Although technology change (usually involving an improvement in energy efficiency) is not inherently a geographic process, it does not occur uniformly over geographic space. Consequently, mathematical modeling and behavioral and innovation diffusion studies by geographers have improved our understanding of the pervasive phenomenon of technology energy efficiency change in energy markets. Similarly, creative government policies in Germany since 1990 have led to a faster rate of adoption of renewable energy sources, compared to the United States. (more…)
The development of the ‘‘new’’ wind and solar technologies is of great importance for the future contribution of RESs to energy sup ...
Renewable energy sources cannot run out and causes so little damage to the environment that its use does not need to be restric ...
In Europe, modern renewable energy sources technologies were explored thoroughly for the first time after the oil embargo/ price cr ...
Government expenditures on energy R&D, energy conservation have risen steadily over the past decade, but only two countries, Japan ...
"Spain has great potential but lack geothermal legislation and investment." Besides being clean, renewable and friendly, easily man ...
Reductions in carbon intensity, C/E, the carbon emitted per unit of energy generated, reflect the degree to which societies decarbonize their energy sources. The long-term trend has been a shift from coal to oil to natural gas––hydrocarbons with decreasing C/H ratios emitting progressively less CO2 per joule. However, the increasing use of clean low-carbon fuels is not sustainable without somehow disposing of excess carbon because it opposes the trend in the abundance of fossil fuels, with coal resources being the most abundant followed by oil and gas. (more…)
The global cycling of carbon involves both biological and physical processes. Only the biological components are discussed here. Pl ...
The flux of carbon among terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric pools is at least partially controlled by photosynthetic process ...
It is of interest to examine potential sources of greenhouse gases sources or atmospheric CO2 by analysis of the global distrib ...
Climate change caused by the enhanced greenhouse effect is one of the most significant global environmental issues. Increased emiss ...
The global carbon cycle involves both biological and physical processes. Only the biological components are discussed here. Pla ...
The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) has offered, and the European Commission (EC) has accepted, a voluntary commitment to reduce the CO2 emissions from new light-duty passenger vehicles, with firm fleetwide targets of 140 g CO2 /km (B41 mpg for gasoline) by 2008, measured under the new European test cycle (Directives 93/116/EC and 99/100/EC). This represents approximately a 25% reduction from the 1995 average of 187 g/km (B30 mpg) on this cycle. The European cycle is likely to produce lower fuel economy ratings than the U.S. combined urban/ highway cycle, so the ‘‘U.S. equivalent’’ miles per gallon ratings of the year 2008 European fleet will likely be higher than 41 mpg if the targets are met. (more…)
Although the automotive industry is a vigorous sponsor of research and development in vehicle efficiency technology—worldwide, ...
Addressing global warming, however, is a highly complex and daunting endeavor. Many climate experts have urged the world to stabili ...
We know of no studies that have examined vehicle taxation incentives programs elsewhere in the world, but it seems likely that ...
A variety of information programs exist in the major automobile markets to assist potential purchasers of new cars in comparing fue ...
There are various and somewhat complementary reasons to foster the growth of renewable energy sources in Europe. A major incent ...
The age of industrialization came into full force through the modern exploration and use of fossil fuels. As one of its most striking phenomena, the rapid expansion of cities throughout the late 19th and the 20th centuries was a direct outcome of the fossil fuel energy economy as well. (more…)
The aim is to work with cities in advancing renewable energy technologies and systems and to help promote the renewable energy indu ...
The Solar City approach originally emerged from a new generation of International Energy Agency (IEA) energy research and developme ...
In the absence of useful and established patterns of practice, a search is under way for new means of reconciling local government’ ...
As a reaction to these historical perspectives, the building industry has witnessed a certain rise in design responses to regio ...
Climate change caused by the enhanced greenhouse effect is one of the most significant global environmental issues. Increased emiss ...
Foundations have made good progress on the energy front, but huge gaps remain. Promising technologies in energy production and use today prove that the prospects for an affluent but low-carbon society are good. But the U.S. and the world economies continue to run primarily on oil and coal. As the largest consumer and producer of energy in the world, the United States has the responsibility to lead the transition to cleaner energy technologies. (more…)
Not surprisingly, most Energy Research and Development takes place in industrialized countries where both the public and private se ...
World energy use has increased steadily over the past several decades. Much of the growth in world energy consumption has been ...
The development of the ‘‘new’’ wind and solar technologies is of great importance for the future contribution of RESs to energy sup ...
Germany is considered a world leader in wind energy deployment, with electricity production from wind having gone up more than eigh ...
Recently, attention to energy efficiency has been gaining momentum. The attention given by policy maker is mainly due to concer ...
Beginning at the end of the technological change process, research has consistently shown that diffusion of new, economically superior technologies is never instantaneous. A new technology is adopted at first gradually and then with increasing rapidity, until at some point its saturation in the economy is reached. The explanation for this typical path of diffusion that has most relevance for energy conservation investments is related to differences in the characteristics of adopters and potential adopters. This includes differences in the type and vintage of their existing equipment, other elements of the cost structure (such as access to and cost of labor, material, and energy), and their access to technical information. (more…)
There are typically costs of adoption that are not included in simple cost-effectiveness energy calculations. It is by no means cos ...
Many readers may be unfamiliar with the way economists typically view the process of technological change, thus it is useful to fir ...
Recently, attention to energy efficiency has been gaining momentum. The attention given by policy maker is mainly due to concer ...
Energy efficiency is defined here to mean energy services provided per unit of energy input (for example, gallons of water hea ...
Another possible non-market-failure explanation for the energy efficiency gap is associated with the fact that even if a given tech ...
Recently, attention to energy efficiency has been gaining momentum. The attention given by policy maker is mainly due to concerns about climate change emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels. Particular attention has been paid on how the role of technological improvements in energy efficiency can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions. (more…)
Another possible non-market-failure explanation for the energy efficiency gap is associated with the fact that even if a given tech ...
Not surprisingly, most Energy Research and Development takes place in industrialized countries where both the public and private se ...
Beginning at the end of the technological change process, research has consistently shown that diffusion of new, economically ...
Energy efficiency is defined here to mean energy services provided per unit of energy input (for example, gallons of water hea ...
Energy performance ratings tell what the energy performance of a building is, but if the energy performance of a building is to be ...