Author: National Research Council Publisher: National Academies Press ISBN: 0309155800 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 506
Book Description
Despite the many benefits of energy, most of which are reflected in energy market prices, the production, distribution, and use of energy causes negative effects. Many of these negative effects are not reflected in energy market prices. When market failures like this occur, there may be a case for government interventions in the form of regulations, taxes, fees, tradable permits, or other instruments that will motivate recognition of these external or hidden costs. The Hidden Costs of Energy defines and evaluates key external costs and benefits that are associated with the production, distribution, and use of energy, but are not reflected in market prices. The damage estimates presented are substantial and reflect damages from air pollution associated with electricity generation, motor vehicle transportation, and heat generation. The book also considers other effects not quantified in dollar amounts, such as damages from climate change, effects of some air pollutants such as mercury, and risks to national security. While not a comprehensive guide to policy, this analysis indicates that major initiatives to further reduce other emissions, improve energy efficiency, or shift to a cleaner electricity generating mix could substantially reduce the damages of external effects. A first step in minimizing the adverse consequences of new energy technologies is to better understand these external effects and damages. The Hidden Costs of Energy will therefore be a vital informational tool for government policy makers, scientists, and economists in even the earliest stages of research and development on energy technologies.
Author: National Research Council Publisher: National Academies Press ISBN: 0309159474 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 251
Book Description
Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles evaluates various technologies and methods that could improve the fuel economy of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, transit buses, and work trucks. The book also recommends approaches that federal agencies could use to regulate these vehicles' fuel consumption. Currently there are no fuel consumption standards for such vehicles, which account for about 26 percent of the transportation fuel used in the U.S. The miles-per-gallon measure used to regulate the fuel economy of passenger cars. is not appropriate for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, which are designed above all to carry loads efficiently. Instead, any regulation of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles should use a metric that reflects the efficiency with which a vehicle moves goods or passengers, such as gallons per ton-mile, a unit that reflects the amount of fuel a vehicle would use to carry a ton of goods one mile. This is called load-specific fuel consumption (LSFC). The book estimates the improvements that various technologies could achieve over the next decade in seven vehicle types. For example, using advanced diesel engines in tractor-trailers could lower their fuel consumption by up to 20 percent by 2020, and improved aerodynamics could yield an 11 percent reduction. Hybrid powertrains could lower the fuel consumption of vehicles that stop frequently, such as garbage trucks and transit buses, by as much 35 percent in the same time frame.
Author: Subramanian Senthilkannan Muthu Publisher: Springer Nature ISBN: 9811645620 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 206
Book Description
Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (ELCA) that was developed about three decades ago demands a broadening of its scope to include lifecycle costing and social aspects of life cycle assessment as well, drawing on the three-pillar or ‘triple bottom line’ model of sustainability, which is the result of the development of the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA). LCSA refers to the evaluation of all environmental, social and economic negative impacts and benefits in decision-making processes towards more sustainable products throughout their life cycle. Combination of environmental and social life cycle assessments along with life cycle costing leads to life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA). This book highlights various aspects of life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA).
Author: Lucas Reijnders Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media ISBN: 1848821387 Category : Technology & Engineering Languages : en Pages : 176
Book Description
“Biofuels for Road Transport: A Seed to Wheel Perspective” provides a review of the history, the current status and perspectives for biofuels used in road transport, across the full ‘seed-to-wheel’ life cycle of these fuels. Successive chapters cover the history of biofuels; the first- and second-generation liquid fuels and biofuels for powering electric vehicles; fossil fuel replacement, land requirement, greenhouse gas balances and environmental burdens of ethanol, esters derived from fatty acids (‘biodiesel’), Fischer-Tropsch diesel and HTU diesel; competing technologies (fossil fuels, increases in energy-efficiency and photovoltaic power) and how they compare to biofuels; and the perspectives for biofuels. Cost, availability, technological development, competition with biomass for food and for soil organic carbon and environmental perspectives are also discussed.
