1 comments about Fueling Our Future: An Introduction to Sustainable Energy.

1. This book hits all the high points of the issues present and future. It doesn't go into any one area in great detail, so it's a true overview. There are lots of charts and graphs so be prepared for these, but you don't need a college education to understand it. After you finish it, you'll understand the big picture just fine. It covers oil, gas, coal, nuclear, hydroelectric, wind and biomass (ethanol). I wish it were a big longer and went into more detail, especially on ethanol. It has a little coverage of global warming issues, but not enough to really teach you much if you're just aware of the issue.
   
   Be sure to get the paperback version, which costs about 1/4 of what the hardback edition goes for! It's a very good read and I enjoyed it.

5 comments about Energy Autonomy: The Economic, Social and Technological Case for Renewable Energy.

1. Energy Autonomy is a refreshing and thorough look at how the traditional fossil energy industry (oil, natural gas, nuclear), with its finite energy availability and its polluting characteristics, uses Mafia tactics to perpetuate its existence, allthewhile trying to keep renewable energy in a cozy, non-threatening corner. I attended a presentation last month by Dr. Scheer in Toronto, and was impressed by his cogent, well-researched argument in favor of promoting renewable energy. As Dr. Scheer said, the price of fossil energy will only go up, going forward, and renewable energy costs will only go down. Anyone who relies on traditional fossil energy does so at their own peril.
   Thanks to this book, I am much more optimistic about the energy future for humanity, although there are huge political barriers to overcome, as the lobbyists working for the oil and nuclear industries will never give up their belittling the potential role of renewable energy, and gun-shy governments are fearful of the consequences of cutting off the huge subsidies to the fossil energy industry.



2. I bought this book after hearing an interview with Mr. Scheer on NPR. I must say the interview was much more interesting that the book proved to be.
   
   Mr. Scheer is very thorough in making his arguments and I sure this is necessary to convince government and industry but it sure makes for dry reading for the average lay person.



3. Hermann Scheer's book is not as much about energy autonomy as it is about battling the fossil fuel and nuclear energy industries.
   Scheer pays no attention to the past when Germany used little fossil fuels and no nuclear power. He doesn't mention that many poor countries are still as free from fossil fuels as Germany hopes to become years hence.
   Nature, the beauty of sunlight, the excitement of towns, buildings and travels as seasons change, these topics don't come up in Energy Autonomy. Does Scheer notice nature, the sun and the seasons? I think he is too absorbed in battle to consider what the battle is for.
   Nevertheless, however focused on a grim cloud bank, Scheer is a smart, stalwart solar advocate with a great deal of combat experience. He has grappled with the most powerful and wiley groups who insist on overfeeding us fossil fuels and nuclear power.
   I would have read the entire book just to learn what a quango is (a non governmental organization that has become overwhelmingly and permanently dependant on government money), or to read his thoughts on "proactive neutralization".
   Give this veteran an iron cross, and a long vacation in a sunny land. On his next campaign the sun will touch him; he will awake from the German (and American) spell and see the goal is not to be rich and fat, Energy Autonomy and Gluttony, but a new civilization.



4. Written by German parliament member, Hermann Scheer, Energy Autonomy makes a strong case for the decentralization of energy production. Scheer was an instrumental part of passing legislation in Germany which has created the solar and wind boom in that country. Clearly writing with a very solid grasp on the politics of renewable energy, Scheer's argument is powerful and cogently presented.
   
   This book is not just for policy wonks, renewable energy advocates, green investors and environmentalists. But the book is also very approachable for those with less background in the science, technology and politics of renewable energy. If you have never heard the term, 'distributed generation' you should read this book because you will find it fascinating. If you already find distributed generation fascinating, YOU MUST read this book because YOU WILL LOVE IT.



5. This is an exciting read. Full of facts about current problems, but also with suggested solutions to these problems. Those solutions are then carefully outlined. Mr. Scheers ideas are genereally not very investor friendly, therfore they do not get their deserved attention. A very important book in my opinion.

2 comments about Understanding Renewable Energy Systems.

1. Unfortunately, this book doesn't live up to the promise of its title. It reads very much like a catalog of statements, with little motivation or explanation given. Consider, for example, the following paragraph: "The ends of the windings of a slipring rotor are only connected internally on one side. The beginnings of the windings are connected via sliprings and graphite brushes to the outside of the machine. There, they can be short-circuited over rotor resistances. This can improve the behaviour of the asynchronous machine during start-up." The foregoing statements may all well be true, but how much does someone who isn't already familiar with slipring rotors learn from them?
   
