Environmental Assessment Of Renewable Energy Conversion Technologies

Environmental Assessment of Renewable Energy Conversion Technologies provides state-of-the-art coverage in both non-fossil energy conversion and storage techniques, as well as in their environmental assessment. This includes goal and scope, analysis boundaries, inventory and the impact assessment employed for the evaluation of these applications, as well as the environmental footprint of the technologies. The book compiles information currently available only in different sources concerning the environmental assessment of sustainable energy technologies, allowing for the comparative assessments of different technologies given specific boundary conditions, such as renewable potential and other specific features of discussed technologies. It offers readers a comprehensive overview of the entire energy supply chain, namely from production to storage, by allowing the consideration of different production and storage combinations, based on their environmental assessment. Provides an overview of the environmental assessment process of renewable energy conversion and storage technologies Includes state-of-the-art approaches and techniques for the comprehensive environmental assessment of individual sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies and their applications Features comparative assessments of different technologies

Fundamentals of Renewable Energy Systems goes beyond theoretical aspects of advances in renewable energy and addresses future trends. By focusing on the design of developing technologies, relevant operation and detailed background and an understanding of the application of power electronics and thermodynamics processes in renewable energy, this book provides an analysis of advancing energy systems. The book will be of interest to engineering graduates, researchers, professors and industry professionals involved in the renewable energy sector and is ideal for advanced engineering courses dealing with renewable energy, sources, thermal and electrical energy production and sustainability. With increasing focus on developing low carbon energy production, audiences need to have the engineering knowledge and practical skills to develop and implement creative solutions to engineering problems encountered with renewable energy technologies. By looking at renewable energy capture and conversion, system design and analysis, project development and implementation, each modular chapter examines recent advances in specific renewable energy systems with detailed methods, calculations and worked examples. Includes recent techniques used to design and model different renewable energy sources (RES) Demonstrates how to use power electronics in renewable systems Discusses how to identify, design, integrate and operate the most suitable technologies through key problems

Sustainable Food Waste-to-Energy Systems assesses the utilization of food waste in sustainable energy conversion systems. It explores all sources of waste generated in the food supply chain (downstream from agriculture), with coverage of industrial, commercial, institutional and residential sources. It provides a detailed analysis of the conventional pathways for food waste disposal and utilization, including composting, incineration, landfilling and wastewater treatment. Next, users will find valuable sections on the chemical, biochemical and thermochemical waste-to-energy conversion processes applicable for food waste and an assessment of commercially available sustainable food waste-to-energy conversion technologies. Sustainability aspects, including consideration of environmental, economic and social impacts are also explored. The book concludes with an analysis of how deploying waste-to-energy systems is dependent on cross-cutting research methods, including geographical information systems and big data. It is a useful resource for professionals working in waste-to-energy technologies, as well as those in the food industry and food waste management sector planning and implementing these systems, but is also ideal for researchers, graduate students, energy policymakers and energy analysts interested in the most recent advances in the field. Provides guidance on how specific food waste characteristics drive possible waste-to-energy conversion processes Presents methodologies for selecting among different waste-to-energy options, based on waste volumes, distribution and properties, local energy demand (electrical/thermal/steam), opportunities for industrial symbiosis, regulations and incentives and social acceptance, etc. Contains tools to assess potential environmental and economic performance of deployed systems Links to publicly available resources on food waste data for energy conversion

The utilisation of renewable energies is not at all new; in the history of mankind renewable energies have for a long time been the primary possibility of generating energy. This only changed with industrial revolution when lignite and hard coal became increasingly more important. Later on, also crude oil gained importance. Offering the advantages of easy transportation and processing also as a raw material, crude oil has become one of the prime energy carriers applied today. Moreover, natural gas used for space heating and power provision as well as a transportation fuel has become increasingly important, as it is abundantly available and only requires low investments in terms of energy conversion facilities. As fossil energy carriers were increasingly used for energy generation, at least by the industrialised countries, the application of renewable energies decreased in absolute and relative terms; besides a few exceptions, renewable energies are of secondary importance with regard to overall energy generation.

