Energy (R0)

Focusing on five key themes - hydrocarbons, electricity, mining, social license to operate, and arbitration/dispute resolution- via in-depth country and regional case studies, this book seeks to capture the contrasting and sometimes conflicting trends in energy governance in Latin America as it wrestles with a dependence on fossil fuels whilst shifting toward a low carbon future.

 Energy transition continues to sit at the centre of the Latin American policy debate as the world continues to push for carbon neutrality by 2050. Latin America is undergoing a renewable energy transition, with substantial reserves (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal) and many countries in the region setting ambitious renewable energy policies, laws, and regulations to address climate change. However, recent initiatives to promote renewables must be placed in context. Historically, Latin America has developed and improved its economic and social standards due primarily to an economy based on the extractive industries and fossil fuels. This places renewables at the crossroads of multiple drivers, as the region seek to ensure security of supply, attract investment, and facilitate a low carbon energy transition.

Energy Systems Transition: Digitalization, Decarbonization, Decentralization, and Democratization provides a thorough multidisciplinary overview of the operation of modern green energy systems and examines the role of 4D energy transition in global decarbonization mitigation efforts for meeting long-term climate goals. Contributions present practical aspects and approaches with evidence from applications to real-world energy systems, offering in-depth technical discussions, case studies, and examples to help readers understand the methods, current challenges, and future directions. A hands-on reference to energy distribution systems, it is suitable for researchers and industry practitioners from different branches of engineering, energy, data science, economics, and operation research. 

This book offers a comprehensive approach to energy systems integration (ESI) that optimizes the design and operation of energy systems, maximizing the benefits of all components while minimizing potential negative impacts. By coordinating the production, distribution, and utilization of energy from diverse sources, ESI ensures the most efficient and cost-effective fulfillment of end-users' needs.

The true value of ESI lies in its ability to harmonize interconnected systems, enabling the production and supply of energy in its various forms to achieve reliability, environmental sustainability, and economic viability at appropriate scales. Through the analysis and design of integrated energy systems, often referred to as multi-energy systems (MES), decision-makers and industry professionals gain valuable insights into the optimal strategies required to fulfill these objectives while considering contextual conditions and operational constraints.

The book explores the design, modeling, supervising, and controlling of energy systems but also examines how these approaches can be seamlessly integrated into future MES through innovative and ESI processes.

Through its comprehensive analysis and forward-thinking approach, this book serves as a vital resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to navigate the complexities of energy systems integration and leverage the potential of renewable energy for a sustainable future.

This book is a Primer about energy generation and its use in our industrial society. A majority understand that the energy generation that supports our current way of life also threatens major environmental impact. Though our situation is not imminently apocalyptic, we will have our lives significantly compromised unless we begin to deal with the challenges that our energy generation is causing. With a basic technical understanding of energy, society can make more informed decisions about its generation and use.

The book introduces energy. It describes how it’s generated, where it’s used and considerations for making it sustainable and decarbonized. Today, 80% of energy continues to be from carbon-containing fossil fuels – coal, oil and natural gas . The book sketches how this fossil energy is converted into the work used for electricity, transportation and food.  It describes how sustainable energy from sun and wind is more efficient and potentially cheaper. However, sustainable energy is difficult to store, which is a major unresolved problem in the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy. The book provides the scientific tools to begin to understand such problems and discusses approaches to make the energy system decarbonized. This book does not tell the reader which options to take, rather it provides the literacy to choose.