The path to more sustainable energy systems how do we get there from here?
(eBook)

1. Concepts, definitions, measures -- 1.1 Defining energy -- 1.1.1 Work -- 1.1.2 Heat -- 1.1.3 Light -- 1.1.4 Electricity -- 1.1.5 Power -- 1.1.6 Efficiency -- 1.2 Key energy resource definitions -- 1.2.1 Sources and resources -- 1.2.2 Reserves -- 1.2.3 Production -- 1.2.4 Comparing units and magnitudes of measure -- 1.3 "Renewable" versus "Nonrenewable" energy -- 1.3.1 Stock and flow limitations -- 1.3.2 Fossil and nuclear fuels: nonrenewable, stock-limited energy -- 1.3.3 Solar energy: renewable, flow-limited energy -- 1.3.4 In-between resources: renewable, stock, and flow-limited energy -- 1.3.5 Briefly comparing current use of energy stocks and flows -- 1.4 Energy use in societies -- 1.4.1 Visualizing energy use -- 1.4.2 Energy use by economic sector -- 1.4.3 Energy use by example: the united states -- 1.5 Environmental impacts of energy use -- 1.5.1 Classification by pollutant or harm -- 1.5.2 Classification by scale -- 1.6 Defining sustainability and sustainable energy -- 1.6.1 Sustainability -- 1.6.2 Sustainable energy -- 1.7 Sources of energy and environmental information -- 1.7.1 United States Energy Information Administration -- 1.7.2 International Energy Agency -- 1.7.3 World Energy Council -- 1.7.4 World Resources Institute -- 1.7.5 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- 1.7.6 Industry reports --

2. "Nonrenewable" energy resources -- 2.1 Fossil fuels -- 2.1.1 Oil and gas -- 2.1.2 Coal -- 2.2 Nuclear fuels -- 2.2.1 Fission -- 2.2.2 Fusion -- 2.2.3 Uranium distribution -- 2.2.4 Uranium exploration and production --

3. "Renewable" energy resources -- 3.1 A note -- 3.2 Earth's energy allowance -- 3.3 The solar resource -- 3.3.1 Solar photovoltaic technology -- 3.3.2 Concentrating solar power -- 3.3.3 Passive solar energy -- 3.3.4 Solar energy distribution and installed capacity -- 3.4 Biomass and biofuel resources -- 3.4.1 Ethanol -- 3.4.2 Biodiesel -- 3.4.3 Biogas -- 3.4.4 Biomass and biofuels distribution and production -- 3.5 Hydropower -- 3.5.1 Hydro potential distribution -- 3.5.2 Tidal and wave power -- 3.6 Wind power -- 3.6.1 Wind turbines -- 3.6.2 Wind distribution and installed capacity -- 3.7 Geothermal -- 3.7.1 Geothermal distribution and installed capacity -- 3.7.2 Direct use applications --

4. Energy consumption in economic sectors -- 4.1 Broadly characterizing energy consumption -- 4.2 Energy consumption in industrialized society -- 4.3 The electric power sector -- 4.3.1 Electricity generation -- 4.3.2 Electricity delivery -- 4.3.3 Energy consumption in the electric power sector -- 4.4 The transportation sector -- 4.4.1 Vehicular technology -- 4.4.2 Automobiles versus mass transit -- 4.4.3 Commercial transportation -- 4.4.4 Energy consumption in the transportation sector -- 4.5 The industrial sector -- 4.5.1 Petroleum refining -- 4.5.2 The steel and aluminum industries -- 4.5.3 Energy consumption in the industrial sector -- 4.6 The residential and commercial sectors -- 4.6.1 Lighting -- 4.6.2 Heating -- 4.6.3 Cooling -- 4.6.4 Appliances -- 4.6.5 Consumer electronics -- 4.6.6 Energy consumption in the residential/commercial sectors -- 4.7 Improving energy efficiency in economic sectors --

5. Petroleum and other energy resource limits -- 5.1 Earth's energy resource "bank account" -- 5.2 Growth and limits -- 5.2.1 The growth function -- 5.2.2 Physical limits -- 5.3 Peak oil: understanding oil limits -- 5.3.1 Specific details -- 5.3.2 Analysis -- 5.3.3 A closer look at the character of a peak -- 5.3.4 What we can know -- 5.4 Limits of other resources -- 5.4.1 Solar energy limits -- 5.4.2 Wind energy limits -- 5.4.3 Hydro energy limits -- 5.4.4 Geothermal energy limits -- 5.5 What does all of this mean to sustainability? --

6. Environmental impact -- 6.1 The environment and humans: interconnected systems -- 6.1.1 The energy and environment focus -- 6.2 Characterizing environmental impacts -- 6.2.1 Toxins, poisons, and toxicity -- 6.2.2 Radiation -- 6.2.3 Human safety and welfare -- 6.2.4 Land use and ecosystem disruption -- 6.2.5 Water usage and pollution -- 6.2.6 Air emissions and pollution -- 6.2.7 Green house gas emissions and climate change -- 6.3 Environmental impacts of the sources -- 6.3.1 Coal -- 6.3.2 Oil and gas -- 6.3.3 Nuclear -- 6.3.4 The "renewables" -- 6.3.5 Biofuels and biomass -- 6.4 Comparing impacts --

7. Global social contexts -- 7.1 Modern energy's essential role -- 7.2 Energy requirements to meet human needs and wants -- 7.2.1 Human needs -- 7.3 The advantage of consuming energy -- 7.3.1 In-depth: the energy/quality-of-life nexus -- 7.4 Consumerism -- 7.5 Energy security considerations -- 7.6 Comparing the values of different energy systems -- 7.6.1 Fossil fuels -- 7.6.2 Renewable resources -- 7.6.3 Nuclear power -- 7.6.4 Hydrogen and fuel cells -- 7.7 Externalities in energy value metrics --

8. Next steps

8.1 Entering a new age

8.1.1 The transition that brought us here

8.2 Petroleum's role in the next transition

8.2.1 Petroleum's response to the shortage

8.2.2 The time factor

8.2.3 Higher prices

8.3 Energy poverty's role in the transition

8.3.1 The need for an energy labor force

8.4 A brief note on climate change's role in the transition

8.5 Energy dreams

8.5.1 Easy energy transitions

8.5.2 Solar

8.5.3 Unproven technologies

8.5.4 Ridiculous technologies

8.6 Comparing the options

8.7 New lifestyles around sustainable energy

8.8 Optimized energy mixes for space and time

8.8.1 Using everything, as we always have

8.8.2 Context-based solutions

8.8.3 Local, decentralized energy development

8.8.4 Conservation

8.8.5 Evolving energy mixes

8.9 Brief summary of agency and industry forecasts

8.10 So, what is the path forward?

Index.