Energy Autonomy

For 200 years industrial civilization has relied on the combustion of abundant and cheap carbon fuels. But continued reliance has had perilous consequences. On the one hand there is the insecurity of relying on the world's most unstable region - the Middle East - compounded by the imminence of peak oil, growing scarcity and mounting prices. On the other, the potentially cataclysmic consequences of continuing to burn fossil fuels, as the evidence of accelerating climate change shows. Yet there is a solution: to make the transition to renewable sources of energy and distributed, decentralized energy generation. It is a model that has been proven, technologically, commercially and politically, as Scheer comprehensively demonstrates here. The alternative of a return to nuclear power - again being widely advocated - he shows to be compromised and illusory. The advantages of renewable energy are so clear and so overwhelming that resistance to them needs diagnosis - which Scheer also provides, showing why and how entrenched interests and one-dimensional structures of thinking oppose the transition, and what must be done to overcome these obstacles. The new book from the award-winning author of THE SOLAR ECONOMY and A SOLAR MANIFESTO demonstrates why the transition to renewable energy is essential and how it can be done.

First Published in 2009. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

In recent years, interest for local energy production, supply and consumption has increased in academic and public debates. In particular, contemporary energy transition discourses and strategies often emphasize the search for increased local energy autonomy, a phrase which can refer to a diverse range of configurations, both in terms of the spaces and scales of the local territory considered and in terms of what is meant by energy autonomy. This book explores policies, projects and processes aimed at increased local energy autonomy, with a particular focus on their spatial, infrastructural and political dimensions. In doing so, the authors – Sabine Barles, Bruno Barroca, Guilhem Blanchard, Benoit Boutaud, Arwen Colell, Gilles Debizet, Ariane Debourdeau, Laure Dobigny, Florian Dupont, Zélia Hampikian, Sylvy Jaglin, Allan Jones, Raphael Ménard, Alain Nadaï, Angela Pohlmann, Cyril Roger-Lacan, Eric Vidalenc – improve our understanding of the always partial and controversial processes of energy relocation that articulate forms of local metabolic self-sufficiency, socio-technical decentralization and political empowerment. Comprising fifteen chapters, the book is divided into four parts: Governance and Actors; Urban Projects and Energy Systems; Energy Communities; and The Challenges of Energy Autonomy.

Energy autonomy is an emerging concept that is, as yet, poorly identified in France. It can mean taking ownership of certain issues related to energy, its production, or, indeed, becoming self-sufficient, and it can apply equally to individuals, communities and buildings. While there are numerous new developments – renewable energies, smart grids and self-consumption – it is becoming difficult to know what this idea of “autonomy” covers, just as it is difficult to define “independence” and “self-sufficiency”, which are often associated with it. However, these three concepts are key to thinking about the energy system and deciding its future. Covering distinct ideas, they are often reduced to economic and productive factors. This ambiguity in their meanings is responsible for the misunderstandings, delusions and obstacles that hamper the implementation of the energy transition. This book deconstructs the common idea of autonomy in favor of a set of more operational concepts. It demonstrates that these ideas are not interchangeable but rather represent practical and constructive tools for action. The world of energy is changing, and therefore we must rethink energy autonomy.

In recent years, interest for local energy production, supply and consumption has increased in academic and public debates. In particular, contemporary energy transition discourses and strategies often emphasize the search for increased local energy autonomy, a phrase which can refer to a diverse range of configurations, both in terms of the spaces and scales of the local territory considered and in terms of what is meant by energy autonomy. This book explores policies, projects and processes aimed at increased local energy autonomy, with a particular focus on their spatial, infrastructural and political dimensions. In doing so, the authors – Sabine Barles, Bruno Barroca, Guilhem Blanchard, Benoit Boutaud, Arwen Colell, Gilles Debizet, Ariane Debourdeau, Laure Dobigny, Florian Dupont, Zélia Hampikian, Sylvy Jaglin, Allan Jones, Raphael Ménard, Alain Nadaï, Angela Pohlmann, Cyril Roger-Lacan, Eric Vidalenc – improve our understanding of the always partial and controversial processes of energy relocation that articulate forms of local metabolic self-sufficiency, socio-technical decentralization and political empowerment. Comprising fifteen chapters, the book is divided into four parts: Governance and Actors; Urban Projects and Energy Systems; Energy Communities; and The Challenges of Energy Autonomy.

Energy Autonomy of Batteryless and Wireless Embedded Systems covers the numerous new applications of embedded systems that are envisioned in the context of aeronautics, such as sensor deployment for flight tests or for structural health monitoring. However, the increasing burden of on-board cabling requires wireless solutions. Moreover, concerns such as safety or system lifetime preclude the use of electrochemical energy storage. Ambient energy capture, storage and management are therefore key topics. This book presents these concepts and illustrates them through actual implementations in airliners. With five years of experience within this specialist field, the authors present results from actual flight tests via a partnership with Airbus. Basic concepts are summarized, together with practical implementations in airliners, enriching the book through the very specific aspects related to embedded systems deployed in aircraft. This book will appeal to both students and practising engineers in the field. Features a complete study of the energy management architecture, from general concepts to specific applications Presents results from thorough studies on electrostatic energy storage Provides hands-on consideration of industrial implementations in airliners, specifically in harsh environments Includes actual results obtained from flight tests

Energy Autonomy of Real-Time Systems addresses foundations and findings in real-time scheduling and processor activity management for energy harvesting embedded systems, serving as a textbook for courses on the topic in master programs, and as a reference for computer scientists and engineers involved in the design or development of autonomous cyber-physical systems which require up-to-date solutions. Develops theoretical models for energy-harvesting real-time systems, including theorems and schedulability analysis Contains scheduling algorithms that are rigorously derived from the theory, based on both real-time and energy constraints Covers future, potential applications centered on the use of self-powered sensor technologies Provides the methodology for developing autonomous real-time systems based on energy harvesting

This book provides readers with emerging research that explores the theoretical and practical aspects of implementing new and innovative artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for renewable energy systems. The contributions offer broad coverage on economic and promotion policies of renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies, the emerging fields of neuro-computational models and simulations under uncertainty (such as fuzzy-based computational models and fuzzy trace theory), evolutionary computation, metaheuristics, machine learning applications, advanced optimization, and stochastic models. This book is a pivotal reference for IT specialists, industry professionals, managers, executives, researchers, scientists, and engineers seeking current research in emerging perspectives in artificial intelligence, renewable energy systems, and energy autonomy.