Like solar radiation, the ocean is another widely available and distributed energy source. The energy in the ocean is in part kinetic energy in the form of tides, currents, and waves, and part thermal energy from the sun stored as heat. The quantity of energy stored in the ocean is enormous but can be quite diffuse; in some cases, it is about the same as from solar radiation and, as a result, it is difficult to harness. Marine energy systems can be classified into four main groups: (more…)

Public acceptance (PA) clusters are defined by a number of rather intangible commonalties dealing with social values and public preferences. Societal values influencing the public acceptance of energy technologies include the following:

The internalization of environmental external costs. In this respect, all energy technologies with high SO2 emission intensities form the acidification cluster; (more…)