The United States and China are the world's top two energy consumers and, as of 2010, the two largest economies. Consequently, they have a decisive role to play in the world's clean energy future. Both countries are also motivated by related goals, namely diversified energy portfolios, job creation, energy security, and pollution reduction, making renewable energy development an important strategy with wide-ranging implications. Given the size of their energy markets, any substantial progress the two countries make in advancing use of renewable energy will provide global benefits, in terms of enhanced technological understanding, reduced costs through expanded deployment, and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to conventional generation from fossil fuels. Within this context, the U.S. National Academies, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), reviewed renewable energy development and deployment in the two countries, to highlight prospects for collaboration across the research to deployment chain and to suggest strategies which would promote more rapid and economical attainment of renewable energy goals. Main findings and concerning renewable resource assessments, technology development, environmental impacts, market infrastructure, among others, are presented. Specific recommendations have been limited to those judged to be most likely to accelerate the pace of deployment, increase cost-competitiveness, or shape the future market for renewable energy. The recommendations presented here are also pragmatic and achievable.

Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conversion - Technologies, Applications and Environmental Impacts features comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge on the photovoltaic solar energy conversion technology and describes its different aspects in the context of most recent scientific and technological advances. It also provides an insight into future developments in this field by covering four distinct topics include "PV Cells and Modules", "Applications of PV Systems", "Life Cycle and Environmental Impacts" and "PV Market and Policies". An up-to-date reference book on the advances of photovoltaic solar energy conversion technology Describes different aspects of PV and PVT technologies in a comprehensive way Provides information on design, development, and monitoring of PV systems Covers applications of PV and PVT systems in the urban, industry, and agriculture sectors Features new concepts, environmental impacts, market and policies of the PV technology

Marine wave and tidal energy technology could interact with marine resources in ways that are not well understood. As wave and tidal energy conversion projects are planned, tested, and deployed, a wide range of stakeholders will be engaged; these include developers, state and federal regulatory agencies, environmental groups, tribal governments, recreational and commercial fishermen, and local communities. Identifying stakeholders' environmental concerns in the early stages of the industry's development will help developers address and minimize potential environmental effects. Identifying important concerns will also assist with streamlining siting and associated permitting processes, which are considered key hurdles by the industry in the U.S. today. In September 2008, RE Vision consulting, LLC was selected by the Department of Energy (DoE) to conduct a scenario-based evaluation of emerging hydrokinetic technologies. The purpose of this evaluation is to identify and characterize environmental impacts that are likely to occur, demonstrate a process for analyzing these impacts, identify the "key" environmental concerns for each scenario, identify areas of uncertainty, and describe studies that could address that uncertainty. This process is intended to provide an objective and transparent tool to assist in decision-making for siting and selection of technology for wave and tidal energy development. RE Vision worked with H.T. Harvey & Associates, to develop a framework for identifying key environmental concerns with marine renewable technology. This report describes the results of this study. This framework was applied to varying wave and tidal power conversion technologies, scales, and locations. The following wave and tidal energy scenarios were considered: 4 wave energy generation technologies 3 tidal energy generation technologies 3 sites: Humboldt coast, California (wave); Makapu'u Point, Oahu, Hawaii (wave); and the Tacoma Narrows, Washington (tidal) 3 project sizes: pilot, small commercial, and large commercial The possible combinations total 24 wave technology scenarios and 9 tidal technology scenarios. We evaluated 3 of the 33 scenarios in detail: 1. A small commercial OPT Power Buoy project off the Humboldt County, California coast 2. A small commercial Pelamis Wave Power P-2 project off Makapu'u Point, Oahu, Hawaii 3. A pilot MCT SeaGen tidal project, sited in the Tacoma Narrows, Washington. This framework document used information available from permitting documents that were written to support actual wave or tidal energy projects, but the results obtained here should not be confused with those of the permitting documents1. The main difference between this framework document and permitting documents of currently proposed pilot projects is that this framework identifies key environmental concerns and describes the next steps in addressing those concerns; permitting documents must identify effects, find or declare thresholds of significance, evaluate the effects against the thresholds, and find mitigation measures that will minimize or avoid the effects so they can be considered less-than-significant. Two methodologies, 1) an environmental effects analysis and 2) Raptools, were developed and tested to identify potential environmental effects associated with wave or tidal energy conversion projects. For the environmental effects analysis, we developed a framework based on standard risk assessment techniques. The framework was applied to the three scenarios listed above. The environmental effects analysis addressed questions such as: What is the temporal and spatial exposure of a species at a site? What are the specific potential project effects on that species? What measures could minimize, mitigate, or eliminate negative effects? Are there potential effects of the project, or species' response to the effect, that are highly uncertain and warrant additional study? The second methodology, Raptools, is a collaborative ...

