DeGunther Alternative Energy For Dummies

1. Auflage 2009
ISBN: 978-0-470-53109-9
Verlag: John Wiley & Sons
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 384 Seiten, E-Book

The myths and facts about alternative fuels-and how they impact our lives
As the price of energy continues to soar, so too has the demand for alternative energy. But there's no clear "winner" in the race to replace fossil fuels. Alternative Energy For Dummies explores the current fossil fuel conundrum and society's growing need for more and more energy. Cutting through the competing claims, this book offers a multifaceted examination of alternative energy, including solar, wind, nuclear, biomass, geothermal, biofuel, and other sources. Each alternative scenario is compared to current fossil-fuel intensive practices in the scientific, environmental, social, political, and economic realms. Readers also gain insight into the future of energy production.

Autoren/Hrsg.

DeGunther, Rik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction 1
Part I: The Basic Facts of Energy Life 9
Chapter 1: What a Mess! 11
Chapter 2: What Energy Is and How It's Used (Politically and Practically) 25
Chapter 3: Putting Together Each Piece of the Energy Puzzle 37
Part II: Digging Deeper into the Current State of Affairs 57
Chapter 4: Developing a Snapshot of Fossil Fuel Use and Availability 59
Chapter 5: Burning Up with Conventional Energy Sources 73
Chapter 6: The First Alternative-Energy Sources: Efficiency and Conservation 95
Chapter 7: Understanding the Demand For Alternatives 113
Part III: Alternatives -- Buildings 127
Chapter 8: Going Nuclear 129
Chapter 9: Harnessing the Sun with Solar Power 151
Chapter 10: Treading Water with Hydropower 177
Chapter 11: Blowing Away with Wind Power 191
Chapter 12: Digging into Geothermal 207
Chapter 13: Exploring Biomass 221
Chapter 14: Burning Wood 235
Chapter 15: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies 249
Part IV: Alternatives -- Transportation 261
Chapter 16: Alternative Transport Technologies 263
Chapter 17: Alternative-Fuel Vehicles 271
Chapter 18: Plugging In: Electric Vehicles 283
Chapter 19: Hybrid-Electric Vehicles 297
Chapter 20: Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Vehicles 307
Chapter 21: Exotic Propulsion Systems 315
Part V: The Part of Tens 325
Chapter 22: Ten or So Myths about Energy 327
Chapter 23: Ten-Plus Ways to Invest in an Alternative-Energy Future 335
Index 343

Über Autor(innen)

Rik DeGunther attended the University of Illinois as anundergraduate and Stanford University as a graduate student,studying both applied physics and engineering economics (some ofthis education actually stuck). He holds several United Statespatents and has designed a wide range of technical equipmentincluding solar energy platforms, military-grade radar jammers,weather-measurement equipment, high-powered radar vacuum tubes,computerized production hardware, golf practice devices, digitaland analog electronic circuits, unmanned aerial vehicles, guitarsand amplifi ers, microwave fi lters and mixers, automatic cabinetopeners, strobe light communications systems, explosive devices(strictly on accident), cloud-height sensors, fog sensors,furniture, houses, barns, rocket ships, dart throwers, fl amethrowers, eavesdropping devices, escape routes, and you name it.He's one of those nerdy guys who likes to take things apartto see how they work and then put them back together and try to figure out what the leftover parts are for.
Rik is CEO of Effi cient Homes, an energy-effi ciency auditing firm in Northern California. He is actively engaged in designing anddeveloping new solar equipment, including off-grid lighting systemsand off-grid swimming pool heaters. He writes weekly op-ed columnsfor the Mountain Democrat, California's oldest and mostvenerable newspaper. He has also written a highly acclaimed golfbook (on putting) and spends most of his free time attempting toimprove his relatively impressive but objectively droll golfhandicap, usually to no avail. Sometimes the urge strikes him toplay a very loud guitar, of which he owns a collection with farmore intrinsic quality than the playing they receive. His hearinghas been faltering the last few years, so he rebuilt his amplifi erto go up to 11.