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Electricity is to modern civilization what blood is to the human body. Understanding how electricity works is more critical than ever as its importance grows with the increasing electrification of transport, industry, and heating.
Dr. Lars Schernikau and Prof. William H. Smith have created a comprehensive overview of how the global energy economy works with a focus on electricity.
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History of Earth’s climate over 600 million years
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Top 10 countries – electricity generation
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Overview of global primary energy and electricity
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Investment in coal less than half of wind/solar, while coal …
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Fossil fuel capex of S&P Global 1200 energy companies …
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Global investment in energy transition
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German installed power capacity, electricity production …
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Summary of shortcomings of variable “renewable” energy …
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Global wind and solar maps for Europe, Africa, and Asia
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Germany’s wind generation 25 April to 10 May …
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Laws of physics limit technological improvements for wind …
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US transmission grid growth insufficient for “Net-Zero”
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US reported electric disturbances by season
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High correlation of output for hydroelectric energy …
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Illustrating energy densities – battery versus coal
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Volumetric energy densities of hydrogen, gasoline, and …
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Arrival of the first liquid H2 carrier in Australia in 2022
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Hydrogen electrolysis and methanization (illustration)
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Global grown and mined material extractions from 1970-2024
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Embodied energy of selected construction and …
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Share of top three producing countries in production of …
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Base-material input per 1 TW generation
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Comparing mineral needs for “renewable” technologies
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Mineral demand for “clean” energy technologies …
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Physics of a heat pump
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Heat pump performance reduces as it gets colder
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IEA’s misleading LCOE comparison of intermittent solar …
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Full cost of electricity (FCOE) to society – a complete picture
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Advanced societies require high net energy efficiencies (eROI)
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The concepts of eROI and material efficiency ‒ illustrative
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Example of proposed eROI study to compare coal and solar …
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1st and 2nd Law of Thermodynamics in closed systems
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Current and future energy security in China
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Wind/solar capacity forecast for 2050 to be almost #4x …
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Global primary energy from 1750 to 2050
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Urban heat island effect – NASA’s “ECOSTRESS”
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Global primary energy from “carbon-free” sources 1965-2100
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Household income spent on energy by total household income
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Environmental impact of energy systems …
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Variable “renewable” energy does not fulfil objectives …
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Sustainable energy policy and the New Energy Revolution
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Fuels in a Thermodynamic System C-H2-O2; Conversion …
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The Thermodynamic System C-H-O-N
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Conversion of Energy Units
Book Content
01
Electricity and investments– the current situation
02
Variable “renewable” energy and storage
- Wind and solar
- Natural capacity factors
- Transmission, distribution, conditioning and black start
- Energy storage
- Hydrogen and how it compares to hydrocarbons
- Material input and embodied energy
- Primary energy and heat pumps
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COST OF ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY RETURNS (EROI)
- Full cost of electricity FCEO
- Energy return on energy invested eROI
- The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics impact on energy systems
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THE PROJECTED FUTURE OF ENERGY AND “DECARBONIZATION”
- Primary energy growth until 2050
- Energy storages and their impact on price and economic activity
- Decarbonization and “Net-Zero”
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THE REALISTIC FUTURE OF ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY
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