Cost optimal and nearly zero energy performance levels are principles initiated by the European Union’s (EU) Energy Performance of Buildings Directive which was recast in 2010. These will be major drivers in the construction sector in the next few years, because all new buildings in the EU from 2021 onwards are expected to be nearly...

Thermosetting plastics are a distinct category of plastics whose high performance, durability and reliability at high temperatures makes them suitable for specialty applications ranging from automotive and aerospace through to electronic packaging and consumer products (your melamine kitchen worktop is a thermoset resin!). Recent developments...

Despite efforts to increase renewables, the global energy mix is still likely to be dominated by fossil-fuels in the foreseeable future, particularly gas for electricity and oil for land, air and sea transport. The reliance on depleting conventional oil and natural gas resources  and the geographic distribution of these reserves can have...

• a brief history of wind energy
• the...

A Smart Grid delivers renewable energy as a main source of electricity from producers to consumers using two-way monitoring through Smart Meter technology that can remotely control consumer electricity use. This can help to storage excess energy; reduce costs, increase reliability and transparency, and make processes more efficiently....

A country's vision for developing renewable and sustainable energy resources is typically propelled by three important drivers – security, cost, and environmental impact. The U.S. currently accounts for a quarter of the world’s total oil consumption, with domestic demands necessitating – at an ever growing cost – a...

In the time it takes to read this sentence, about fifteen people will be added to the world's population.  Read the sentence again, and there will be thirty. Tomorrow, each of these people will be demanding greater prosperity. Production and consumption are increasing fast but will have to grow even faster in the future to keep up...

This book provides comprehensive coverage on refrigeration systems and applications, ranging from the fundamental principles of thermodynamics to food cooling applications for a wide range of sectoral utilizations. Energy and exergy analyses as...