   Another problem is one of physics. One reads that in the Bohr hydrogen atom the Coulomb and centrifugal force on the electron are balanced, whereas in fact the unbalanced Coulomb force provides the centripetal force required to keep the accelerating electron in its orbit. The Bohr postulate is renamed the Planck theorem, the electron's energy is represented as purely kinetic (no electrostatic potential energy is given), and the atom's energy is given as positive rather than negative, decreasing (rather than increasing) with increasing n. This in the space of a few paragraphs.
   
   Not every page suffers from these problems, of course, but for the engineering student truly interested in "Understanding Renewable Energy Systems," Gilbert Masters' "Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems" is a better investment.



2. This book gives you a complete overview of all the renewable energies.
   If you are looking for answers with explanations, this book might be a good option: it is detailed enough, without being too much. The language is always simple, as all technichal books should be.
   Could be a good book for basic courses on Renewable Energies for engineers. I use it as a reference book.

5 comments about Tomorrow's Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet.

1. This is a good book as an introduction to hydrogen and its' potential uses in many aspects of our lives. However, I disagree with the author's conclusion that it would take decades to replace the existing infrastructure. That may be the case in a socialistic economy but in the U.S., if there is a need and a desire, we can do it in just a few years.

   The fact is that we have a huge need to get out from under the yoke of OPEC. We are forced to be heavily involved in mid east politics just to insure a constant flow of oil to support our everyday lives. Meanwhile, we have put ourselves in the crosshairs of the Islamic extremists who want us out of the mid east and to moderate our policies in Israel. If we want to prevent any further terrorist actions against us, then the best thing to do is develop hydrogen power and nuclear power and divest ourselves from mid east politics as fast as possible.

   Write your Congressman and U.S. Senators and demand that we move quickly on this technology.




2. This book contains lots of valuable information and is certainly worth reading. But at the same time, I had expected more of it. It describes too many factual details about the history of hydrogen's use in various applications and gives too few technical information about hydrogen as a fuel. The book does not give a very thorough analysis of how a hydrogen economy could be established, how those massive quantities of hydrogen will be produced in a way that is both environment friendly and realistic, why or why not to use nuclear power to do so, etc.
   Rather, it leaves a lot of open questions and does not give answers to the issues that really matter (e.g. if hydrogen is produced through reforming of traditional carbon fuels, what to do with the carbon then at the production plant).
   Nevertheless, the book is certainly worth reading... I think it's one of the only serious books on hydrogen at this time.



3. This book has a lot of useful information but the problem is not the material but the book could use an editor. The story continually jumps back and forth. When the book uses comparisons it goes from Joules to BTUs then Gallons to Liters so you never seem to compare apples to apples or the book should have had a conversion table. It's as if the author is afraid to tell the truth of how it might be a little expensive now to convert, but eventually it will be cost effective. The book also has no diagrams, or graphs that would explain fuel cells or cost effectiveness. ...

   The author seems to shy away from nuclear power as a solution for creating hydrogen. I think it would be a great interim solution where you could put the nuclear reactor on sites off shore or in the Great Lakes so you would have a supply of water and pump all the hydrogen and electricity produced to the city. The hydrogen could be sent to fuel cell power plants and fuel stations for vehicles. Eventually from the money made from this move on to geothermal methods.

   I don't want to seem down on this book because it gave me a lot of good information the best part was the different ways that they can create hydrogen. Hydropower, Wind, Solar, Photovoltaic, Biomass, Advanced Solar concepts, orbiting solar mirrors, converting thermal energy from oceans and Geothermal. The one that I left out that I thought was the coolest was the Giant Solar Chimneys. I found out that they are actually making one in Australia; I can only hope that it works. I liked the part with the solar mirrors and why they didn't work, that was kind of funny.

   The book never explains why they are not doing some of these things. I guess because of the cost but it is not clear. The best and safest way would be to produce hydrogen is geothermal but the book never explains why we don't do it.

   The chapter on the uses for hydrogen started out interesting but ends with a walk into the cosmos with the SETI stuff. It was parenthetical information that the author wanted us to be aware of that did not belong in this book.

   This book seem like a confused mass of projects that never seemed to get off the ground and a couple that could be a solution for the future. I wish the book was organized so that the history came first and then focus in on various areas, production, types of fuel cells, different forms of hydrogen, infrastructure, present uses, future use and the road ahead and what are the possible type of plans for the future.

   I wish the book could have recommended more books to read on the subject that could answer some of these questions.

   I guess I was looking for more clear cut solutions.




