipper and the Keystone mainline, both of which are operating -- opposition to the Keystone XL proposal has generated substantially more interest among environmental stakeholders. This book discusses the background and the environmental issues the Keystone XL pipeline would cause.

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Book SynopsisEnergy is an essential factor in development, since it stimulates, and supports economic growth, and development. Any form of energy can be transformed into another form, but the total energy always remains the same. Several different kinds of energy exist to explain all known natural phenomena. The word ''green'' designates more than a colour. It is a way of life, one that is becoming more and more common throughout the world. An interesting topic on ''sustainable technologies for a greener world'' details about what each technology is and how it achieves green goals. Over the years, all parts of a commercial refrigerator, such as the compressor, heat exchangers, refrigerant, and packaging, have been improved considerably due to the extensive research and development efforts carried out by academia and industry. However, the achieved and anticipated improvement in conventional refrigeration technology are incremental since this technology is already nearing its fundamentals limit of energy efficiency is described is ''magnetic refrigeration'' which is an evolving cooling technology. Recently, conventional chillers using absorption technology consume energy for hot water generator but absorption chillers carry no energy saving. With the aim of providing a single point solution for this dual purpose application, a product is launched but can provide simultaneous chilling and heating using its vapour absorption technology with 40% saving in heating energy. Using energy efficiency and managing customer energy use has become an integral and valuable exercise. The reason for this is green technology helps to sustain life on earth. This not only applies to humans but to plants, animals and the rest of the ecosystem. Energy prices and consumption will always be on an upward trajectory. In fact, energy costs have steadily risen over last decade and are expected to carry on doing so as consumption grows.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a comprehensive review of energy research studies from authors around the globe, including recent research in energy efficient appliances and energy efficient behaviors; renewable energy technologies and sustainable development; demand for clean energies efficient development in building technologies; recent advances in biomass and biogas development and perspectives; development and evaluation of a direct expansion heat pump system; assessment of the measured data with respect to renewable energy technologies; capacity of manets employing a continuous interference model with a propagation channel considering law of conservation of energy; assessing the sustainability of bioenergy systems; investigation of design parameters effect on power output and thermal efficiency of the stirling engine with irreversibility consideration using finite speed thermodynamics; energy saving and optimization of heat exchanger networks using an evolutionary method; and optimization of powered stirling heat engine with finite speed thermodynamics.

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Book SynopsisSolar and other renewable power can play an important role in future electricity system, as shown by numerous energy and electricity system model studies. Many of these studies have in common that they focus on cost as the central issue, either by optimizing it or using it as a key variable in simulation. This book examines the renewable energy policies in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in order to identify the policy motivations and constraints for expanding renewables in these countries. It also discusses safety hazards associated with the use of solar panels; rotating prism array for solar tracking; fabrication, electronic properties and microstructure of TiO2-based dye-sensitized solar cells; solar tower power plants performance and reliability analysis; liquid crystal devices for photovoltaic systems; and mechanisms for solar technologies.

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Book SynopsisSince 2004, the federal government has made efforts to facilitate demand-response activities, including expanding their use in wholesale electricity markets. Among these efforts, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued regulatory orders affecting Regional Transmission Organizations (RTO)entities that operate the transmission system and administer wholesale markets in some parts of the country. For example, FERC issued orders approving RTO rules for quantifying the extent of demand-response activities and compensating consumers for their demand-response activities. This book provides an update since 2004 and discusses federal efforts to facilitate demand-response activities; FERC efforts to collect and report data on demand response activities; changes in the extent of demand-response activities; key benefits and challenges of current efforts.

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Book SynopsisThe federal government has encouraged the development and use of alternative fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with aviation and to enhance economic development and energy security for the United States. To help achieve these goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the aviation industry is actively supporting alternative jet fuels. This book examines the role of the federal government in the development and use of alternative jet fuels; and key challenges to developing and using alternative jet fuels and actions that the federal government plans to or could take to help address those challenges.

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Book SynopsisIt is a well-known fact that since the start of industrial crude oil extraction, some 150 years ago, the United States has consistently been the nation that consumes a greater proportion of the global production of that precious liquid fuel. What may be less obvious for many, nowadays, is that for most of that period the US was also the country with higher crude oil production. This handbook provides recent research on oil production.

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Book SynopsisBe it in our home or workplace, we are becoming increasingly accustomed to enjoying the maximum comfort levels. To make the indoor environment as per our suitability is a challenging task. Buildings are one of the most important contributors of pollutants and waste that affects the urban environment and contributes to adverse climatic conditions. Hence, exposure to indoor air pollution from the combustion of biofuels is a significant public health hazards, affecting the poor in both rural and urban communities in developing countries. Furthermore, the world''s view of waste has changed dramatically in recent years and it is now seen as a source to feed the ever-growing demand for energy. Nowadays, emphasis is being laid upon utilisation of the surrounding energy from ground source and other renewable energy sources to stimulate alternative energy sources for heating and cooling of buildings. Exploitation of renewable energy sources and particularly ground heat in buildings can contribute towards reducing dependency on fossil fuels. Buildings where people work require more light and moreover, in the buildings where people live, the energy is used to maintain the lighting, temperature and proper ventilation. Hence, natural ventilation is rapidly becoming a significant part in the design strategy for non-domestic buildings. Ventilation has the potential to reduce the environmental impact of building operations, due to lower energy demand for cooling. A traditional, naturally ventilated building can readily provide a high ventilation rate. On the other hand, the mechanical ventilation systems are very expensive. Heating and energy consumption are interesting topics not just for the industry. Homeowners are also on the look-out for suitable technologies to keep overheads as low as possible and to save energy.

