Böcker i World Scientific Series in Current Energy Issues-serien

Energy efficiency touches all parts of the economy and lies at the heart of all plausible strategies for addressing climate change. A fascinating range of new technologies and new business models have emerged in the past few years and are rapidly reshaping the field and driving efficiency improvements - many of them completely unexpected.This book provides a fresh look at energy efficiency written in a way that can be interesting to experts and serve as an entry point for novices. With chapters written by recognized experts in their fields of expertise, the book provides readers with a clear perspective on the state-of-the art developments of both new technologies and new approaches to system design and operations in buildings, industry, transportation, and urban design. Strategies for electrification and optimization based on data and powerful algorithms are also explored in depth. The discussion includes new mobility systems, smart buildings, reimagined industrial processes, new materials, and smart grid integration.

Concerns about energy resources and the environmental impact of energy use will continue to be important globally.

Concerns over energy resources and the environmental impact of energy use will continue to be part of the polical agenda across the globe. World Scientific's unique series of books on Current Energy Issues is intended, in part, as an expansion and update of the material contained in the World Scientific Handbook of Energy but in part each volume will focus on related energy resources or issues that contain a broader range of topics plus more explanatory text than was possible in the Handbook. The authors will also take the opportunity to update the data presented in the Handbook since in many cases the field is rapidly changing.The Fossil Fuels volume focuses on the main fossil resources, viz. coal, oil and natural gas. Coal is still an extremely important resource especially for electricity production around the world and the book discussed methods for making coal a cleaner resource, including carbon sequestration. There has been a rapid change in the mix of fossil fuels mainly because of hydraulic fracturing which enables oil and gas to be extracted from previously inaccessible formations. The book describes this changing situation including the precautions required to make the production of these fuels safe and environmentally benign. Alternative fossil fuels such as methane hydrates are also discussed.

Nuclear energy is important - as part of national energy policies, and as a source of carbon free energy;

The subject of energy storage is extremely important for the increased utilization of renewable energies such as solar and wind energy in times when their sources (e.g. the sun and wind) are unavailable. The ability to store energy can also level out the demand curve for electricity and thus lead to a decrease in the peak requirements of energy production. A storage system for ground transportation is also important as a potential replacement for fossil fuel powered transportation.Energy Storage offers a comprehensive look at the possible approaches to energy storage, which are relevant to various situations; from smoothing demand in electrical energy production, applications of energy storage, to transportation. The book covers a variety of approaches to the storage of energy. Beginning with a discussion of the critical importance of energy storage, the book discusses various possible storage options including hydro storage, compressed air energy storage, and electrical and chemical storage in batteries, capacitors and fuel cells. There is also a chapter on the mechanical storage of energy with flywheels using advanced materials. The various applications to power production and transportation are also included. The expertise and active involvement of the authors of the various chapters ensures that the information is reliable, current, and forward looking.

This book covers a new frontier of research in Critical Materials that provides insight in terms of the possible sustainable mitigation strategies, the complexity, broadness and multi-disciplinarity of the subject. By exploring in both "systems view" and "in-depth materials view" in light of the circular economy, this book tackles the problem of sustainable usage of materials that is closely intertwined with the energy issue and climate change. Topics covered include: geopolitics of materials, the energy-materials nexus, definitions of the criticality of materials, circular product design, the development of alternative materials (substitution), sustainable mining and recycling.