Energy Choices 2 Volumes

A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the complex issues surrounding energy generation and use, this one-of-a-kind resource clarifies everything from the basic structure of the industry to the potential—and risks—of new technologies. Energy is a critical public concern in the 21st century, spurring demand for reliable, easy-to-understand information on subjects as varied as the drivers of prices, the potential for new technologies, the implications of a more diverse energy-supply portfolio, and the way government policies affect the energy marketplace. All of those issues and more are covered in this unique, two-volume compendium. Traditional energy sources such as oil, coal, and natural gas are explored in volume one and new and emerging energy sources are addressed in volume two. Each chapter provides a brief history of the energy source, describes how it functions, and examines market issues, government regulations, and environmental and community impacts. The work discusses energy security and energy independence, efficiency standards, and carbon policy as well as consumer-focused technologies such as energy storage options, smart appliances and homes, and electric cars. Readers will come away from this guide with an understanding of the energy industry and an appreciation of the ways government, industry, and society can manage both risks and benefits.

Discusses the complex issues surrounding energy generation and use and clarifies everything from the basic structure of the industry to the potential--and risks--of new technologies. These volumes provide a single reference point on the energy industry and the opportunity to compare and contrast energy choices. The authors provide economic, environmental, and community contexts as well as the history of each covered energy source, traditional and alternative. They raise critical economic, national security, and environmental issues, including our ability to rely on traditional resources such as oil, coal, natural gas, and uranium in the future. Includes entries from the perspectives of industry insiders, environmentalists, indigenous people, and community activists.

In this handbook and ready reference, editors and authors from academia and industry share their in-depth knowledge of known and novel materials, devices and technologies with the reader. The result is a comprehensive overview of electrochemical energy and conversion methods, including batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, hydrogen generation and storage as well as solar energy conversion. Each chapter addresses electrochemical processes, materials, components, degradation mechanisms, device assembly and manufacturing, while also discussing the challenges and perspectives for each energy storage device in question. In addition, two introductory chapters acquaint readers with the fundamentals of energy storage and conversion, and with the general engineering aspects of electrochemical devices. With its uniformly structured, self-contained chapters, this is ideal reading for entrants to the field as well as experienced researchers.

This expansive reference provides readers with the broadest available single-volume coverage of leading-edge advances in the development and optimization of clean energy technologies. From innovative biofuel feed stocks and processing techniques, to novel solar materials with record-breaking efficiencies, remote-sensing for offshore wind turbines to breakthroughs in high performance PEM fuel cell electrode manufacturing, phase change materials in green buildings to bio sorption of pharmaceutical pollutants, the myriad exciting developments in green technology described in this book will provide inspiration and information to researchers, engineers and students working in sustainability around the world.