Selected Publications and Reference Material
▪ Basic Energy and Environment References
▪ Basic Statistical Sources
▪ Multilateral Agreements
▪ Energy Futures and Distributed Generation
▪ Renewable Energy Markets
▪ Renewable Energy Technologies
▪ Renewable Energy and Fossil-Fuel Price Risk
BASIC ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT REFERENCES
World Energy Assessment: 2004 Update, Jose Goldemberg and Thomas B. Johansson, editors (UN Development Programme, New York, 2004), 85 pp. An update to the 2000 edition (below).
World Energy Assessment: Energy and Challenge of Sustainability, UN Development Program, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and World Energy Council, edited by Jose Goldemberg (UN Development Program, New York, 2000), 508 pp. Comprehensive look by teams of dozens of authors at all dimensions of energy: technical, economic, social, environmental, security, economic, resources, future scenarios, rural energy, and policy.
Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future (Second Edition), Godfrey Boyle, editor (Oxford University Press and the Open University, 2004), 464 pp. Updated from the 1996 edition. Undergraduate course textbook on renewable energy technologies, science, economics, environmental impacts, and market issues. Used by the Open University for distance learning. The most solid book on the subject since the 1993 "Renewable Energy: Sources for Fuels and Electricity" by Thomas Johansson et al.
Energy Systems and Sustainability, Godfrey Boyle, Bob Everett, and Janet Ramage, editors ((Oxford University Press and the Open University, 2004), 638 pp. Undergraduate course textbook on energy supply and demand patterns, science, technologies, costs, environmental impacts, and social issues. Used by the Open University for distance learning.
Technologies, Policies and Measures for Mitigating Climate Change, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, edited by Robert T. Watson, Marufu C. Zinyowerea, and Richard H. Moss (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2001), 84 pp. Good summary of technology and policy options.
G8 Renewable Energy Task Force Final Report (2001). 51 pp. Multilateral effort to develop a common renewable energy promotion framework produced a report on background and policy options. There is also a separate set of detailed annexes.
Rural Energy and Development for Two Billion People, World Bank (Washington, DC, 1996). Emphasizes link between energy services and rural poverty, and considers different rural energy options for 2 billion people still unserved by electricity and other "modern" forms of energy.
Energy, Environment and Development, Jos?Goldemberg (Earthscan, London, 1996), 192 pp. Classic reference on linkage between energy and development, and look at local, regional, and global environmental impacts.
Energy as an Instrument for Socio-Economic Development, United Nations Development Programme, edited by Jose Goldemberg and Thomas B. Johansson (New York, 1995), 112 pp. Selected articles on linkages between energy and sustainable development, with emphasis on living standards, cookstoves, rural energy, biogas, and biomass.
State of the World, Christopher Flavin et al. (W.W. Norton, New York). Worldwatch Institute's annual State of the World series covers the full range of environmental issues and solutions.
Earth Policy Reader, Lester R. Brown, Janet Larsen, and Bernie Fischlowitz-Roberts, Earth Policy Institute (W.W. Norton, New York, 2002), 303 pp. A wide range of environment and policy topics, including climate change, water, population, forests, and discussion of future wind/hydrogen energy economy.
"Energy in the twentieth century: resources, conversions, costs, uses, and consequences," Vaclav Smil, Annual Review of Energy and the Environment 25: 21-51 (2000).
The UNDP Energy for Sustainable Development website contains several good general publications, as well as links to an extensive Energy for Sustainable Development Library of publications.
Note: statistical sources often lag a year or more behind the data they report, some as much as two years. The quickest sources are the BP Statistical Review of World Energy and some of the IEA publications.
Annual Energy Review 2008, U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration (Washington DC, June 2009). Comprehensive U.S. energy statistics and diagrams updated annually by June or July (last update was June 2009 for 2008 data).
International Energy Statistics Portal, U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. Comprehensive international energy statistics and diagrams.
Renewable Energy Annual 2007, U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration (Washington DC, May 2009). Basic statistics on renewable energy utilization in the U.S., next release was due May 2010 (for 2008 data).
Renewables Information 2009 -- with 2008 data, International Energy Agency (Paris, 2008). Provides comprehensive statistics on renewable energy supply, for all OECD countries.
BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2010 (London, 2010). The best set of world energy statistics by country for conventional energy forms and large hydro. Since the 2008 edition, BP began to cover non-hydro renewables.
World Development Indicators 2010, World Bank (Washington DC, 2010). Population, development, environment, and energy statistics, by country with world and regional totals.
World Resources 2008, UN Development Program, UN Environment Program, World Bank, and World Resources Institute (Washington, DC: World Resources Institute, 2008). Statistics and articles on worldwide energy resources and environmental conditions. The only edition issued since 2005 became available in mid-2008. The next edition is expected in the second half of 2010.
The International Energy Agency also publishes an annual publication for Electricity Information and World Energy Statistics.
Agenda 21: Earth Summit -- The United Nations Programme of Action from Rio, United Nations (New York, 1993), 294 pp.