Author: Saeid Mokhatab Publisher: Gulf Professional Publishing ISBN: 0124046452 Category : Business & Economics Languages : en Pages : 617
Book Description
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a commercially attractive phase of the commodity that facilitates the efficient handling and transportation of natural gas around the world. The LNG industry, using technologies proven over decades of development, continues to expand its markets, diversify its supply chains and increase its share of the global natural gas trade. The Handbook of Liquefied Natural Gas is a timely book as the industry is currently developing new large sources of supply and the technologies have evolved in recent years to enable offshore infrastructure to develop and handle resources in more remote and harsher environments. It is the only book of its kind, covering the many aspects of the LNG supply chain from liquefaction to regasification by addressing the LNG industries' fundamentals and markets, as well as detailed engineering and design principles. A unique, well-documented, and forward-thinking work, this reference book provides an ideal platform for scientists, engineers, and other professionals involved in the LNG industry to gain a better understanding of the key basic and advanced topics relevant to LNG projects in operation and/or in planning and development. - Highlights the developments in the natural gas liquefaction industries and the challenges in meeting environmental regulations - Provides guidelines in utilizing the full potential of LNG assets - Offers advices on LNG plant design and operation based on proven practices and design experience - Emphasizes technology selection and innovation with focus on a "fit-for-purpose design - Updates code and regulation, safety, and security requirements for LNG applications
Author: Alwin Hoogendoorn Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry ISBN: 1849730431 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 203
Book Description
Current world fossil oil production is struggling to meet demand and may even show a decline after 2010. It is therefore necessary to develop new energy-efficient production pathways for transportation biofuels. This book offers an insight into three promising and innovative pathways for the biological production of ethanol, biogas and biodiesel. These unconventional methods should provide higher product yields, less stringent feedstock specifications, lower chemical additive demand, reduced waste production and much better energy balances when compared to more traditional methods. One pathway concerns the enzymatic production of a new kind of biodiesel where no glycerol waste is produced and an up to twenty percent higher product yield is obtained. The other two pathways are based on the biological conversion of syngas into ethanol or methane using various kinds of lignocellulosic biomass as the starting point. For each of the three pathways a comparison will be made with competing production methods. The contents reflect extended desktop research and show practical experimental results. Government scientists, academics and biofuel producers with an interest in novel transportation fuels will all find this book to be essential reading.
Author: Jeroen B. Guinée Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media ISBN: 0306480557 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 692
Book Description
Environmental policy aims at the transition to sustainable production and consumption. This is taking place in different ways and at different levels. In cases where businesses are continuously active to improve the environmental performance of their products and activities, the availability of knowledge on environmental impacts is indispensable. The integrated assessment of all environmental impacts from cradle to grave is the basis for many decisions relating to achieving improved products and services. The assessment tool most widely used for this is the environmental Life Cycle Assessment, or LCA. Before you is the new Handbook of LCA replacing the previous edition of 1992. New developments in LCA methodology from all over the world have been discussed and, where possible, included in this new Handbook. Integration of all developments into a new, consistent method has been the main aim for the new Handbook. The thinking on environment and sustainability is, however, quickly evolving so that it is already clear now that this new LCA Handbook does not embrace the very latest developments. Therefore, further revisions will have to take place in the future. A major advantage of this Handbook is that it now also advises which procedures should be followed to achieve adequate, relevant and accepted results. Furthermore, the distinction between detailed and simplified LCA makes this Handbook more broadly applicable, while guidance is provided as to which additional information can be relevant for specialised applications.
Author: Anuj K. Chandel Publisher: Elsevier ISBN: 0128045442 Category : Technology & Engineering Languages : en Pages : 343
Book Description
Advances in Sugarcane Biorefinery: Technologies, Commercialization, Policy Issues and Paradigm Shift for Bioethanol and By-Products, by Chandel and Silveira, compiles the basic and applied information covering cane and biomass processing for sugar and ethanol production, as well as by-products utilization for improving the economy of sugarcane biorefineries. In this unique collection of 14 chapters, specialists in their field provide critical insights into several topics, review the current research, and discuss future progress in this research area. The book presents the most current advances in sugarcane biorefinery, including sugarcane crop cultivation, new sugarcane varieties, soil health, mechanization of crop, technical aspects of first and second generation ethanol production, economic analysis, life cycle assessment, biomass logistics and storage, co-generation of heat and electricity, process intensification and alternative by-products utilization. The book also explores the business ecosystem of sugarcane biorefineries, marketing analysis of ethanol demand and price dwindling patterns, aiming for a futuristic scenario. This book will be especially useful for scientists, researchers and technicians who are working in the area of biomass based biorefineries, as well as professionals in the sugar and alcohol industry. It also brings relevant content for policy makers, market analysts, agriculture scientists and managers. - Presents technological updates on biomass processing, system biology, microbial fermentation, catalysis, regeneration and monitoring of renewable energy and recovery processes - Includes topics on techno-economic analysis, life cycle assessment, sustainability, markets and policy - Explores the future potential of biorefineries with zero or near zero waste, and the potential of valorization of all by-products, including alternatives to current applications and the management of a large amount of residues
Author: Tariq Muneer Publisher: Elsevier ISBN: 0128030402 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 588
Book Description
Electric Vehicles: Prospects and Challenges looks at recent design methodologies and technological advancements in electric vehicles and the integration of electric vehicles in the smart grid environment, comprehensively covering the fundamentals, theory and design, recent developments and technical issues involved with electric vehicles. Considering the prospects, challenges and policy status of specific regions and vehicle deployment, the global case study references make this book useful for academics and researchers in all engineering and sustainable transport areas. - Presents a systematic and integrated reference on the essentials of theory and design of electric vehicle technologies - Provides a comprehensive look at the research and development involved in the use of electric vehicle technologies - Includes global case studies from leading EV regions, including Nordic and European countries China and India
Author: National Research Council
Author: National Research Council
Author: Subramanian Senthilkannan Muthu
Author: Kun-Mo Lee
Author: Lucas Reijnders
Author: Saeid Mokhatab
Author: Alwin Hoogendoorn
Author: Jeroen B. Guinée
Author: Anuj K. Chandel
Author: Tariq Muneer