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Building Corporate IQ - Moving the Energy Business from Smart to Genius gives a clear outline of organizational intelligence and provides a framework for practitioners of good leadership. The synthesis starts with an overview of the fundamental skills and competencies mastered by leaders and team members in organizations. Building Corporate IQ - Moving the Energy Business from Smart to Genius also includes a corporate IQ test that is designed to help leaders gain insight into how their organization can stay at the competitive frontier. Illustrated with case studies from the energy sector, Building Corporate IQ - Moving the Energy Business from Smart to Genius explains the guiding principles of organizational learning, with the goal of developing better organizational intelligence. It is intended as an indispensable guide for managers at all levels to help them meet and recognize new challenges in the corporate innovation process. “For the third millennium, with the increase in depersonalized electronic communication, business leaders, especially in the energy industry, must quickly develop organizational intelligence in their organizations to survive. This book sets out the modus operandi.”Crispian McCredie, former Managing Director and Publisher, The Petroleum Economist “MBA graduates and seasoned professionals will find this executive guide a powerful reference during their careers.”Ken Graham, former Head Global Leadership Development, Shell

Power Conversion of Renewable Energy Systems presents an introduction to conventional energy conversion components and systems, as well as those related to renewable energy. This volume introduces systems first, and then in subsequent chapters describes the components of energy systems in detail. Readers will find examples of renewable and conventional energy and power systems, including energy conversion, variable-speed drives and power electronics, in addition to magnetic devices such as transformers and rotating machines. Applications of PSpice, MATLAB, and Mathematica are also included, along with solutions to over 100 application examples. Power Conversion of Renewable Energy Systems aims to instruct readers how to actively apply the theories discussed within. It would be an ideal volume for researchers, students and engineers working with energy systems and renewable energy.

Eco-efficient Construction and Building Materials provides essential reading about materials for the construction industry in the twenty-first century. It covers the latest findings in the field, especially the toxicity aspects, embodied energy, construction and demolition wastes, the use of wastes in concrete, masonry units, materials reinforced with vegetable fibres, earth construction, the durability aspects, and also the importance of nanotechnology to the development of more environmentally-friendly materials.Based on more than nine hundred references, Eco-efficient Construction and Building Materials is of fundamental importance to academics, engineers and architects who are dedicated to the creation of a greener and more holistic construction industry.

This book constitutes the postproceedings of the First International Conference on Energy-Efficient Computing and Networking, E-Energy, held in Passau, Germany in April 2010. The 23 revised papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the post-proceedings. The papers are organized in topical sections on energy market and algorithms, ICT technology for the energy market, implementation of smart grid and smart home technology, microgrids and energy management, and energy efficiency through distributed energy management and buildings.

Intelligent environments represent an emerging topic in research. Next Generation Intelligent Environments: Ambient Adaptive Systems will cover all key topics in the field of intelligent ambient adaptive systems. It focuses on the results worked out within the framework of the ATRACO (Adaptive and TRusted Ambient eCOlogies) project. The theoretical background, the developed prototypes, and the evaluated results form a fertile ground useful for the broad intelligent environments scientific community as well as for industrial interest groups. Features of the book include:A unique and original collection of chapters on intelligent ambient adaptive systemsBroad coverage of the field of intelligent environments research and evaluation, as well as topics such as adaptation within activity spheresDeveloped prototypes as examples for readersComputer scientists, engineers and others who work in the area of ambient environments will find the edition interesting and useful to their own work. In addition, graduate students and Ph.D. students specializing in the area of intelligent environments may also use this book to get a concrete idea of the major issues to consider when developing intelligent environments in practice.

Renewable energy sources will play an increasingly important role in meeting global energy demand. Katrin Jordan-Korte presents the first comprehensive comparison of government promotion of renewable energy technologies in Germany, the United States, and Japan. The author expands the ongoing discussion of renewable energy use by also including an analysis of international markets of renewable energy technologies. She shows that the success of countries on those markets is positively correlated with a dynamic development on national markets for renewable energy use.

Die Unternehmenszusammenschlüsse der letzten Jahre haben gezeigt, dass es Akteure im Erdgasmarkt gibt, die vertikale Zusammenschlüsse langfristigen Lieferverträgen vorziehen. Thomas Schumacher analysiert die Effekte der sog. vertikalen Integration im Erdgasmarkt und untersucht, was sie für den heutigen und zukünftigen Wettbewerb auf dem Erdgasmarkt bedeuten. Es wird gezeigt, dass insbesondere die unternehmerischen Verbindungen von Erdgasproduzenten und -händlern energiepolitisch kritisch zu betrachten sind.

