Summary

Recent years have seen acceleration in the development of cleaner energy systems. In Europe and North America, many old coal-fired power plants will be shut down in the next few years and will likely be replaced by combined cycle plants with higher-efficiency gas turbines that can start up and load quickly. With the revival of nuclear energy, designers are creating smaller nuclear reactors of a simpler integrated design that could expand the application of clean, emission-free energy to industry. And a number of manufacturers now offer hybrid cars with an electric motor and a gasoline engine to charge the batteries on the move. This would seem to be the way forward in reducing transport emissions, until countries develop stronger electricity supply systems to cope with millions of electric cars being charged daily.

Greener Energy Systems: Energy Production Technologies with Minimum Environmental Impact tackles the question of how to generate enough electricity, efficiently and with minimum environmental impact, to meet future energy needs across the world. Supplemented with extensive figures and color photographs, this book:

The book defines the key elements of greener energy systems, noting that they must be highly efficient, with rapid start up and loading; produce minimum emissions; and use simpler technology. The author has more than forty years of experience as an international journalist reporting on power-generation technologies and energy policies around the world. He concludes that there is no place for coal and that combined cycle, hydro, solar, and biomass must complement nuclear energy, which must serve more applications than just generating electricity.

Choice Review

The title of this book reflects its content well; it focuses on the technologies that lead to "greener" energy systems but is not limited to those simply "green" nor even those that are "greenest." Following his chosen comparative case framing of the issues, Jeffs (Green Energy, CH, Jul'10, 47-6269), a retired energy technology/policy journalist, does a commendable job in evaluating and screening energy technologies, plants, and plans in greater detail with less hyperbole than often found in similar overview-type works. For example, the descriptions and examples of combined cycles, combined heat and power, and emerging nuclear power systems are very comprehensive and represent much of the value of the book. On environmental issues, the author takes sides only against the "green" factions opposing nuclear power systems but gives them a nod for their success in removing lead and sulfur from motor fuels. The text is replete with typographical, illustrative, and grammatical errors and quality issues, and these take away from the author's often careful and exacting technical arguments and propositions. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates, two-year technical program students, professionals/practitioners, and general readers. S. R. Walk Old Dominion University