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Book SynopsisLarge Power Transformers have long been a concern for the U.S. Electricity Sector, because the failure of a single unit can cause service interruption and lead to collateral damage, and there could be difficulties in quickly replacing them. This book assesses the procurement and supply environment of large power transformers (LPTs). Key industry sources have identified the limited availability of spare LPTs as a potential issue for critical infrastructure resilience in the United States, and both the public and private sectors have been undertaking a variety of efforts to address this concern. The following topics are examined in this book: characteristics and procurement of LPTs, including key raw materials and transportation; historical trends and future demands; global and domestic LPT suppliers; potential issues in the global sourcing of LPTs; and assessment of the risks facing LPTs.

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Book SynopsisThe increase in domestic supplies of natural gas has raised new interest in expanding its use in the transportation sector. This book considers issues related to wider use of natural gas as a fuel in passenger cars and commercial vehicles. This book is designed to help fleets understand the cost factors associated with fueling infrastructure for compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. It provides estimated cost ranges for various sizes and types of CNG fueling stations and an overview of factors that contribute to the total cost of an installed station; and describes how the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) used the VICE model to establish guidance for fleets making decisions about using CNG.

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Book SynopsisThe book contains ten chapters. Chapter 1 deals with classification of propellants and explosives. Mechanism of thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) has been given in Chapter 2. Synthesis and characterisation of various types of nanomaterials such as oxides, ferrites, cobaltites, oxalates, mono, bi and tri metals of transition metals, and oxides of lanthanides have been discussed in Chapter-3. These have been found to be potential thermal decomposition and burning rate catalysts for AP and composite solid propellants. The preparative methods for various types of nanoenergetic compounds have been described in Chapter 4. Thermolysis of various types of nitrate, perchlorate, and NTOate salts has been discussed in Chapters 5-7. Preparation and characterisation of transition, lanthanoids metal nitrate, and perchlorate complexes with ligand of various amines have been described in Chapters 8-10. In each group of compounds, the structural properties of the individual compounds are determined by gravimetric, IR and NMR studies. For those compounds which gave crystals, X-ray crystallography technique was undertaken to determine their structures. The results obtained from thermoanalytical and kinetic investigations related to the thermal decomposition, ignition/explosion and combustion of the compounds have also been described. The author hopes this book will be of interest to everyone involved with energetic materials irrespective of their background. This will prove useful to the serious college students as a text, to the engineers interested in the broad aspects of aerospace, and as an introduction to the propulsion of missiles or space vehicles. This book will be helpful to the people working in R&D laboratories, Universities, Institutes, Production agencies, Forensic laboratories, Armed forces (Army, Navy and Air Force), Quality assurance, Homeland securities, Chemical Industries etc. This book will be of immense use to organisations dealing with the production of commercial explosives and allied chemicals. It is hoped that this compilation of work will serve to stimulate more interest and promote further progress in the research into the properties and applications of these family of compounds reported in this book.

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Book SynopsisRecent advances in combining two drilling techniques, hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, have allowed access to large deposits of shale resources -- that is, crude oil and natural gas trapped in shale and certain other dense rock formations. As a result, the cost of that "tight oil" and "shale gas" has become competitive with the cost of oil and gas extracted from other sources. Virtually non-existent a decade ago, the development of shale resources has boomed in the United States, producing about 3.5 million barrels of tight oil per day and about 9.5 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of shale gas per year. This book discusses the economic and budgetary effects of producing oil and natural gas from shale. It also examines the production, infrastructure, and market issues in U.S. shale gas development; and potential budgetary effects of immediately opening most federal lands to oil and gas leasing.

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Book SynopsisThe recent growth in unconventional natural gas production has also produced a profusion of publications on the exploration, development, production, infrastructure, economics, uses, and environmental impacts of these resources. This book summarises the current state of published descriptions of the potential environmental impacts of unconventional natural gas upstream operations within the Lower 48 United States. It also examines the technology, impacts and regulations of hydraulic fracturing, which is a key technique that has enabled the economic production of natural gas from shale deposits, or plays.

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Book SynopsisFederal energy policy since the 1970s has focused primarily on ensuring a secure supply of energy while protecting the environment. The federal government supports and intervenes in U.S. energy production and consumption in various ways, such as providing tax incentives, grants, and other support to promote domestic production of energy, as well as setting standards and requirements. This book provides information on U.S. production and consumption of fossil, nuclear, and renewable energy from 2000 through 2013 and major factors, including federal activities, that influenced energy production and consumption levels. It also provides information on other federal activities that may have influenced aspects of U.S. energy production and consumption from 2000 through 2013 but were not targeted at a specific energy source, as well as information on federal research and development.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the tradeoffs among financing methods for businesses installing onsite photovoltaics (PV). The authors present case studies of PV financing strategies used by two large commercial retailers that have deployed substantial U.S. PV capacity: IKEA, which owns its PV, and Staples, which purchases power generated from onsite PV systems through power purchase agreements (PPAs). The book also analyzes the financial considerations that influence any company''s choice of PV financing strategy. The goal in this book is to clarify the financial and institutional costs and benefits of financing strategies and to inform other companies that are considering launching or expanding similar PV programs. Furthermore, this book provides a high-level overview of the developing U.S. solar loan product landscape, from both a market and economic perspective. It covers current and potential U.S. solar lending institutions; currently available loan products; loan program structures and post-loan origination options; risks and uncertainties of the solar asset class as it pertains to lenders; and an economic analysis comparing loan products to third party-financed systems in California.

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