Energy production and supply, as well as sourcing and consumption, are becoming evermore important in a volatile world. In this book, attention is paid to prevalent energy issues from a finance perspective. The topics discussed cover markets, prices, regulations and firms. An international group of authors from both academia and energy practice provides in twelve chapters a state of the art of the energy markets in a finance environment. They do so by discussing the current knowledge and presenting empirical research in this quickly changing and developing field. This book is the first in a planned series on energy at a high scientific level organized by the Centre for Energy and Value Issues (CEVI).

This second volume of Energy Resources and Systems is focused on renewable energy resources. Renewable energy mainly comes from wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, ocean, bioenergy, ethanol and hydrogen. Each of these energy resources is important and growing. For example, high-head hydroelectric energy is a well established energy resource and already contributes about 20% of the world's electricity. Some countries have significant high-head resources and produce the bulk of their electrical power by this method. However, the bulk of the world's high-head hydroelectric resources have not been exploited, particularly by the underdeveloped countries. Low-head hydroelectric is unexploited and has the potential to be a growth area. Wind energy is the fastest growing of the renewable energy resources for the electricity generation. Solar energy is a popular renewable energy resource. Geothermal energy is viable near volcanic areas. Bioenergy and ethanol have grown in recent years primarily due to changes in public policy meant to encourage its usage. Energy policies stimulated the growth of ethanol, for example, with the unintended side effect of rise in food prices. Hydrogen has been pushed as a transportation fuel. The authors want to provide a comprehensive series of texts on the interlinking of the nature of energy resources, the systems that utilize them, the environmental effects, the socioeconomic impact, the political aspects and governing policies. Volume 1 on Fundamentals and Non Renewable Resources was published in 2009. It blends fundamental concepts with an understanding of the non-renewable resources that dominate today's society. The authors are now working on Volume 3, on nuclear advanced energy resources and nuclear batteries, consists of fusion, space power systems, nuclear energy conversion, nuclear batteries and advanced power, fuel cells and energy storage. Volume 4 will cover environmental effects, remediation and policy. Solutions to providing long term, stable and economical energy is a complex problem, which links social, economical, technical and environmental issues. It is the goal of the four volume Energy Resources and Systems series to tell the whole story and provide the background required by students of energy to understand the complex nature of the problem and the importance of linking social, economical, technical and environmental issues.

The importance of power system reliability is demonstrated when our electricity supply is disrupted, whether it decreases the comfort of our free time at home or causes the shutdown of our companies and results in huge economic deficits. The objective of Assessment of Power System Reliability is to contribute to the improvement of power system reliability. It consists of six parts divided into twenty chapters. The first part introduces the important background issues that affect power system reliability. The second part presents the reliability methods that are used for analyses of technical systems and processes. The third part discusses power flow analysis methods, because the dynamic aspect of a power system is an important part of related reliability assessments. The fourth part explores various aspects of the reliability assessment of power systems and their parts. The fifth part covers optimization methods. The sixth part looks at the application of reliability and optimization methods.Assessment of Power System Reliability has been written in straightforward language that continues into the mathematical representation of the methods. Power engineers and developers will appreciate the emphasis on practical usage, while researchers and advanced students will benefit from the simple examples that can facilitate their understanding of the theory behind power system reliability and that outline the procedure for application of the presented methods.

Seit der Liberalisierung der europäischen Strommärkte gewinnt das Thema Preisbildung zunehmend an Bedeutung. Unterschiedliche Theorien legen dar, warum erwartete Grenzkosten der Elektrizitätserzeugung von langfristigen Terminpreisen abweichen können (Risikoprämien). In diesem Umfeld entwickelt Florian Frank einen Ansatz, in dessen Mittelpunkt die Bedeutung des angebotsseitigen Risikos, d.h. die Schwankung in Kraftwerksverfügbarkeiten, bei der Bildung von Strompreisen steht. Den Sachverhalt analysiert der Autor sowohl in einem theoretischen Modell als auch empirisch anhand deutscher Terminmarktpreise.

Human history has often been described as a progressive relinquishment from environmental constraints. Now, it seems, we have come full circle. The ecological irrationalities associated with industrial societies have a lengthy history, and our purpose in the proposed book is not to catalogue this litany of wrongs. Rather, this book is about political responses to global environmental crisis at a crucial turning point in history, by focusing on the political discourses surrounding the tar sands in Alberta, Canada.

