Sustainable Energy: Choosing Among Options [Hardcover]

Jefferson W. Tester (Author), Elisabeth M. Drake (Author), Michael J. Driscoll (Author), Michael W. Golay (Author), William A. Peters (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 10, 2005

Human survival depends on a continuing energy supply, but the need for ever-increasing amounts of energy poses a dilemma: How can we provide the benefits of energy to the population of the globe without damaging the environment, negatively affecting social stability, or threatening the well-being of future generations? The solution will lie in finding sustainable energy sources and more efficient means of converting and utilizing energy. This textbook is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students as well as others who have an interest in exploring energy resource options and technologies with a view toward achieving sustainability. It clearly presents the trade-offs and uncertainties inherent in evaluating and choosing different energy options and provides a framework for assessing policy solutions.Sustainable Energy includes illustrative examples, problems, references for further reading, and links to relevant Web sites. Outside the classroom, the book is a resource for government, industry, and nonprofit organizations. The first six chapters provide the tools for making informed energy choices. They examine the broader aspects of energy use, including resource estimation, environmental effects, and economic evaluations. Chapters 7-15 review the main energy sources of today and tomorrow, including fossil fuels, nuclear power, biomass, geothermal energy, hydropower, wind energy, and solar energy, examining their technologies, environmental impacts, and economics. The remaining chapters treat energy storage, transmission, and distribution; the electric power sector; transportation; industrial energy usage; commercial and residential buildings; and synergistic complex systems. Sustainable Energy addresses the challenges of integrating diverse factors and the importance for future generations of the energy choices we make today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"For some time I have searched for a comprehensive text on sustainable energy, and I have found it here. This book by Jefferson Tester and his colleagues will be the field's benchmark in the future. It is wonderfully broad in scope, yet detailed in its presentation of the material."--Fred K. Browand, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California

"At last, sustainable energy can be taught from a single textbook one that is balanced, worldly, comprehensive, and challenging. Watch out, teachers! Science and engineering students are going to demand courses that use this book." Robert Socolow, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University

" Sustainable Energy provides the intellectual tools and perspectives needed to devise a sound strategy for ensuring sustainability." Jack Gibbons, former Presidential Science Advisor and former Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy

"This book with its references and links is an excellent source text for anyone considering a course on energy options for the future and for anyone else interested in understanding the science and argument which underlie the debate on energy options for a sustainable future." R. John Sandeman International Journal of Environmental Studies

"At last, sustainable energy can be taught from a single textbook -- one that is balanced, worldly, comprehensive, and challenging. Watch out, teachers! Science and engineering students are going to demand courses that use this book."--Robert Socolow, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University

About the Author

Michael W. Golay is Professor of Nuclear Engineering at MIT.

Elisabeth M. Drake is Associate Director of the Energy Laboratory, Emeritus, at MIT.

Michael J. Driscoll is Professor of Nuclear Engineering, Emeritus, at MIT.

William A. Peters is Executive Director of the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at MIT.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 872 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (June 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262201534
• ISBN-13: 978-0262201537
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.1 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,729 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Government     > Public Policy
  • #48 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Earth Sciences > Environmental Science
  • #58 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Conservation

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written but somewhat dated, October 5, 2008

By 

Jesse Rorabaugh "glmory" (Ithaca NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sustainable Energy: Choosing Among Options (Hardcover)

This was a well written text book that gives an introduction to a great number of important fields. It does a particularly good job giving a fair treatment to some options that are often overlooked in books on sustainable energy such as geothermal and nuclear energy. It also gives a good background in the economics of electricity and liquid fuels.

It is however already quite dated. The book was published right before the price of oil started to soar, and completely didn't see it coming. Many statements support the idea that oil will be cheap for many decades to come. They certainly were not alone in not seeing this coming, but it is sometimes hard to take them seriously on other subjects when they keep referring back to the low price of oil.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Extremely useful reference, if a bit dated, March 2, 2010

By 

Samantha - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sustainable Energy: Choosing Among Options (Hardcover)

I've been working in the energy field for the past few years, and this is one of the few references I've found that describes all of our energy options with real depth. Information is well organized and systematically laid out. The book is, as others have pointed out, unfortunately already outdated.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really useful book, October 18, 2010

By 

energy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sustainable Energy: Choosing Among Options (Hardcover)

If you're a beginner or someone with more experience, this is the "one book" to purchase in the area of energy and sustainability. Useful, practical content at a level that allows you to refresh or build on your knowledge in the area.