Governments are setting challenging targets to increase the production of energy and transport fuel from sustainable sources. The emphasis is increasingly on renewable sources including wind, solar, geothermal, biomass based biofuel, photovoltaics or energy recovery from waste. What are the environmental consequences of adopting these other sources? How do these various sources compare to each other? Life Cycle Assessment of Renewable Energy Sources tries to answer these questions based on the universally adopted method of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This book introduces the concept and importance of LCA in the framework of renewable energy sources and discusses the key issues in conducting their LCA. This is followed by an in-depth discussion of LCA for some of the most common bioenergy sources such as agricultural production systems for biogas and bioethanol, biogas from grass, biodiesel from palm oil, biodiesel from used cooking oil and animal fat, Jatropha biodiesel, lignocellulosic bioethanol, ethanol from cassava and sugarcane molasses, residential photovoltaic systems, wind energy, microalgal biodiesel, biohydrogen and biomethane. Through real examples, the versatility of LCA is well emphasized. Written by experts all over the globe, the book is a cornucopia of information on LCA of bioenergy systems and provides a platform for stimulation of new ideas and thoughts. The book is targeted at practitioners of LCA and will become a useful tool for researchers working on different aspects of bioenergy.

Sustainable Materials and Green Processing for Energy Conversion provides a concise reference on green processing and synthesis of materials required for the next generation of devices used in renewable energy conversion and storage. The book covers the processing of bio-organic materials, environmentally-friendly organic and inorganic sources of materials, synthetic green chemistry, bioresorbable and transient properties of functional materials, and the concept of sustainable material design. The book features chapters by worldwide experts and is an important reference for students, researchers, and engineers interested in gaining extensive knowledge concerning green processing of sustainable, green functional materials for next generation energy devices. Additionally, functional materials used in energy devices must also be able to degrade and decompose with minimum energy after being disposed of at their end-of-life. Environmental pollution is one of the global crises that endangers the life cycles of living things. There are multiple root causes of this pollution, including industrialization that demands a huge supply of raw materials for the production of products related to meeting the demands of the Internet-of-Things. As a result, improvement of material and product life cycles by incorporation of green, sustainable principles is essential to address this challenging issue. Offers a resourceful reference for readers interested in green processing of environmentally-friendly and sustainable materials for energy conversion and storage devices Focuses on designing of materials through green-processing concepts Highlights challenges and opportunities in green processing of renewable materials for energy devices