Applied Data Analysis and Modeling for Energy Engineers and Scientists fills an identified gap in engineering and science education and practice for both students and practitioners. It demonstrates how to apply concepts and methods learned in disparate courses such as mathematical modeling, probability,statistics, experimental design, regression, model building, optimization, risk analysis and decision-making to actual engineering processes and systems. The text provides a formal structure that offers a basic, broad and unified perspective,while imparting the knowledge, skills and confidence to work in data analysis and modeling. This volume uses numerous solved examples, published case studies from the author's own research, and well-conceived problems in order to enhance comprehension levels among readers and their understanding of the “processes”along with the tools.

'Energy Economics: CO2 Emissions in China'presents a collection of the researches on China's CO2 emissions as studied by the Center for Energy & Environmental Policy Research (CEEP). Based on the analysis of factors related to global climate change and CO2 emissions, it discusses China's CO2 emissions originating from various sectors, diverse impact factors, as well as proposed policies for reducing carbon emissions. Featuring empirical research and policy analysis on focused and critical issues involving different stages of CO2 emissions in China, the book provides scientific supports for researchers and policy makers in dealing with global climate change.

Multicriteria Analysis and LCA Techniques introduces the reader to the basic principles of multicriteria analysis (MCA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) techniques. The use of these tools is rapidly becoming essential in any feasibility study for comparing different solutions, selecting the most suitable ones, and for analyzing the interface of economy and environment.The main feature of Multicriteria Analysis and LCA Techniques is the application of a new approach to the analysis of energy balance and environmental impact of agro-industrial production chains. It gives detailed descriptions of a number of food and non-food agro-industrial applications of MCA and LCA, thereby providing the reader with practical examples of the implementation of these tools in the field of agro-industry.Multicriteria Analysis and LCA Techniques represents a subsidiary reference book for both undergraduate and graduate students, and can also be used for basic or applied academic research.

Greening Airports considers the “greening”, i.e., more sustainable development, of the entire air transport system – airports, air traffic control, and airlines – that could be achieved by the development and implementation of advanced operations and technologies. A broad overview of the general concept is given at the start of Greening Airports, which then goes on to provide a system for monitoring and assessing the level of greening of both the air transport system and individual airports. These are followed by analysis and modelling of the potential effects of particular advanced operations and technologies on the greening of airports and their local airspace. These include:the development of a large airport into a multimodal transport node by connecting it to a high speed rail network;the use of operations supported by new and existing air traffic control technologies to increase landing capacity of existing runways;the use of liquid hydrogen as a commercial aviation fuel; andthe improvement of airport ground accessibility by a light rail rapid transit system. Greening Airports is written for researchers, planners, operators and policy makers in air transport.

In terms of energy security the Black Sea region is important to Europe. Inevitably and for very good reasons, a lot of attention has been given to the existing and planned pipeline routes going around or across the Black Sea. Much less attention has been given to the development of the Black Sea energy market in its own right and to the potential advantages of coping with some current and future energy issues in a multilateral regional format rather than through individual action at national level. The present book addresses, in a comprehensive manner, the current problematic of energy security and goes beyond pipeline politics, without playing down their continued significance; it addresses some topical questions related to the sustainability and resilience of energy systems as applicable to the Black Sea region.

Analog design at ultra-low supply voltages is an important challenge for the semiconductor research community and industry. Analog Circuit Design Techniques at 0.5V covers challenges for the design of MOS analog and RF circuits at a 0.5 V power supply voltage. All design techniques presented are true low voltage techniques - all nodes in the circuits are within the power supply rails. The circuit implementations of body and gate input fully differential amplifiers are also discussed. These building blocks enable us to build continuous-time filters, track-and-hold circuits, and continuous-time sigma delta modulators. Current books on low voltage analog design typically cover techniques for supply voltages down to approximately 1V. This book presents novel ideas and results for operation from much lower supply voltages and the techniques presented are basic circuit techniques that are widely applicable beyond the scope of the presented examples. Analog Circuit Design Techniques at 0.5V is written for analog circuit designers and researchers as well as graduate students studying semiconductors and integrated circuit design.

Modern Power Systems Analysis provides new theories, models, and algorithms for the analysis of electrical power systems. It features recent developments in this area such as power flow analysis in a market environtment, calculation of AC/DC interconnected systems, control and calculation for FACTS devices, and stochastic security analysis. This work serves as a useful reference for the professional engineer and researcher involved in the operation and control of electrical power systems.

