Weather To Energy

This open access book showcases the burgeoning area of applied research at the intersection between weather and climate science and the energy industry. It illustrates how better communication between science and industry can help both sides. By opening a dialogue, scientists can understand the broader context for their work and the energy industry is able to keep track of and implement the latest scientific advances for more efficient and sustainable energy systems. Weather & Climate Services for the Energy Industry considers the lessons learned in establishing an ongoing discussion between the energy industry and the meteorological community and how its principles and practises can be applied elsewhere. This book will be a useful guiding resource for research and early career practitioners concerned with the energy industry and the new field of research known as energy meteorology.

Meteorological and climate data are indeed essential both in day-to-day energy management and for the definition of production and distribution infrastructures. For instance, the supply of electricity to users can be disturbed by extreme meteorological events such as thunderstorms with unusually strong winds, severe icing, severe cold spells, sea level elevation associated with storm surges, floods ... To be protected against such events, it is not sufficient to act after they have taken place. It is necessary to identify their potential impacts precisely and assess the probability of their occurrence. This book shows that this can only be done through an enhanced dialogue between the energy community and the climate and meteorology community. This implies an in-depth dialogue between actors to define precisely what kind of data is needed and how it should be used. Météo-France has been in long-term cooperation with the energy sector, including the fields of electricity production and distribution. Drawing on this experience, it should be noted in this respect the importance of lo- term partnership between actors as exemplified here by the message of EDF.

It is the purpose of this book to provide the meteorological knowledge and tools to improve the risk management of energy industry decisions, ranging from the long term finance and engineering planning assessments to the short term operational measures for scheduling and maintenance. Most of the chapters in this book are based on presentations given at the inaugural International Conference Energy & Meteorology (ICEM), held in the Gold Coast, Australia, 8-11 November 2011. The main aim of the conference was to strengthen the link between Energy and Meteorology, so as to make meteorological information more relevant to the planning and operations of the energy sector. The ultimate goal would be to make the best use of weather and climate data in order to achieve a more efficient use of energy sources. This book seeks to realise the same objective.

The Earth's climate system depends entirely on the Sun for its energy. Solar radiation warms the atmosphere and is fundamental to atmospheric composition, while the distribution of solar heating across the planet produces global wind patterns and contributes to the formation of clouds, storms, and rainfall. The Sun’s Influence on Climate provides an unparalleled introduction to this vitally important relationship. This accessible primer covers the basic properties of the Earth’s climate system, the structure and behavior of the Sun, and the absorption of solar radiation in the atmosphere. It explains how solar activity varies and how these variations affect the Earth’s environment, from long-term paleoclimate effects to century timescales in the context of human-induced climate change, and from signals of the 11-year sunspot cycle to the impacts of solar emissions on space weather in our planet’s upper atmosphere. Written by two of the leading authorities on the subject, The Sun’s Influence on Climate is an essential primer for students and nonspecialists alike.

The WIS:dom® (Weather-Informed energy Systems: for design, operations and markets) optimization planning model is the state-of-the-art energy model developed by Vibrant Clean Energy, LLC (VCE®). It is the first commercial co-optimization model of energy grids that was built from the ground up to incorporate vast volumes of data; starting with high-resolution weather and demand data. WIS:dom®-P simultaneously co-optimizes the capacity expansion requirements (generation, transmission, and storage) and the dispatch requirements (production cost, power flow, reserves, ramping, and reliability) for the entire electric (energy) grid of interest. Not only does WIS:dom® co-optimize these critically linked properties, it was developed from the ground up to work with “big data”. The model can determine the cost/benefit ratios for new HVDC transmission lines, compared with other technologies. It can also determine the risk and rewards from retiring existing generators for the topology of the transmission infrastructure; simultaneously to determining how more variable generation is deployed to replace them. WIS:dom® utilizes high-resolution (spatially and temporally) weather data to determine resource properties over vast spatial-temporal horizons. Thus, WIS:dom® can be used on scales as small as campuses, cities, counties or states/provinces; but uniquely can also be used for sovereign entities and continents. Moreover, these scales can be nested, allowing high-fidelity local modeling accompanied with lower-fidelity larger areas to create feedbacks within the model that simulate outside influences on local markets. The model relies on publically available data where possible, and contains default values for generators, transmission, storage, production cost and resource siting. However, WIS:dom® was designed from the beginning to allow “plug-and-play” capability, whereby it can take advantage of customized datasets required for detailed modeling of specific questions, markets or balancing areas. For example, higher-resolution weather data over a utility or ISO; or proprietary heat rates for generators within a utility. The modeling framework is unique and consistent across various scales facilitating more transparent analysis between results derived. With WIS:dom® new opportunities are identified due to the co-optimization detecting patterns ignored by other modeling endeavors. The WIS:dom® optimization model allows datasets to be added for specific local interests. For example, WIS:dom® can be deployed for any country or continent around the globe. The model requires the local datasets (or uses the default global one) and then can study various questions of interest – such as greenhouse gas emission, HVDC transmission links, variable generation and reliability, water consumption, air pollution, electric vehicle penetrations, electric heating, jobs and tax revenues, and more.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Second IFIP WG 5.5/SOCOLNET Doctoral Conference on Computing, Electrical and Industrial Systems, DoCEIS 2011, held in Costa de Caparica, Portugal, in February 2011. The 67 revised full papers were carefully selected from numerous submissions. They cover a wide spectrum of topics ranging from collaborative enterprise networks to microelectronics. The papers are organized in topical sections on collaborative networks, service-oriented systems, computational intelligence, robotic systems, Petri nets, sensorial and perceptional systems, sensorial systems and decision, signal processing, fault-tolerant systems, control systems, energy systems, electrical machines, and electronics.

