Renewable Energy Requirements and Sources

The transition to renewable energy is essential for ensuring energy supply, and to mitigate environmental effects of fossil fuels, particularly climate change. However, because renewable energy resources do not provide a constant supply of energy and they are not sufficiently portable for many applications, the development of energy storage methods is necessary. The book reviews historical and current energy use, as well as provides predictions for future energy demands. The main sources of renewable energy are introduced including hydroelectric, wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels, along with an analysis of the need for energy storage.

Energy and society.- The need for renewable energy.- Solar energy technologies.- Other renewable energy technologies.- Comparison of low-carbon energy sources.- Implementation of renewable energy technologies and the need for energy storage.

Richard A. Dunlap received a B.S. in Physics (Worcester Polytechnic Institute 1974), an A.M. in Physics (Dartmouth College 1976) and a Ph.D. in Physics (Clark University 1981). Since receiving his Ph.D., he has been on the Faculty at Dalhousie University where he currently holds an appointment as Research Professor in the Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science. Prof. Dunlap has more than 300 refereed research publications in fields that include critical phenomena, magnetic materials, amorphous alloys, quasicrystals, hydrogen storage and advanced battery materials. His previously published books include Experimental Physics: Modern Methods (Oxford 1988), The Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Numbers (World Scientific 1997), Sustainable Energy (Cengage, 1st ed. 2015, 2nd ed. 2019), Novel Microstructures for Solids (IOP/Morgan & Claypool 2018), Particle Physics (IOP/Morgan & Claypool 2018), Energy from Nuclear Fusion (IOP Publishing 2021), Transportation Technologies for a Sustainable Future (IOP Publishing 2023), Lasers and their Application in the Cooling and Trapping of Atoms - 2nd ed. (IOP Publishing 2023), An Introduction to the Physics of Nuclei and Particles – 2nd ed.  (IOP Publishing 2023) and The Mössbauer Effect – 2nd ed.  (IOP Publishing 2023).