Die Marktlage von Energieversorgungsunternehmen (EVU) hat sich durch die Liberalisierung immens verändert. Eine lukrative und verhandlungsstarke Zielgruppe sind B2B-Kunden, deren Entscheidung für einen Stromlieferanten es mit überzeugenden und tragfähigen Markenkompetenzen zu beeinflussen gilt. Markenkooperationen von EVU mit branchenfremden Unternehmen stellen eine viel versprechende Chance dar, von positiven Kompetenztransfers zu profitieren. Auf der Basis einer umfangreichen empirischen Studie bei B2B-Stromkunden untersucht Martina-Maria Peuser Markenkooperationen von Energieunternehmen mit energiebranchenfremden Unternehmen. Anhand der Betrachtung diverser Kooperationsalternativen identifiziert sie Wirkungszusammenhänge und erfolgsbestimmende Einflussfaktoren im B2B-Kundenbereich. Die Autorin erörtert den Begriff der Kompetenz einer Energiemarke, zeigt konkrete Markenkompetenzprofile aktueller Energieversorgungsunternehmen aus der Sicht von B2B-Kunden und liefert Gestaltungsempfehlungen für Markenkooperationen und den Aufbau von Markenkompetenzen in der Praxis.

Wasser stellt für Zentralasien, d.h. in den Staaten Kasachstan, Kirgisien, Tadschikistan, Turkmenistan und Usbekistan, eine räumlich und zeitlich sehr divergent verfügbare Ressource dar. In diesem Tagungsband zeigen namhafte deutsche und zentralasiatische Experten die daraus entstehenden Probleme, Konfliktpotenziale und Herausforderungen auf. Anhand regionaler Beispiele werden der Status quo und theoretische bzw. bereits praktizierte Lösungsansätze präsentiert. Ziel des vorgestellten Instrumentes „Integriertes Wasserressourcenmanagement“ ist der nachhaltige Umgang mit der Ressource Wasser. Neben Vorschlägen zur praktischen Umsetzung dieses Prinzips von politischer bis lokaler Ebene werden in den Beiträgen auch notwendige Anpassungen in der Aus- und Weiterbildung des Personals diskutiert.

Summary: This open access book offers a timely guide to challenges and current practices to permanently plug and abandon hydrocarbon wells. With a focus on offshore North Sea, it analyzes the process of plug and abandonment of hydrocarbon wells through the establishment of permanent well barriers. It provides the reader with extensive knowledge on the type of barriers, their functioning and verification. It then discusses plug and abandonment methodologies, analyzing different types of permanent plugging materials. Last, it describes some tests for verifying the integrity and functionality of installed permanent barriers. The book offers a comprehensive reference guide to well plugging and abandonment (P&A) and well integrity testing. The book also presents new technologies that have been proposed to be used in plugging and abandoning of wells, which might be game-changing technologies, but they are still in laboratory or testing level. Given its scope, it addresses students and researchers in both academia and industry. It also provides information for engineers who work in petroleum industry and should be familiarized with P&A of hydrocarbon wells to reduce the time of P&A by considering it during well planning and construction.

Die Elektrizitätswirtschaft befindet sich in einem fundamentalen Wandel durch weltweite Liberalisierungsbestrebungen. Zentrale Merkmale sind dabei die Abspaltung des Netzgeschäftes aus der integrierten Wertschöpfungskette der etablierten Stromversorgungsunternehmen, das so genannte „Unbundling“, und die Einführung von regulatorischen Effizienzvorgaben für die Netznutzungsentgelte, die so genannte „Anreizregulierung“. Für das Performance Management im natürlichen Monopolbereich des Netzgeschäftes bedeutet dies eine erhebliche Steigerung der Anforderungen. Andreas Stender entwickelt ein Konzept für das Management eines eigenständigen Stromnetzgeschäftes im Rahmen einer Anreizregulierung. Sein Netz-Performance Cockpit (NPC) ermöglicht aus der Perspektive des Asset Managements eine integrierte Gesamtbetrachtung der wesentlichen Performancebereiche. Aus Sicht der Asset Owner können mit dem NPC insbesondere die geschäftsspezifischen Restriktionen des Stromnetzgeschäftes wie die langfristige Erhaltung der Versorgungsqualität auch für branchenfremde Adressaten verständlich dargestellt werden. Die konkrete Ausgestaltung wird am Fallbeispiel „City-Network“ veranschaulicht.

Meteorological and climate data are indeed essential both in day-to-day energy management and for the definition of production and distribution infrastructures. For instance, the supply of electricity to users can be disturbed by extreme meteorological events such as thunderstorms with unusually strong winds, severe icing, severe cold spells, sea level elevation associated with storm surges, floods … To be protected against such events, it is not sufficient to act after they have taken place. It is necessary to identify their potential impacts precisely and assess the probability of their occurrence. This book shows that this can only be done through an enhanced dialogue between the energy community and the climate and meteorology community. This implies an in-depth dialogue between actors to define precisely what kind of data is needed and how it should be used. Météo-France has been in long-term cooperation with the energy sector, including the fields of electricity production and distribution. Drawing on this experience, it should be noted in this respect the importance of lo- term partnership between actors as exemplified here by the message of EDF.