The Handbook of Clean Energy Systems brings together an international team of experts to present a comprehensive overview of the latest research, developments and practical applications throughout all areas of clean energy systems. Consolidating information which is currently scattered across a wide variety of literature sources, the handbook covers a broad range of topics in this interdisciplinary research field including both fossil and renewable energy systems. The development of intelligent energy systems for efficient energy processes and mitigation technologies for the reduction of environmental pollutants is explored in depth, and environmental, social and economic impacts are also addressed. Topics covered include: Volume 1 - Renewable Energy: Biomass resources and biofuel production; Bioenergy Utilization; Solar Energy; Wind Energy; Geothermal Energy; Tidal Energy. Volume 2 - Clean Energy Conversion Technologies: Steam/Vapor Power Generation; Gas Turbines Power Generation; Reciprocating Engines; Fuel Cells; Cogeneration and Polygeneration. Volume 3 - Mitigation Technologies: Carbon Capture; Negative Emissions System; Carbon Transportation; Carbon Storage; Emission Mitigation Technologies; Efficiency Improvements and Waste Management; Waste to Energy. Volume 4 - Intelligent Energy Systems: Future Electricity Markets; Diagnostic and Control of Energy Systems; New Electric Transmission Systems; Smart Grid and Modern Electrical Systems; Energy Efficiency of Municipal Energy Systems; Energy Efficiency of Industrial Energy Systems; Consumer Behaviors; Load Control and Management; Electric Car and Hybrid Car; Energy Efficiency Improvement. Volume 5 - Energy Storage: Thermal Energy Storage; Chemical Storage; Mechanical Storage; Electrochemical Storage; Integrated Storage Systems. Volume 6 - Sustainability of Energy Systems: Sustainability Indicators, Evaluation Criteria, and Reporting; Regulation and Policy; Finance and Investment; Emission Trading; Modeling and Analysis of Energy Systems; Energy vs. Development; Low Carbon Economy; Energy Efficiencies and Emission Reduction. Key features: Comprising over 3,500 pages in 6 volumes, HCES presents a comprehensive overview of the latest research, developments and practical applications throughout all areas of clean energy systems, consolidating a wealth of information which is currently scattered across a wide variety of literature sources. In addition to renewable energy systems, HCES also covers processes for the efficient and clean conversion of traditional fuels such as coal, oil and gas, energy storage systems, mitigation technologies for the reduction of environmental pollutants, and the development of intelligent energy systems. Environmental, social and economic impacts of energy systems are also addressed in depth. Published in full colour throughout. Fully indexed with cross referencing within and between all six volumes. Edited by leading researchers from academia and industry who are internationally renowned and active in their respective fields. Published in print and online. The online version is a single publication (i.e. no updates), available for one-time purchase or through annual subscription.

C. S. Lewis rightly instructed, "The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts." This book aims to achieve this task by pushing the frontiers of scholarship for securing a sustainable future through green energy and infrastructure. This encompasses the notion that what we create is in harmony and integration with both the spatial and temporal domains. Through numerous practical examples and illustrations, this book examines a comprehensive review of the latest science on indoor environmental health, energy requirements for buildings, and the "greening" of infrastructure. Also, it provides a discussion on the underlying properties of biomass and its influence on furthering energy conversion technologies. Energy storage is essential for driving the integration of renewable energy, and different storage approaches are discussed in terms of power balancing, grid stability, and reliability. Features: Focuses on the importance of coupling green energy with green infrastructure Provides an unbiased update of the state-of-the-art of sustainability science Discusses utilizing sustainable building materials for simultaneous improvement in energy, economic, and environmental bottom lines for industry Illuminates practical steps that need to be undertaken to achieve a greener infrastructure Green Energy and Infrastructure: Securing a Sustainable Future is appropriate for researchers, students, and decision-makers seeking the latest, practical information on environmental sustainability.

The recent rise to prominence of renewable energy and energy efficiency has been driven by their potential to lower the environmental impacts of energy use. As these technologies mature they must demonstrate not only their environmental benefits, but also their economic competitiveness. The relative costs and benefits of each potential project, whether large or small, must be systematically modelled and assessed before they can be financed and implemented. Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency: Assessment of Projects and Policies deals with the appraisal of such projects against financial and non-financial criteria, illustrating the assessment tools necessary to make appropriate, evidence based decisions as efficiently as possible. The most important technologies are first described, stressing their economic and performance characteristics. Key project appraisal concepts are then introduced, approaches to modelling the cash flows in energy projects are described, and the issues of uncertainty and optimisation are fully discussed. These financial concepts, together with methods for estimating greenhouse gas emissions, are extended to address aspects of energy policy. Illustrated with many case studies this is an ideal introduction to financial and non-financial appraisal techniques as applied to energy efficient and renewable energy technologies.