4. Tomorrow's Energy is a thorough discussion of a topic that is rapidly gaining importance - hydrogen. The book proposes hydrogen as the energy of the near future. It includes the history of hydrogen as a fuel, and what measures are currently being taken to produce hydrogen-powered automobiles, air and space craft, homes, and offices. Hoffmann describes in detail how hydrogen fuel is produced and used, and why hydrogen is a better choice than fossil fuels. The book discusses what must be done in order for non-polluting hydrogen to overtake fossil fuels, and the prospect of a "hydrogen community."

   This book, though obviously in favor of hydrogen energy, provides a detailed and, for the most part, many sided report on hydrogen's possibilities. It has a lot of numbers but is generally easily understood by the layman, though it assumes that the reader has a basic knowledge of chemistry. Hydrogen is an interesting and exciting thing, and this book provide a good understanding of its past, present and future. Stylistically, the book is a bit dry, but has sharp and occasionally witty quotes to lighten the tone. I would recommend "Tomorrow's Energy" to anyone who wants to learn more about this promising subject, as long as the reader uses the information to form their own opinion.




5. Hydrogen storage is a central issue surrounding adaptation into hydrogen as tomorrow's energy. Internal Combustion Engines burning hydrogen seem like the popular future. Toyota's Rav 4 prototype uses a metal hydride to carry hydrogen in solid form. Hydrogen extracting micro plant under the hood seems unfeasible and hydride storage seems more probable, as the means for storing hydrogen. Steel pressurized tanks seem unfeasible requiring 5,000 psi, weighting 3,400 lbs, and maintaining 800 atmospheres. Hydrides are safer because they cannot spill or vent hydrogen or burn in a crash.
   
   Energy Conversion Devices touts its magnesium based atomically based engineered hydrides as capable of storing hydrogen efficiently and effectively. In 2004, a Toyota Prius housed a ECD solid hydrogen storage system. The prototype Prius achieved 200 miles ranges, used a turbo charged internal combustible engine too boost horse power, innovated with carbon fiber wound tank reducing weight competitively, maintained 1,500 psi during saturation and an operating pressure of 300-500 psi, timeout at eight minutes for refueling with a goal of reaching five minutes, and a storage capacity of 3 kilograms of hydrogen.
   
   Hydrides slow down fast moving neutrons. Hydrides release and absorb hydrogen at different pressures: Hydrogen under higher pressure than equilibrium is absorbed into the metal and is in solid form and gives off heat; Hydrogen under lower pressure than equilibrium releases and heat must be added. To release hydrogen the gas pressure is simply lowered.
   
   The new ECD carbon fiber tank offers huge advantages over a "steel tank" which can weight 25 times as much for the same carrying capacity of hydrogen. The lighter weighting tank overcomes one barrier towards accepting hydrogen as the alternative fuel to oil. In 1997, transportation consumed 54% of the oil consumption, of 18.6 million barrels of oil a day. The second barrier to overcome will be too solving the refueling time lag, reducing refueling times to five minutes or less. More doubt seems to be direct at fuel cell technology. China seems down on fuel cell technology viewing the technology as too expensive for developing countries. More optimism seems to be swinging towards Internal combustible engines running hydrogen.

5 comments about Winning the Oil Endgame.

1. A rather technical report consisting of suggestions for government agencies to enact to aid in the transistion from oil to alternative energy sources. There's not a lot of practical material in the book for things the average citizen can do to survive the transition.



2. I have always admired Amory Lovins and his Rocky Mountain Institute, but this book does not impress me at all. I recommend instead "The Long Emergency", by James Kunstler, and Richard Heinberg's latest two books on peak energy ("The Party's Over", and "Powerdown").
   
   Also, Winning the Endgame is availabe free as a download, from the RMI site, so I can't imagine why anyone would purchase it.
   
   Look, the energy problem is insurmountable.....just two examples are enough to make this point. First, Lovins' book (in the Executive Summary) says that we can again "make natural gas abundant and affordable...". This is an absurd statement and doesn't even deserve more of a response.
   
   Secondly, within the next ten years or LESS, the world will have consumed an additional amount of oil, EQUAL TO the ENTIRE proven, recoverable reserves of Saudi Arabia, and Arabia has for years been considered the world's swing producer!
   
   Finally, Lovins' dreams of building millions and millions of ultra light-weight vehicles are just that, DREAMS! The remaining world supply of crude oil and natural gas are simply not great enough to bootstrap our efforts to create a new, pervasive light-weight transportation fleet, even if government and private industry had the money to capitalize the effort. And what exactly would we DO with the billion or more "inefficient" vehicles that exist in the world now?
   