Energy insecurity is not normally associated with the Middle East. However, away from the oil-rich Persian Gulf, the countries of the eastern Mediterranean are particularly vulnerable. Their fossil fuel endowments are low, while their fractious relationships with each other have long fostered wider political insecurities. Focusing on the Jordan Basin (Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon and Jordan), this timely volume addresses the prospects for the adoption of renewable energy in the oil-poor Middle East. Featuring regional energy experts, it offers an invaluable survey. After outlining the regional security context, this book first reviews renewable energy policy and practices in the Jordan Basin. It then considers options for greening energy use, including promising pilot projects in North Africa. The initiatives discussed encompass renewable energy finance, energy-efficient rural communities, and solar and wind energy. There is significant potential for an increase in the uptake of renewable energy technologies in the eastern Mediterranean. This window of opportunity has been created by high oil prices, energy infrastructure investment opportunities, and the UN climate change regime. In conclusion, the book considers the institutional conditions for collaborative decision-making on renewable energy. Such cooperation would deliver substantial security and human development benefits to the region, and indeed the world.

This book is the proceedings of the International Conference on Power Engineering-2007. The fields of this book include power engineering and relevant environmental issues. The recent technological advances in power engineering and related areas are introduced. This book is valuable for researchers, engineers and students majoring in power engineering.

Mit der Liberalisierung des Elektrizitätsmarktes in Deutschland hat sich die Marktkonzentration auf der Angebotsseite stark erhöht. In der öffentlichen Diskussion wird hierin eine der Ursachen für die gestiegenen Strompreise gesehen. Ingo Ellersdorfer zeigt auf der Grundlage eines spieltheoretischen Modells für den Großhandelsmarkt, dass die Potenziale zur missbräuchlichen Ausübung allerdings begrenzt sind. Er erläutert dazu die Interdependenzen von Spot- und Terminmarkt-Entscheidungen sowie der Integration Deutschlands in den europäischen Elektrizitätsbinnenmarkt.

Die vorliegende Arbeit von Herrn Arnd C. Helmke beschäftigt sich mit einem spezifischen aktuellen und theoretisch noch offenen Problem, das erhebliche praktische Relevanz hat. Die Einführung in das Thema zeigt auf, dass die Versorgung der Menschen mit Energie und hier vor allem mit erneuerbarer Energie von großer Bedeutung und dass dieses Problem in Südamerika noch weit entfernt von einer Lösung ist. Die Situation ist sehr komplex und es gibt noch keine klaren Erklärungs- und Entscheidungsmodelle dafür. Von daher ist es v- dienstvoll, den Bezugsrahmen des Problems zu beschreiben und anhand verschiedener Ansätze zu versuchen, die Einflussgrößen und Bedingungen für ein Erklärungsmodell des ökonomischen Einsatzes der Windenergie in Südamerika am Beispiel der drei größten Länder dieser Region abzuleiten. Dabei hat vor allem die Durchführung einer empirischen Erhebung auf der Grundlage einer ausführlichen Literaturrecherche den innovativen Charakter, der dieser Dissertation ihre besondere Bedeutung verleiht. Die Arbeit gliedert sich – von Einleitung und Schlusszusammenfassung abgesehen – in acht große Abschnitte, in denen die Zusammenhänge und Befunde schrittweise erarbeitet werden. Bereits die Einführung in das Themenfeld zeigt auf, wie vielfältig die Situation im Arbeitsfeld ist und welche Breite der Unterschiede selbst in den kulturell vergleichbaren Ländern Argentinien, Brasilien und Chile vorliegt.

On 21 November 2007 the grand and elegant Delegates Hall of the Hungarian Parliament was the scene of the opening of a conference to discuss some of the most pressing issues of the day, those related to our unending thirst for energy, its environmental consequences, and the challenges that these bear on security. Over the next 3 days scientists, parliamentarians and their guests confronted, challenged, teased and cajoled each other in a NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) entitled “Energy and Environmental Challenges to Security,” affirming that knowledge and public service hold the keys to solving our greatest challenges. The magnitude of the security challenge was confirmed while this volume was being prepared. In mid-2008, the International Energy Agency issued a report concluding that US$45 trillion would be needed over the next half century to prevent energy shortages and greenhouse gas emissions from undermining global economic growth. But lest such large numbers cause us all to shrug, this volume brings attention to some of the more manageable aspects of the environment and energy security challenge – from addressing conflict resources such as illegal timber that contribute to corruption and regional instability, to means and mechanisms to enable the diversification of energy supplies, to environmental risk reduction strategies for particular installations. The participants in the Hungarian Parliament building were atypical for a NATO Advanced Research Workshop.