"Weather For Dummies is probably the best book written for a general audience about the subject." ―BILL GATES Find out what's really going on when it seems like the sky is falling with Weather For Dummies What exactly is happening when the wind blows, the clouds roll in, lightning flashes, and rain pours down? How do hurricanes whip into a frenzy, and where do tornadoes come from? Why do seasonal conditions sometimes vary so much from one year to the next? The inner workings of the weather can be a mystery, but Dummies can help. Packed with dozens of maps, charts, and stunning photographs of weather conditions, Weather For Dummies brings the science of meteorology down to earth, covering everything from weather basics to cloud types, seasonal differences, extreme weather events, climate change, and beyond. You'll learn how to: Predict the weather and prepare a forecast Use common weather terminology like a pro Identify different types of clouds Spot weather conditions that can lead to storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and monsoons Observe fun weather phenomena like lightning, rainbows, sundogs, and haloes Talk about what impact weather has on the global ecosystem Get a handle on smog, the greenhouse effect, global warming, and other climate issues Featuring clear explanations and fun and easy activities you can do at home, you'll be ready – rain or shine – for the ever-changing skies above with Weather For Dummies.

This publication explores the diverse range of impacts on the energy sector resulting from gradual climate change and extreme weather events, and the potential ways to counter them. All elements of the supply chain are explored: resource base, extraction and transport of depletable energy sources, power generation, transmission and distribution. The publication includes three case studies which assess the energy sector vulnerability of Argentina, Pakistan and Slovenia.

"Unsettled is a remarkable book—probably the best book on climate change for the intelligent layperson—that achieves the feat of conveying complex information clearly and in depth." —Claremont Review of Books "Surging sea levels are inundating the coasts." "Hurricanes and tornadoes are becoming fiercer and more frequent." "Climate change will be an economic disaster." You've heard all this presented as fact. But according to science, all of these statements are profoundly misleading. When it comes to climate change, the media, politicians, and other prominent voices have declared that "the science is settled." In reality, the long game of telephone from research to reports to the popular media is corrupted by misunderstanding and misinformation. Core questions—about the way the climate is responding to our influence, and what the impacts will be—remain largely unanswered. The climate is changing, but the why and how aren't as clear as you've probably been led to believe. Now, one of America's most distinguished scientists is clearing away the fog to explain what science really says (and doesn't say) about our changing climate. In Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters, Steven Koonin draws upon his decades of experience—including as a top science advisor to the Obama administration—to provide up-to-date insights and expert perspective free from political agendas. Fascinating, clear-headed, and full of surprises, this book gives readers the tools to both understand the climate issue and be savvier consumers of science media in general. Koonin takes readers behind the headlines to the more nuanced science itself, showing us where it comes from and guiding us through the implications of the evidence. He dispels popular myths and unveils little-known truths: despite a dramatic rise in greenhouse gas emissions, global temperatures actually decreased from 1940 to 1970. What's more, the models we use to predict the future aren't able to accurately describe the climate of the past, suggesting they are deeply flawed. Koonin also tackles society's response to a changing climate, using data-driven analysis to explain why many proposed "solutions" would be ineffective, and discussing how alternatives like adaptation and, if necessary, geoengineering will ensure humanity continues to prosper. Unsettled is a reality check buoyed by hope, offering the truth about climate science that you aren't getting elsewhere—what we know, what we don't, and what it all means for our future.

Rev. ed. of: Project earth science. Meteorology / by P. Sean Smith and Brent A. Ford. c1994.

The various processes that connect the physics of the Sun with that of the Earth`s environment has become known as "Space Weather" during recent years, a slogan that has emerged in connection with many other expressions adapted from meteorology, such as solar wind, magnetic clouds or polar rain. This volume is intended as a first graduate-level textbook-style account on the physics of these solar-terrestrial relations and their impact on our natural and technological environment.

November issue includes abridged index to yearly volume.