Energy for Sustainable Development

Demand, Supply, Conversion and Management

Md Hasanuzzaman, Nasrudin Abd Rahim

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9780128146453
• eBook ISBN: 9780128146460
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Energy
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Energy for Sustainable Development: Demand, Supply, Conversion and Management presents a comprehensive look at recent developments and provides guidance on energy demand, supply, analysis and forecasting of modern energy technologies for sustainable energy conversion. The book analyzes energy management techniques and the economic and environmental impact of energy usage and storage. Including modern theories and the latest technologies used in the conversion of energy for traditional fossil fuels and renewable energy sources, this book provides a valuable reference on recent innovations. Researchers, engineers and policymakers will find this book to be a comprehensive guide on modern theories and technologies for sustainable development.- Uniquely covers Energy Demand, Supply, Conversion and Management in one complete reference- Offers relevant information for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs on energy conversion, making it a key reference for study- Includes extensive coverage that links energy conversion with efficiency and management through storage, savings, economics and environmental impact

Chapter 1

Introduction to energy and sustainable development

M.M. Islam, and M. Hasanuzzaman Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), UM Power Energy Dedicated Advanced Centre (UMPEDAC), Level 4, Wisma R&D, University of Malaya, Jalan Pantai Baharu, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract

Human civilization has an innate dependence on energy. In fact, energy is the impetus behind the socio-economic development of the society. Growth of global energy demand for energy is almost 5.3% per year, while the increase in world energy use will reach the highs of 28% by 2040. But, to its worst the sources of energy, especially clean and sustainable source are very limited. Therefore, there is an urgency for efficient use of the available energy, which can be achieved through best practices of energy management system. This chapter presents a brief overview on the significance of energy management to ensure an uninterrupted supply of energy and its role in achieving sustainable development goal. An all-inclusive list of available energy sources has also been included with a view to provide an up-to-date impression regarding what resources we have to face the twofold challenge of energy paucity and climate change as well.

Keywords

Energy management; Energy policy; Energy sources; Sustainable development

1.1. Energy and civilization

The modern worldview is constructed around the central concept of energy. Energy is a concordant notion that encompasses not only physical and environmental science but also the socioeconomic disciplines. Physicists define energy as the capacity to do work as measured by the capability to do work (potential energy) or the conversion of this capability to motion (kinetic energy). On the other hand, in modern economic concept, energy is considered as fuel, a substance used as source of energy (Martinás, 2005). Energy is of worth if it is easily convertible to useful work, and most of the world's convertible energy comes from fossil fuels. That is why fuel is the most dominant factor apart from food affecting the human civilization.

Unlike all other animal species, human beings derive their energy from both food and fuel. At a very early stage of civilization, human beings used tools and weapons to effectively apply their somatic strength, but these were not the sources of energy. The maiden access to a source of energy was possible when they learnt to control the fire. Later, man tried to control the energy of water and wind. However, the epochal discovery of fossil fuels brought the major impact in every sector of human civilization, from agriculture to industry, from economics to politics, and most importantly the environment. The great ages of civilization are characterized in terms of new source or form of energy used or introduced in that era, e.g., fossil fuel era, post fossil fuel era, nuclear era, era of renewables, etc. Historical industrial revolutions were essentially energy revolutions. The first industrial revolution (1760–1840) saw the advent of mechanization that led to the formation a new economic structure. Steam engines powered by coal brought about revolutions in production system and communication network; handlooms were replaced by power looms, railway and steamboats brought the far near. With the emergence of a new source of energy, i.e., electricity, gas, and oil, the second industrial revolution instigated at the late 19th century (1870) and extended up to the World War I. This was essentially a technological revolution and connoted by the electrification of manufacturing systems that made possible the assembly line and mass production (Ford & Crowther, 1922). The third industrial revolution started (1969) as nuclear power generation commenced. Prodigious development in electronics, telecommunication, and computing technology, especially programmable logic controllers and robots, led to the automation of the production system. The first industrial revolution mechanized the production system through the use of steam power, electric power facilitated mass production in the second industrial revolution, and industrial automation came into reality in the third industrial revolution because of electronics and information technology (Schwab, 2016). A fourth industrial revolution is building on the third and integrating the production processes with alternative energy resources such as wind, sun, and geothermal energy (Sentryo, 2017).

Today, energy is directly related to the most critical economic and social issues that affect sustainable development such as water supply, sanitation, mobility, food production, environmental quality, education, job creation security, and even peace in global context. Energy nowadays has become the universal currency. While extra energy at the disposal of the first world countries is widening their power and control, access to the energy sources is becoming limited to the under developed countries. The global economic disparity among the nations is predominantly perceived by their respective control over energy and fuel sources. It has been estimated that about 1.2 billion people are out of electrical network and more than 2.0 billion people worldwide are deprived of mere access to modern energy resources (Behl, Chhibar, Jain, Bahl, & El Bassam, 2013). The competition has gone so hostile that it led to series of “oil war” including two gulf wars in the Middle East region. This raised the question how to ensure a more equitable energy dissemination and whether it is possible to attain control in the demand for energy. As the former clause is related to complex global politicoeconomic order, researchers have emphasized on the later one, that is, abating the energy demand and at the same time ensuring efficient use of available energy emphasizing on more and more infliction of renewable energy technologies.

1.2. Global energy resources

There are numerous sources of energy all around the nature. The conventional sources of energy can be classified as nonrenewable and renewable. Nonrenewable energy resources, such as coal, nuclear, oil, and natural gas, are limited in reserve and supply because of the very long time required for them to be replenished in nature. On the other hand, renewable resources are replenished continuously or over very short time span. The major renewable energy resources are solar, wind, hydro, biomass, geothermal, and marine or ocean energy (Andrea, 2014). There are some unconventional sources such as waste-to-energy (WtE), carbon capture, and storage, etc., which have been emerging as energy sources in recent years. Nowadays, energy storage and energy efficiency are also considered as energy source.

1.2.1. Coal

Coal is the transformed remains of prehistoric vegetation amassed in swamps and peat bogs. It is an ignitable organic sedimentary rock composed mainly of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (WCA, 2009). Coals are ranked based on their physical and chemical properties that have been developed in course of coalification (the process of maturation from peat to anthracite). Soft lignite and subbituminous coals with dull fictile appearance are ranked low-grade coal. The moisture level is high and carbon (thereby, energy) content is low. Coals with higher carbon and lower moisture content are ranked higher (e.g., anthracite) and generally harder and stronger rocklike material, often with black vitreous luster. Fig. 1.1 depicts classification of coals according to their energy and moisture content.

Figure 1.1 Classification of coal according to energy and moisture content (Kavalov & Peteves, 2007).

A major share (around 30%) of world's primary energy consumption is met by coal in range of sectors including power generation, iron and steel production, cement manufacturing, etc. Currently, about 40% of global power plants run on coal burning; on the other hand, coal is used in 70% of the steel production and 50% of aluminum production plants (WCA, 2009). From...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Contributors
• Biography
• Chapter 1. Introduction to energy and sustainable development
• Chapter 2. Modern energy conversion technologies
• Chapter 3. Energy demand
• Chapter 4. Energy supply
• Chapter 5. Energy demand forecasting
• Chapter 6. Energy storage technologies
• Chapter 7. Energy economics
• Chapter 8. World energy policies
• Index