A large international conference on Communication Systems and Electrical Engineering was held in Hong Kong on March 21–23, 2007, under the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists IMECS 2007. The IMECS 2007 is organized by the International Association of Engineers (IAENG), which is a nonpro?t international association for the engineers and computer scientists. The IMECS conferences serve as good platforms for the engineering community to meet with each other and exchange ideas. The conferences also struck a balance between theoretical and application development. The conference committees have been formed with over two hundred committee members who are mainly research center heads, faculty deans, department heads, professors, and research scientists from over 30 countries. The conferences are truly international meetings with a high level of participation from many countries. The response that we have received from the MultiConference is excellent. There have been more than 1,100 ma- script submissions for the IMECS 2007. All submitted papers have gone through the peer review process and the overall acceptance rate is 58.46 percent.

Corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and citizenship are terms that often evoke considerable scepticism and cynicism, particularly in civil society. Much needed sector-specific and comparative research, which could facilitate a more fact-oriented debate, is still missing from the literature. The present study aims to fill this gap by presenting data collected from two groups of managers, namely sustainability experts and non-sustainability experts, from two different industry sectors (integrated oil and gas vs. electric utilities) and several geographical regions. Oliver Salzmann provides a comprehensive view on corporate sustainability management in companies such as Shell and RWE and investigates the key social and environmental issues driving the energy sector. The author analyses the influence which stakeholder pressure exercises on energy companies and their efforts to become more responsive. Moreover, he develops a model for strategic, thus profit-oriented, corporate sustainability management.

Energy and environmental security are major problems facing our global economy. Fossil fuels, particularly crude oil, are confined to a few regions of the world and the continuity of supply is governed by dynamic political, economic and ecological factors. These factors conspire to force volatile, often high fuel prices while, at the same time, environmental policy is - manding a reduction in greenhouse gases and toxic emissions. Yet incr- sed growth and demand for welfare by developed and developing countries are placing higher pressure on energy resources. In particular, a large fraction of “new consumers” in developing countries already reached a purchasing power high enough as to be able to access to commodity and energy markets worldwide, thus boosting energy consumption and competition for all kinds of resources. Such a trend, although in principle may represent a progress towards diffuse welfare and wealth as well as much needed equity, is at present contributing to a rush for the appropriation of available resources which are directly and indirectly linked to energy and may contribute to planetary instability if it is not adequately understood and managed. A coherent energy strategy is required, addressing both energy supply and demand, security of access, development problems, equity, market dy- mics, by also taking into account the whole energy lifecycle including fuel production, transmission and distribution, energy conversion, and the impact on energy equipment manufacturers and the end-users of energy systems.

Rapid evolution of trade, cultural and human relations provides the qualitative and quantitative enhancement of international collaborations, linking the countries with different economical and technological level. Delocalization of High-Tech industry inevitably leads to development of the material science and engineering researches in emergent countries, requiring transfer of know-how, restructuration of basic research and educational networks. This book presents the contributions of participants of the Advanced Research Workshop “Smart Materials for Energy, Communications and Security” (ARW SMECS; www.smecs.ferroix.net), organized in December 2007 in Marrakech in frame of the “NATO - Science for Peace” program. The objective of this event was the attempt to overview several hot topics of material physics related with problems of modern society: transformation and storage of energy, treatment and transmission of information, environmental security issues etc., with the focus of their implementation in Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) countries: Algeria, Egypt, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. The workshop is an important stage in developing of the research network “Mediterranean Electronic Materials” – MEM (www.reseau-MEM.org), that has an objective to encourage the inter-Maghreb and Europe-Maghreb collaborative studies in the area of electroactive materials. Participants of the Advanced Research Workshop “Smart Materials for Energy, Communications and Security”, Marrakech, Morocco, December 2007 v vi PREFACE

The book describes the main physical processes and phenomena in pulsed electric breakdown. The knowledge and the control of the electric breakdown of liquids is important not only for the insulation inside power systems but it is also used for the creation and information of high voltage and high current pulses. Such high-voltage micro- and nanosecond pulses find wide application in experimental physics, electro discharge technology, physics of dielectrics, radar detection and ranging, high-speed photography. The nature of charge carriers, mechanism of formation and evolution of the gas phase, and their role in charge ignition (initiation) and development are considered. In particular, the spatiotemporal laws of propagation and parameters of charge channels are described in detail and the boundery conditions of the breakdown initiation are formulated. The monograph is useful for experts in high-voltage pulsed technology, physics of dielectrics, and electrical insulation as well as to students of the corresponding fields.

