Energy Switch

The energy industry is changing, and it’s far more than just solar panels. Electric vehicles look to overtake gasoline-powered cars within our lifetimes, wind farms are popping up in unlikely places, traders are transforming energy into a commodity, and supercomputers are crunching vast amounts of data in nanoseconds while helping to keep our energy grids secure from hackers. The way humans produce, distribute and consume power will be cleaner, cheaper, and infinitely more complex within the next decade. In The Energy Switch, leading energy industry expert Peter Kelly-Detwilerlooks at all aspects of the transformation: how we got here, where we are going, and the implications for all of us in our daily lives. Kelly-Detwiler takes readers to the frontlines of the energy revolution. Meet Steve Collins, an executive from Commercial Development Corporation, the company that blew up two $570-million-dollar concrete cooling towers to create a staging ground for the new $70 billion U.S. offshore wind industry; Rob Threlkeld, a General Motors executive who convinced the auto giant to sign multiple 20-year renewable energy contracts worth hundreds of millions; Kevin McAlpin, a Texas homeowner who buys the power for his home on the electricity spot market – where prices can soar from less than one cent a kilowatthour to $9.00 over the course of a single day; Dr. Kristin Persson, who oversees a supercomputer that can process data at 30 quadrillion calculations per second, in the quest for better renewable energy and battery technologies; and John Davis, a Texas rancher who can keep his land intact, with help from the royalty payments from seven turbines spinning on his range. Energy creation and distribution has driven society’s progress for centuries. Today, people are increasingly aware that it is imperative that humans move towards a cleaner, digitized, and democratized energy economy. The Energy Switch is about that multi-trillion dollar transformation, told from the perspective of those leading us to that bright future.

How North America can learn from renewable energy success stories in Europe

Is it actually possible? …that we might emerge from this pandemic with a peaceful global power switch from those who have too much to those who don't have enough? With billionaires able to decide the fate of nations, private corporations more powerful and less accountable than ever, and political autocrats around the world shaking our confidence in democratic institutions, power resides in all the wrong places. And so our world is in crisis. In such moments, activists find opportunities. Not to restore the pre-crises order, but to transform it. Paul O’Brien argues that progressive activists may never have a better opportunity to rewrite economic rules, systems and outcomes in favor of those who don't have enough. His book offers practical action steps for activists who want to drive a power switch that overcomes extreme inequalities in our world.

The Rebirth of Energy Security in America ​For the first time in decades, the US has a rare opportunity to realistically reject oil supplies from other nations. It's a goal that has eluded us through eight presidencies. But recent advances in hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) technology have catapulted the US into its current position as the world's #1 oil producer, surpassing energy powerhouses like Saudi Arabia. In The Switch, Dan K. Eberhart addresses a fascinating question: What would happen if the US became energy self-sufficient? - Would the Middle East look to China as its new ally and energy buyer? - Would petrostates find new markets or would their governments collapse as their oil revenues take a free fall? - Would the US lift the crude oil export ban and help friendly nations such as Ukraine free themselves from the yoke of Russian oil? - Would the US use its newfound energy wealth to become more isolationist and remove itself from the position of "global police force?" To answer these questions--and to explore the complex relationship between the US and foreign oil producers--Eberhart uses a combination of firsthand interviews, vignettes, and reporting. The result is a clear and engaging analysis of where America's energy is coming from, where it could go, and how US energy is fundamentally shifting geopolitics and the domestic economy.

Energy. Psi, prana, mana, chi, divine power, the tao, reiki, or "vibes," every system of magic and mysticism calls the energies that power its practices by different names. Whether questioning the power of prayer or a healing session with a Reiki master an underlying question exists of whether this energy is all the same or if they exist as distinctly different "wavelengths" of some universal power? When New Agers, occultists, spiritual healers, metaphysicians, artists, and Neopagans talk about the "energies" they use, what do they actually mean? Now, for the first time, a single book discusses the vocabulary, magic, metaphysics, art, and science of energy from a multi-model, 21st century perspective. Lessons included will cover: Physical vocabulary of energy Metaphysical vocabulary of energy How the laws of magic affect energy The Importance of Focus Real Energy will then take these lessons to the next level giving you direction on how to understand and begin working with different energies. Half of the book is dedicated to showing you how to work with specific energies, including: the four elements, crystals, plants, animals, your own body, nature spirits, ancestors, and deities to accomplish your goals and enhance life experiences. Specific energy work practices are also covered, including: Reiki, The Huna System, working with "Pure" ESP and PK, Feng Shui, and the Tantra System. With tips from scientists, artists, magicians, and spiritual teachers, Real Energy will give you a solid introduction to both the theory and practice of energy work.