   As for bio-fuels, and other alternatives, there is no way they will or can provide anything close to the future energy-density that the world needs. Furthermore, growing "bio" fuels requires massive amounts of crude oil (for fertilizer, pesticides, processing, not to mention the vehicles needed to harvest and transport these crops, plus the energy required to pump the water to irrigate them).
   
   Just read Kunstler's book, and Heinberg's books...the party IS over....



3. 
   This study was funded partially by the Pentagon and written by scientists from the Rocky Mountain Institute, led by Amory Lovins. According to them, the US could end the need to import oil by 2040, and not need oil at all by 2050. "Winning The Oil Endgame" talks a game of improved efficiency, making cars out of lightweight carbon instead of steel, powering them with hybrid engines, substituting with biofuels, and using saved natural gas until Hydrogen fuel technology takes over in 2050.
   
   Unfortunately, some data indicates the oil will already be all gone by 2040.
   
   Lovins's plan requires extensive subsidy input from lobby-infested Congress. At the same time (for those businesses that would profit), it's business oriented and would create business savings and profits.
   
   BTW, before I forget to mention it: No wonder the Pentagon is concerned about oil usage: every tank that proceeds at 1/2 mpg is followed by two fuel trucks. Enemy artillary units have quickly learned to target those trucks first.
   
   I don't share Lovins's optimism about voluntary Congressional, political, corporate, or personal compliance with this plan. I have noticed, however, that every time gas prices go up, fewer people buy SUV's and more hybrid vehicles are sold. I believe most of his technologies will occur as societies become convinced that we really are ruining the atmosphere - and especially when they find oil really is running out and is pricing itself out of reach. They will then be forced into making do with less oil - and eventually doing without it altogether. Meanwhile, PV solar panels are way too inefficient, I don't see wind power taking off, biofuels are inefficient to produce (and their production uses energy), and I wouldn't discount prematurely the need for many more nuclear plants.
   
   Very much worth reading - you can read it on the internet as I did - downloaded from RMI homepage.



4. This is one of the few books around on actually trying to solve the energy problems, and he puts up enough thinking and new concepts that the book is definitely worth reading. For instance, his main thrust is for the auto industry to develop untra light vehicles that get double the gas mileage.
   
   Having watched the auto industry over the past few years go on a spree of building bigger and heavier SUV's I am not encouraged that they are willing. The auto industry fought the CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) rules that were in place, and they got the Republicans to kill it. The auto unions fought it just as hard because building SUV's required more workers, so they got the Democrats to kill it. Now this book says that we could give the auto companies government backed loans to help them do what other companies (Toyota, Honda, etc. have already done). Maybe I would agree if you cut management and worker incomes.
   
   Hey, if you want to get double the gas mileage, reduce the speed limits. You save 40% by reducing speed from 70 to 55. Or take a penny or two out of the highway trust fund and put it into Amtrak - perhaps free travel for students, military, seniors and greatly reduced fares for anyone riding the train rather than driving.
   
   This book was at least partially funded by the Defense Department and they state: 'We adopt only options that provide 2025 mobility transparently to the user, with no change of lifestyle or loss of convenience.'
   
   Sorry guys, it isn't going to work that way. Maybe, again MAYBE, you can get what you want by 2025, but by 2050 or 2075, this is an out of date plan.



5. 
   Amory Lovins, physicist, ecologist, technical innovator and founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute, has coauthored a clear practical blueprint for weaning America from our oil addiction while jump starting the economy and regaining our position as the world's leader in sustainable technology and innovation. Rocky Mountain Institute has been hired by numerous governments and large corporations, Wal Mart and the Department of Defense being among them, to study their systems and make recommendations for improving materials, process and energy efficiencies. If you are a person who is technically oriented and likes details, facts and figures, then this is the book for you.
   
   Lovins, who invented the term "negawatts" and has been a pioneer in the sustainability movement, clearly shows us that we can thrive while beating peak oil if we just do the right things on a national and global scale. The choice is ours: do we make good choices and thrive, or do we choose business-as-usual, which is leading us into crash-and-burn?
   
   Highly recommended!

No comments about A Practical Guide to Solar Photovoltaic Systems for Technicians: Sizing, Installation and Maintenance.

5 comments about Fuel Cell Fundamentals.