Das neue Lehrbuch vermittelt technisches Knowhow für die planerische Gestaltung moderner Ver- und Entsorgungssysteme. Es erklärt alle Funktionen der technisch-materiellen Infrastrukturen und zeigt die Wirkung der wichtigsten Ver- und Entsorgungssysteme auf Raum und Umwelt. Es gibt präzise Antworten auf Fragen, warum zum Beispiel bei der räumlichen Planung Ver- und Entsorgung als gemeinsames System behandelt werden sollen, Innenstädte von großen Anlagen außerhalb versorgt werden und kleine, dezentrale Systeme in bereits bestehenden Siedlungsstrukturen schwer durchzusetzen sind. Planer, aber auch Ingenieure einzelner Fachgebiete finden hier wertvolle Informationen, Tipps und Hinweise zur Integration ihrer Disziplin in das Gesamtsystem der Ver- und Entsorgung.

Growing energy demand and environmental consciousness have re-evoked human interest in wind energy. As a result, wind is the fastest growing energy source in the world today. Policy frame works and action plans have already been for- lated at various corners for meeting at least 20 per cent of the global energy - mand with new-renewables by 2010, among which wind is going to be the major player. In view of the rapid growth of wind industry, Universities, all around the world, have given due emphasis to wind energy technology in their undergraduate and graduate curriculum. These academic programmes attract students from diver- fied backgrounds, ranging from social science to engineering and technology. Fundamentals of wind energy conversion, which is discussed in the preliminary chapters of this book, have these students as the target group. Advanced resource analysis tools derived and applied are beneficial to academics and researchers working in this area. The Wind Energy Resource Analysis (WERA) software, provided with the book, is an effective tool for wind energy practitioners for - sessing the energy potential and simulating turbine performance at prospective sites.

Almost every energy scenario assumes an enormous growth in the demand for energy in the coming decades. Meanwhile, at international conferences and other venues, the primary concern is massive reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, especially of the CO2 produced by fossil-fuel energy consumption. Experts also point out the political risk of depending on petroleum and remind us of the fact that resources are not inexhaustible. This timely book explores: how these conflicting scenarios could be reconciled; how can we shape a more sustainable energy system from the existing one; and possible technological progress and innovations to enable a brighter future. It also addresses the reality that there exists no consensus on the extent to which innovations can really contribute to reconciling ever-growing energy consumption, availability of resources and the environment, and the structural demands on any energy system.

While the basic operating principles of Helical Magnetic Flux Compression Generators are easy to understand, the details of their construction and performance limits have been described only in government reports, many of them classified. Conferences in the field of flux compression are also dominated by contributions from government (US and foreign) laboratories. And the government-sponsored research has usually been concerned with very large generators with explosive charges that require elaborate facilities and safety arrangements. This book emphasizes research into small generators (less than 500 grams of high explosives) and explains in detail the physical fundamentals, construction details, and parameter-variation effects related to them.

Philosophy; Engineering ethics; Energy policy; Energy and state; Economic geography; Renewable energy resources; Sustainable development; Energy systems

This open access book offers a timely guide to challenges and current practices to permanently plug and abandon hydrocarbon wells. With a focus on offshore North Sea, it analyzes the process of plug and abandonment of hydrocarbon wells through the establishment of permanent well barriers. It provides the reader with extensive knowledge on the type of barriers, their functioning and verification. It then discusses plug and abandonment methodologies, analyzing different types of permanent plugging materials. Last, it describes some tests for verifying the integrity and functionality of installed permanent barriers. The book offers a comprehensive reference guide to well plugging and abandonment (P&A) and well integrity testing. The book also presents new technologies that have been proposed to be used in plugging and abandoning of wells, which might be game-changing technologies, but they are still in laboratory or testing level. Given its scope, it addresses students and researchers in both academia and industry. It also provides information for engineers who work in petroleum industry and should be familiarized with P&A of hydrocarbon wells to reduce the time of P&A by considering it during well planning and construction.

