11/03/2009

Review of Energy for Sustainability: Technology, Planning, Policy (Hardcover)


This book provides a clear, comprehensive and an excellent introduction to the technical basis, systems design, economic analysis, environmental impact and planning/policy of renewable and sustainable energy. Based partly on Prof. Masters' earlier work (Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems), this volume is completely redesigned and rewritten from the ground-up taking a multidisciplinary and whole life cycle approach.

Entirely new chapters are presented on:
a.energy analysis - history, future, market, economic, environmental and life-cycle analysis
b.energy theory - mechanical, thermal, chemical, nuclear, electrical, etc.
c.green buildings - cradle-to-cradle analysis of the built environment, ZEH, etc.
d.transportation - well-to-wheels analysis, PHEV, FCEV, etc.
e.land use planning - transit-oriented development, smart growth models, etc.
f.policy/planning - regulations, standards, ITC, PTC, FIT, carbon trading, RPS, etc.

The above are in addition to full chapters (with the latest updated material) on various renewables such as
a. solar (both photo-voltaic and thermal)
b. wind
c. biofuels
d. microturbines, fuel cells, CHP, etc.

The book provides most anything (nearly 800 pages) one wants to know under the clean-tech sun (at the undergraduate level prior to doing further advanced research on a specific area of interest). The book analyses each topic fairly thoroughly and explains everything very clearly. It is published by a non-profit which prolly explains the too-good-to-be-true low price. One thing to note is that the end-of-chapter problems are slated to be online and aren't in the book itself. Reading is a joy with numerous colorful graphs, tables, diagrams, flowcharts, real-world examples and actual photos. If you had to buy only one book in this space, u couldn't go wrong here - it is destined to be a classic.



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