The purpose of this report is to present a preliminary estimate of the potential contribution of forestry biomass to Canada's energy requirements to the year 2025. It begins with a review of forestry biomass conversion technologies, from which three reference cases have been formulated to facilitate discussion: direction conversion of wood to electricity in a 50-megawatt boiler; low-Btu gasification of wood combined with on-site utilization; and wood gasification combined with methanol production from the resulting synthesis gas. The report then estimates the total resource of forest biomass in Canada and evaluates sources of supply, including forest residues and energy plantations. It discusses principal uses for the different types of energy (steam, electricity, fuels) that can be produced from forest biomass, the factors affecting implementation of forest biomass energy technologies (including institutional constraints and environmental and social impacts), and the costs of energy produced by the three reference cases.

Thermo-ecology: Exergy as a Measure of Sustainability integrates thermo-ecology and exergy replacement cost as a new and original tool called thermo-ecology cost, or TEC. This tool allows for a more inclusive measurement of the impacts of using renewable and non-renewable resources by including the thermodynamics law in decision-making and presenting applications of this tool across industries and lifecycle assessments. It includes ways to investigate these effects more effectively by combining these critical aspects. This combination has emerged as a valuable decision-support tool for policymakers and the industry as they seek to evaluate the impacts of a product or process. Walks through what Thermo-Ecology Cost (TEC) is and why it gives a more holistic assessment when calculating the costs vs benefits of utilizing a natural resource Provides a new and more efficient way to measure and evaluate the sustainability of resources Includes: TEC calculation examples to explain the TEC theory as well as to help readers prepare their own analyses devoted to exergo-ecological applications across industries including energy production and waste management Demonstrates the potential of TEC usage for applications like ecological taxes proportional on TEC

Increasing global energy demands and climate change concerns are necessitating the development of energy conversion systems with high efficiency and minimal environmental impact. Fuel cell technologies offer a promising role in addressing energy security and carbon emissions due to their efficient energy conversion process and clean emissions profiles in comparison to fossil fuel combustion based-systems. Combined heat and power fuel cell systems (CHP FCS) offer great potential from both an economic and environmental standpoint because they can produce both electricity and useful heat onsite. Many barriers to wide-scale implementation of CHP FCS exist, including 1) a lack of detailed modeling studies of CHP FCS with sensitivity to different system design specifications, 2) the high manufacturing costs of fuel cells, and 3) a clear understanding of the life-cycle benefits of fuel cells. Given the interdependencies between design specifications, costs, and operational characteristics are vital to the success of CHP FCS, a full systems study is needed for proper analysis and robust outcomes. This work expands the scope of existing studies to develop an integrated assessment to target current adoption barriers and access the viability of fuel cell technologies for CHP applications. This work accesses system design and performance, identify opportunities for cost reduction, and evaluate the lifetime costs and benefits to provide a platform for wide-scale adoption of fuel cell technologies in CHP applications.

This diverse resource on renewable energy and sustainable technologies highlights the status, state of the art, challenges, advancements and options in areas such as energy recovery systems, turbine ventilators, green composites, biofuels and bio-resources for energy production, wind energy, integrated energy-efficient systems, thermal energy storage, natural ventilation & day-lighting systems, and low carbon technologies for building and environmental applications. It is designed to serve as a reference book for students, researchers, manufacturers and professionals working in these fields. The editors have gathered articles from world-leading experts that clearly illustrate key areas in renewable energy and sustainability. The distinct role of these technologies in future endeavors is stressed by taking into account the opportunities to contribute with new approaches, methods and directions for building and environmental applications. The in-depth discussion presented in this book will give readers a clear understanding of every important aspect of each technology’s applications, optimum configuration, modifications, limitations and their possible improvements.