This open access book reframes sustainable energy transitions as being a matter of resolving accountability crises. It demonstrates how the empirical study of several practices of legitimation can analytically deconstruct energy transitions, and presents a typology of these practices to help determine whether energy transitions contribute to sustainability. The real-world challenge of climate change requires sustainable energy transitions. This presents a crisis of accountability legitimated through situated practices in a wide range of cases including: solar energy transitions in Portugal, urban energy transitions in Germany, forestland conflicts in Indonesia, urban carbon emission targets in Norway, transport electrification in the Nordic region, and biodiversity conservation and energy extraction in the USA. By synthesising these cases, chapters identify various dimensions wherein practices of legitimation construct specific accountability relations. This book deftly illustrates the value of an analytical approach focused on accountable governance to enable sustainable energy transitions. It will be of great use to both academics and practitioners working in the field of energy transitions.

The energy reserves of the Caspian Region have been hailed as the new'Middle East'. This book offers a thorough assessment of its energy resources and the nature of the international politics that surround them. This volume presents a unique study of the various dimensions of Caspian energy, ranging from the geopolitical to the economic, technical, religious and political.

This open access book examines the role of citizens in sustainable energy transitions across Europe. It explores energy problem framing, policy approaches and practical responses to the challenge of securing clean, affordable and sustainable energy for all citizens, focusing on households as the main unit of analysis. The book revolves around ten contributions that each summarise national trends, socio-material characteristics, and policy responses to contemporary energy issues affecting householders in different countries, and provides good practice examples for designing and implementing sustainable energy initiatives. Prominent concerns include reducing carbon emissions, energy poverty, sustainable consumption, governance, practices, innovations and sustainable lifestyles. The opening and closing contributions consider European level energy policy, dominant and alternative problem framings and similarities and differences between European countries in relation to reducing household energy use. Overall, the book is a valuable resource for researchers, policy-makers, practitioners and others interested in sustainable energy perspectives.

This short open access book investigates the role of renewable energy in East Africa to provide policy-relevant inputs for the achievement of a cost-effective electrification process in the region. For each country, the authors review the current situation in the domestic power sector, adopt a GIS-based approach to plot renewable energy resources potential, and review currently planned projects and projects under development, as well as the key domestic renewables regulations. Based on such information, least-cost 100% electrification scenarios by 2030 are then modelled and comparative results over the required capacity additions and investment are reported and discussed. The authors also inquire into some of the key technological, economic, policy, cooperation, and financing challenges to the development of a portfolio of renewables to promote energy access in a sustainable way, including a discussion of the challenges and opportunities that might stem from the interaction between local RE potential and natural gas resources currently under development in the region. To conclude, policy recommendations based on the book’s results and targeted at international cooperation and development institutions, local policymakers, and private stakeholders in the region are elaborated.

This open access book discusses the eroding economics of nuclear power for electricity generation as well as technical, legal, and political acceptance issues. The use of nuclear power for electricity generation is still a heavily disputed issue. Aside from technical risks, safety issues, and the unsolved problem of nuclear waste disposal, the economic performance is currently a major barrier. In recent years, the costs have skyrocketed especially in the European countries and North America. At the same time, the costs of alternatives such as photovoltaics and wind power have significantly decreased.

This open access book analyzes and seeks to consolidate the use of robust quantitative tools and qualitative methods for the design and assessment of energy and climate policies. In particular, it examines energy and climate policy performance and associated risks, as well as public acceptance and portfolio analysis in climate policy, and presents methods for evaluating the costs and benefits of flexible policy implementation as well as new framings for business and market actors. In turn, it discusses the development of alternative policy pathways and the identification of optimal switching points, drawing on concrete examples to do so. Lastly, it discusses climate change mitigation policies’ implications for the agricultural, food, building, transportation, service and manufacturing sectors. ; Open Access Presents a comprehensive tool set of methods for devising energy and climate policies Focuses on methods that are robust and adaptive enough to mitigate risks Investigates implications of climate change mitigation policies to various sectors

This open access book presents the proceedings of the 2nd Africa-EU Renewable Energy Research and Innovation Symposium (RERIS 18), held in Maseru, Lesotho in January 2018. The symposium aimed to foster research cooperation on renewable energy between Africa and Europe – in academia, as well as the private and public sectors. Addressing thematic areas such as • Grid-connected renewable energy; • Decentralised renewable and household energy solutions; • Energy socioeconomics; and • Promotion of energy research, innovation, education and entrepreneurship, the book brings together contributions from academics and practitioners from the EU and Africa to enable mutual learning and knowledge transfer – a key factor in boosting sustainable development in the African renewable energy market. It also plays a significant role in promoting African renewable energy research, which helps to secure energy supply in both rural and urban areas and to increase generation capacities and energy system resilience. This book is an invaluable resource for academics and professionals across the renewable energy spectrum.