[...]... Cycle Assessment and General Systems Theory at Parthenope University in Napoli, Italy He has expertise in Energy Analysis, LCA, Environmental Accounting and Emergy Synthesis He has published over 200 papers in national and international journals and books His research in LCA covers renewable and nonrenewable energy systems (wind, geothermal, hydro, bioenergy; solar thermal and photovoltaic, hydrogen and. .. Chapter 1 Renewable and Solar Energy Technologies: Energy and Environmental Issues David Pimentel Abstract A critical need exists to investigate various renewable and solar energy technologies and examine the energy and environmental issues associated with these various technologies The various renewable energy technologies will not be able to replace all current 102 quads (quad = 1015 BTU) of U.S energy. .. density and use of energy, land, water, and biological resources References American Energy (2007) America’s Solar Energy Potential Retrieved July 9, 2007, from http://www/americanenergyindependence.com/solarenergy.html Australian Government (2007) Solar Thermal Retrieved July 9, 2007, from http://www/ greenhouse.gov.au/markets/mret/pubs/7 thermal.pdf [AWEA] American Wind Energy Association (2000a) Wind energy: ... energy in the future: hydropower, biomass, wind power, solar thermal, photovoltaics, passive energy systems, geothermal, and biogas In this chapter, I assess the potential of these 8 renewable energy technologies, including their environmental benefits and risks, and their energetic and economic costs 1.2 Hydroelectric Power Hydropower contributes significantly to world energy, providing 6% of the supply... total energy input to produce a liter of ethanol is approximately 7,570 kcal (Table 1.4) However, a liter of ethanol has an energy value of only 5,130 kcal Based on a net energy loss of 2,440 kcal of ethanol produced, 43% more fossil energy is expended than is produced as ethanol 1 Renewable and Solar Energy Technologies 11 1.10 Grasslands and Celulosic Ethanol Tilman’s research (Tillman et al 2006) has... world and US populations expected to double in the next 58 and 70 years, respectively, all the available cropland and forestland will be required to provide vital food and forest products (PRB 2006) As the growing U.S and world populations demand increased electricity and liquid fuels, constraints like land availability and high investment costs will restrict the potential development of renewable energy. .. estimate of land and water resources is needed, as these resources will be required to implement the various renewable energy technologies Keywords Biomass energy · conversion systems · ethanol · geothermal systems · hydroelectric power · photovoltaic systems · renewable energy · solar · wind power 1.1 Introduction The world, and the United States in particular, face serious energy shortages and associated... (2001) Annual Energy Outlook with Projections to 2020 Washington (DC): US Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration [DOE/EIA] U.S Department of Energy Energy Information Administration (2002) Annual Energy Outlook with Projections to 2020 Washington (DC): US Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration [DOE/EREN] U.S Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network... net greenhouse warming forcing of methanol produced from biomass Biomass and Bioenergy, 4, 405–418 Energy Economics (2007) Wind energy economics Wind Energy Manual Iowa Energy Center Retrieved March 16, 2007, from http://www /energy. iastate.edu /renewable /wind/ wem.wem13 econ.html [EPA] U.S Environmental Protection Agency (2000) AgSTAR Digest (Washington, DC: US Environmental Protection Agency) [EPA] U.S... smoke kills 30,000 1 Renewable and Solar Energy Technologies 5 people each year (EPA, 2002) However, the pollutants from electric plants that use wood and other biomass can be controlled 1.4 Wind Power For many centuries, wind power has provided energy to pump water and to run mills and other machines Today, turbines with a capacity of at least 500 kW produce most of the commercially wind- generated electricity .