1. This book is an excellent introduction to fuel cells for the novice as well as a valuable reference for someone with more experience. It does not assume prior knowledge on the one hand, yet provides enough depth to be of interest for people already in the fuel cell field. When I first became interested in fuel cells, I did a survey of all the books available and this one best suited my needs by far. It is very readable and the explanations provide both quantitative scientific rigor as well as supporting, intuitive reasoning. I highly recommend this book - when you finish reading it you will have a solid foundation in fuel cell science and technology.



2. This is a very complete and thorough book, and covers all of the theory as well as the technology of fuel cells. It is very well organized and structured and is highly suitable for first time students as well as an excellent reference book for the experienced reader. I highly recommend this book to virtually anyone who is interested in fuel cell technology.



3. The book is an interesting one as introduces the fundamentals of fuel cell theory. I do recommend the book for those who are initiating their studies in this subject. The book is well written and organized.



4. I an in engineer working in a different industry and was interested in learning more about fuel cells. Since the authors do not provide answers to the chapter questions or problems, I would not recommend this book to someone trying to get an in-depth understanding. Better to find a lighter, broader read.



5. This book is the best one that I could find to introduce the reader to the technology and underlying science of fuel cells. The quality of the presentation is high but yet it is easy to read. The emphasis on the fundamentals is appreciated. The book has discussions of the relevant thermodynamics, transport science, and chemical kinetics in the early chapters with a supporting appendix on quantum-mechanical issues. Then, it addresses modeling and characterization of fuel cells and fuel-cell systems. Environmental impact is also addressed in the last chapter. The book relies on both mathematics and physical arguments to present the concepts and information. A student at the senior level or graduate level in a program of engineering, physics, or chemistry should have no difficulty with this book. Problem exercises are suggested in the book. Consequently, it can be used as either a textbook or reference book.

5 comments about Power System Economics: Designing Markets for Electricity.

1. Stoft's book provides a coherent and logical framework for understanding power system economics. It discusses the key controversies (or "fallacies") in power markets in a clear and easily-understandable way. There is a lot of confusion on these topics these days, not only in the press, but in a lot of the literature. Lots of commentators have vested interests, which colours their analysis and comment. Stoft's book helps bring the debates back to first principles. A textbook like this can never anticipate every question or issue that arises in every power market in the world, but the book provides a good framework for understanding the fundamentals, which the reader can then apply and extend to issues of his/her own interest. A good read.



2. Stoft has provided an excellent introduction to the new world of electric power, providing a helpful guide that speaks to the engineering and the economics.



3. This book is about good economics. It is not about the usual collection of market anecdotes, nor is it about engineering power systems. Power System Economics reviews all the key design elements of modern electricity wholesale markets, and puts them in their economic context. You will not find another book on the subject that is as comprehensive and well-researched.



4. ... or those wishing to see what economists really have to offer regarding power systems. Stoft's technical discussion of power markets, or locational pricing, mechanisms is just fine. But he offers nothing about the economics of electricity transmission, without which spatially diverse power markets are merely a theory. As such, his book is of no particular use to those looking to understand the economic issues that bedevil large power markets, like those in the US, where persistent transmission constraints can impair the functioning of the best "market architecture."
   "Economics" is a loosely-used term in electricity market circles. Those wishing to understand the economic princiles behind power markets, as opposed to the mechanics of power systems, will have to look elsewhere.



5. This book really disappointed me. It does not provide in-depth explanation s on concepts nor good examples.

No comments about Electric Energy: An Introduction, Second Edition (Power Electronics and Applications Series).

3 comments about Energy Evolution (The Eco-Technology Series).

1. This book, being the fourth and last of the Eco-Technology series, is an increadible finish. Naturally, all of the book deals with Viktor Schauberger, and his theories on living water, and the environement. This book, however, goes deeper into the actual inventions than the previous ones. It contains almost all of Schauberger's patent information, most of which, even though "lost" originally, is now amplified and explained by Callum Coats. The Trout Motor, the Repulsine, and the rest of Viktor's inventions fall in place like a well stacked deck of cards. You could very easily build these wonderful engines, yourself (with some help from a good machine shop, of coarse!). If you have waited for the conclusion of the series, your wait will be well worth the time. I highly suggest you pick up this copy.



2. By far the very best book in the final 4 part series! If this book doesn't leave you in awe of Viktor Schauberger, and all that he did, then you better re-read it with you eyes open. This book is really only the beginning. It is time to move forward and re-educate people on Viktor's work and how to truly make some very amazing water, unlike most of the weak knock-offs on the market trying to pass themselves off as things Viktor would have approved of. If you love water or have even a small appreciation for all that Viktor did you will love this book.



3. Excellent information and many of the origional drawings. The information is very well organized and well researched. A very good semi technical documentation of Victor's work.