Sustainable Energy Production and Consumption

by Barbir, Frano; Ulgiati, Sergio

• ISBN13: 9781402084928
• ISBN10: 1402084927
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-08-03
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

This volume is a result of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop that took place in Naples, Italy on July 4 through 7 of 2007. The workshop brought together the top researchers in energy technology, energy analysis, energy economics, and environmental economics from NATO countries, partner countries and Mediterranean Action countries. The book, like the meeting itself, deals with very crucial aspects of the energy/environmental/social problem such as energy and economic growth, integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism, status, development and use of renewable energy sources at regional level, and zero emission production patterns in agriculture, industry and the energy sectors. The authors treat in depth all the aspects linked to evaluation methods, multidisciplinary integration of approaches, economic problems of energy use, competition of bioenergy with food production and environmental protection, peak oil and strategies to deal with, trade and societal metabolism. The close interrelationship of these topics emerges very clearly. So much so that the presentations definitely help to place the individual projects and research activities within a larger societal and environmental frame for increased sustainability. Special focus is placed on the fact that increase of renewables, diversification of sources, and decentralization of energy production and use are capable of increasing energy security and environmental integrity.

Table of Contents

Energy and economic growth	p. 1
Win-win strategies for tackling oil and natural gas constraints while expanding renewable energy use	p. 25
After the fossil era	p. 43
Biomass or biomess? : the promises and limits of bioenergy	p. 55
Cost and environmental effectiveness of the climate change mitigation measures	p. 67
Sustainable environmental management in Croatia - waste and climate change	p. 75
Studying the "addiction to oil" of developed societies using the multi-scale integrated analysis of societal metabolism (MSIASM)	p. 87
Systemic economic instruments for energy, climate, and global security	p. 139
Sustainability and economic feasibility of combinations of renewable energy sources (RES) and fossil fuels for production of heat and electricity	p. 159
Third party financing : new financial tools for energy efficiency - an international perspective	p. 171
Vital problems of human development, indicators and eco-centric solutions	p. 185
Lifestyles, energy, and sustainability : the exploration of constraints	p. 199
Approaches to sustainable energy consumption patterns	p. 213
Energy, environment and security in Eastern Europe	p. 227
Capacity building for sustainable energy access in the Sahel/Sahara region : wind energy as catalyst for regional development	p. 241
Bio-diesel and/or hydrogen in Croatia - challenge and necessity	p. 251
Hydrogen and fuel cell research for future markets	p. 265
Hydrogen production from biomass	p. 273
PV large scale rural electrification programs and the development of desert regions	p. 281
Life cycle impacts and total costs of present and future photovoltaic systems : state-of-the-art and future outlook of a strategic technology option for a sustainable energy system	p. 293
Integrated systems and zero emission production patterns in agriculture, industry and the energy sector - why "green" is not enough	p. 305
Biorefinery : biomaterials and bioenergy from photosynthesis, within zero emission framework	p. 327
Geographical information system (GIS) and energy synthesis evaluation of urban waste management	p. 339
Elements of global roadmap for climate sustainability : factors affecting the reduction of CO[subscript 2] emissions	p. 353
Carbon management for secure communities	p. 361
Author index	p. 369
Subject index	p. 371
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.