Encyclopedia of Renewable and Sustainable Materials provides a comprehensive overview, covering research and development on all aspects of renewable, recyclable and sustainable materials. The use of renewable and sustainable materials in building construction, the automotive sector, energy, textiles and others can create markets for agricultural products and additional revenue streams for farmers, as well as significantly reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, manufacturing energy requirements, manufacturing costs and waste. This book provides researchers, students and professionals in materials science and engineering with tactics and information as they face increasingly complex challenges around the development, selection and use of construction and manufacturing materials. Covers a broad range of topics not available elsewhere in one resource Arranged thematically for ease of navigation Discusses key features on processing, use, application and the environmental benefits of renewable and sustainable materials Contains a special focus on sustainability that will lead to the reduction of carbon emissions and enhance protection of the natural environment with regard to sustainable materials

Municipal Solid Waste Energy Conversion in Emerging Countries: Technologies, Best Practices, Challenges and Policy presents contributions from authors from India, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, South Africa and China who come together to present the most reliable technologies for the energy conversion of municipal solid waste. The book addresses existing economic and policy scenarios and possible pathways to increase energy access and reduce the negative impacts of inadequate disposal. The book's authors discuss anaerobic digestion and other MSW conversion technologies, such as incineration and gasification. The environmental and social impacts of their introduction in small villages in emerging countries is also explored. Due to its focus on local authors and its pragmatic approach, this book is indispensable for bioenergy researchers and practitioners in emerging economies, as well as researchers, graduate students and professionals interested in developing waste to energy technology that can be implemented in those regions. It is also particularly useful to professionals interested in energy policy and economics, due to its assessment of policy and recommendations. Explores the opportunities and challenges for municipal solid waste to energy technology implementation in emerging economies, such as Brazil, India, South Africa and China Presents a detailed and updated overview of the commercial technologies available in these countries and their economic, environmental and social aspects Includes case studies which highlight best practices and successful local experiences Examines current economics and policy barriers for these technologies

Clean Energy for Sustainable Development: Comparisons and Contrasts of New Approaches presents information on the fundamental challenge that the energy sector faces with regard to meeting the ever growing demand for sustainable, efficient, and cleaner energy. The book compares recent developments in the field of energy technology, clean and low emission energy, and energy efficiency and environmental sustainability for industry and academia. Rasul, Azad and Sharma, along with their team of expert contributors, provide high-end research findings on relevant industry themes, including clean and sustainable energy sources and technologies, renewable energy technologies and their applications, biomass and biofuels for sustainable environment, energy system and efficiency improvement, solar thermal applications, and the environmental impacts of sustainable energy systems. This book uses global institutes and case studies to explore and analyze technological advancements alongside practical applications. This approach helps readers to develop and affirm a better understanding of the relevant concepts and solutions necessary to achieve clean energy and sustainable development in both medium and large-scale industries. Compares in-depth research on a wide range of clean technologies, from global institutes in Australia, Europe, and India Evaluates the recent developments in clean technologies against the efficiency of tried and tested applications Considers case studies on the advancements of sustainable energy into industry from around the world

This book provides high-quality research results and proposes future priorities for more sustainable development and energy security. It covers a broad range of topics on atmospheric changes, climate change impacts, climate change modeling and simulations, energy and environment policies, energy resources and conversion technologies, renewables, emission reduction and abatement, waste management, ecosystems and biodiversity, and sustainable development. Gathering selected papers from the 7th Global Conference on Global Warming (GCGW2018), held in Izmir, Turkey on June 24–28, 2018, it: Offers comprehensive coverage of the development of systems taking into account climate change, renewables, waste management, chemical aspects, energy and environmental issues, along with recent developments and cutting-edge information Highlights recent advances in the area of energy and environment, and the debate on and shaping of future directions and priorities for a better environment, sustainable development and energy security Provides a number of practical applications and case studies Is written in an easy-to-follow style, moving from the basics to advanced systems. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable resource for readers in academia and industry alike, and can be used at the graduate level or as a reference text for professors, researchers and engineers.