Switch-Mode Power Converters introduces an innovative, highly analytical approach to symbolic, closed-form solutions for switched-mode power converter circuits. This is a highly relevant topic to power electronics students and professionals who are involved in the design and analysis of electrical power converters. The author uses extensive equations to explain how solid-state switches convert electrical voltages from one level to another, so that electronic devices (e.g., audio speakers, CD players, DVD players, etc.) can use different voltages more effectively to perform their various functions. Most existing comparable books published as recently as 2002 do not discuss closed-loop operations, nor do they provide either DC closed-loop regulation equations or AC loop gain (stability) formulae. The author Wu, a leading engineer at Lockheed Martin, fills this gap and provides among the first descriptions of how error amplifiers are designed in conjunction with closed-loop bandwidth selection. BENEFIT TO THE READER: Readers will gain a mathematically rigorous introduction to numerous, closed-form solutions that are readily applicable to the design and development of various switch-mode power converters. Provides symbolic, closed-form solutions for DC and AC studies Provides techniques for expressing close-loop operation Gives readers the ability to perform closed-loop regulation and sensitivity studies Gives readers the ability to design error amplifiers with precision Employs the concept of the continuity of states in matrix form Gives accelerated time-domain, steady-state studies using Laplace transform Gives accelerated time-domain studies using state transition Extensive use of matrix, linear algebra, implicit functions, and Jacobian determinants Enables the determination of power stage gain that otherwise could not be obtained

How will the world be powered in ten years' time? Not by fossil fuels. Energy experts are all saying the same thing: solar photovoltaics (PV) is our future. Reports from universities, investment banks, international institutions and large investors agree. It's not about whether the switch from fossil fuels to solar power will happen, but when. Solar panels are being made that will last longer than ever hoped; investors are seeing the benefits of the long-term rewards provided by investing in solar; in the Middle East, a contractor can now offer solar-powered electricity far cheaper than that of a coal-fired power station. The Switch tracks the transition away from coal, oil and gas to a world in which the limitless energy of the sun provides much of the energy the 10 billion people of this planet will need. It examines both the solar future and how we will get there, and the ways in which we will provide stored power when the sun isn't shining. We learn about artificial photosynthesis from a start-up in the US that is making petrol from just CO2 and sunlight; ideas on energy storage are drawn from a company in Germany that makes batteries for homes; in the UK, a small company in Swindon has the story of wind turbines; and in Switzerland, a developer shows how we can use hydrogen to make 'renewable' natural gas for heating. Told through the stories of entrepreneurs, inventors and scientists from around the world, and using the latest research and studies, The Switch provides a positive solution to the climate change crisis, and looks to a brighter future ahead.

A real-world guide for adapting to the new energy era The Energy Disruption Triangle is a treatise on the energy revolution's real-world impacts, and a handbook for anyone looking to weather the storm. Three major technologies are already changing the energy paradigm: solar energy, electric vehicles, and energy storage. As technology continues to evolve and become more accessible to the masses, the nation's energy habits will experience a dramatic upheaval; this book provides actionable guidance to help you adapt. We are already in the beginning stages of this black swan event, and most people don't know what's coming—but it will come much sooner and much faster than anyone thinks. This book reveals the revolution happening right before our eyes, and shows you how to thrive in this new era. Learn how our energy supplies—and usage—are changing Understand why energy storage matters, and how the technology is evolving Explore the history and future of groundbreaking energy technologies Delve into the disruption of the U.S. energy supply, and the possibility of energy independence Rapidly advancing battery technology is boosting energy storage for homeowners, utilities, and electric vehicle manufacturers, stranding fossil fuels in the ground due to the high price of extraction relative to cost-effective sources such as solar and wind. Traditional energy sources are being phased out, and our nation has come to a fork in the road: uphold the status quo and allow our energy supply to be disrupted, or adapt and advance to a state of total energy independence. The Energy Disruption Triangle explores the state of U.S. energy from source to consumer, and provides insight into the three sectors that are changing the world.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • In this urgent, authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical—and accessible—plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe. Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science, and finance, he has focused on what must be done in order to stop the planet's slide to certain environmental disaster. In this book, he not only explains why we need to work toward net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases, but also details what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal. He gives us a clear-eyed description of the challenges we face. Drawing on his understanding of innovation and what it takes to get new ideas into the market, he describes the areas in which technology is already helping to reduce emissions, where and how the current technology can be made to function more effectively, where breakthrough technologies are needed, and who is working on these essential innovations. Finally, he lays out a concrete, practical plan for achieving the goal of zero emissions—suggesting not only policies that governments should adopt, but what we as individuals can do to keep our government, our employers, and ourselves accountable in this crucial enterprise. As Bill Gates makes clear, achieving zero emissions will not be simple or easy to do, but if we follow the plan he sets out here, it is a goal firmly within our reach.

Energy and Climate Change: An Introduction to Geological Controls, Interventions and Mitigations examines the Earth system science context of the formation and use of fossil fuel resources, and the implications for climate change. It also examines the historical and economic trends of fossil fuel usage and the ways in which these have begun to affect the natural system (i.e., the start of the Anthropocene). Finally, the book examines the effects we might expect in the future looking at evidence from the "deep time" past, and looks at ways to mitigate climate change by using negative emissions technology (e.g. bioenergy and carbon capture and storage, BECCS), but also by adapting to perhaps a higher than "two degree world," particularly in the most vulnerable, developing countries. Energy and Climate Change is an essential resource for geoscientists, climate scientists, environmental scientists, and students; as well as policy makers, energy professionals, energy statisticians, energy historians and economists. Provides an overarching narrative linking Earth system science with an integrated approach to energy and climate change Includes a unique breadth of coverage from modern to "deep time" climate change; from resource geology to economics; from climate change mitigation to adaptation; and from the industrial revolution to the Anthropocene Readable, accessible, and well-illustrated, giving the reader a clear overview of the topic