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, United Nations (New York, 1992), 25 pp.
Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, United Nations (New York, 1997), 24 pp.
ENERGY FUTURES AND DISTRIBUTED GENERATION
Note: parts of this list are now something of a historical archive, although there are some recent reports included. See the futures page of this web site for more up-to-date references.
The End of Oil, Paul Roberts (Houghton Mifflin, New York 2004), 389 pp. A comprehensive and multi-sided treatment of our current energy predicament and possible ways forward. Includes material on renewables and energy futures.
Energy to 2050: Scenarios for a Sustainable Future, International Energy Agency (Paris, 2003), 224 pp. Scenarios based on possible technology and policy developments, as well as desirable futures.
The Future for Renewable Energy 2: Prospects and Directions, EUREC Agency (James and James, 2002), 268 pp.
The Solar Economy: Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future, Hermann Scheer (Earthscan, 2002), 347 pp.
Distributed Generation in Liberalized Electricity Markets, International Energy Agency (OECD, Paris, 2002), 124 pp.
Great Transition: The Promise and Lure of the Times Ahead
"Routes to a hydrogen economy," Seth Dunn, Renewable Energy World, Jul-Aug 2001, pp.19-29.
Toward a Sustainable Energy Future, International Energy Agency (Paris, 2001). 256 pp.
Distributed Generation: the Power Paradigm for the New Millennium, Ann-Marie Borbely and Jan F. Kreider, eds. (CRC Press, 2001), 400 pp.
Tomorrow's Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet, Peter Hoffman (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2001), 289 pp.
A Solar Manifesto, Hermann Scheer (James and James, London, 2001), 258 pp.
"Shell Global Scenarios to 2025" (Shell, London)
Scenarios for a Clean Energy Future, Interlaboratory Working Group on Energy-Efficient and Clean Energy Technologies, ORNL/CON-476, LBNL-44029, and NREL/TP-620-29379 (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA; and National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, 2000).
Micropower: the Next Electrical Era, Seth Dunn, Worldwatch Paper 151 (Washington, DC, 2000), 94 pp.
Transforming Electricity, Walt Patterson (Earthscan, 1997), 256 pp. Walt Patterson has recently published a series of working papers called "keeping the lights on" that build upon the the book: Working Paper 1 -- Overview: The Electric Challenge, Working Paper 2 -- Generating Change, and Working Paper 3 -- Networking Change.
Keeping the Lights On, Walt Patterson (London, Earthscan, 2007), 208 pp.
Power Surge: Guide to the Coming Energy Revolution, Christopher Flavin and Nicholas Lenssen, Worldwatch Institute (W.W. Norton, New York, 1994), 382 pp.
Note: parts of this list are now somewhat historical. See the Renewables Global Status Report page and the Sources of Information page of this web site for links to more up-to-date references.
Biofuels Barometer, EurObserv'ER, Systemes Solaires issue no. 167 (June), pp.39-50 (2005).
Solar Thermal Markets in Europe 2006, European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) (Brussels, 2007).
Solar Heating Worldwide: Markets and Contribution to Energy Supply 2004, W. Weiss, I. Bergmann, G. Faninger (International Energy Agency Solar Heating and Cooling Program, Paris, 2006).
Renewable Energy Markets and Policies in the United States, Eric Martinot, Ryan Wiser, and Jan Hamrin (Center for Resource Solutions, San Francisco, 2005).
100 years of renewable electricity¡ªgeothermal power production, John Lund, Renewable Energy World 8(4): 252-2599 (2005).
PV market update¡ªglobal PV production continues to increase, Paul Maycock, Renewable Energy World 8(4): 86-99 (2005).
BTM International Wind Energy Development WORLD MARKET UPDATE 2006
Renewable Energy in Europe: Building Markets and Capacity, European Renewable Energy Council EREC, Brussels (James and James, London, 2004), 202 pp. Technology developments, R&D, markets, costs, employment, and industry, sorted by technology. Here is a summary.
Renewable Energy: Market and Policy Trends in IEA Countries, International Energy Agency (Paris, 2004), 668 pp. This reference compendium is the most comprehensive view of renewable energy ever produced for the 26 IEA member countries. For each country, it provides a summary of renewable energy market status, energy supply contribution, R&D trends, market and policy trends, and a chronological description of the policies that have affected renewable energy. Also contains a 60-page overview of these same topics for the group of IEA countries as a whole.
Biofuels for Transport: An International Perspective, Lew Fulton, Tom Howes, and Jeffrey Hardy (International Energy Agency, Paris, 2004), 216pp. Excellent treatment of biofuels technologies, costs, market issues, and existing and past policies from around the world. Bibliography of more than 150 references.
Solar Photovoltaics in Africa: Experiences with Financing and Delivery Models, Martin Krause and Sara Nordstrom, editors (UN Development Programme, New York, 2004), 96 pp. Lays out the different financing and delivery models for rual solar systems, and provides case studies and analyses addressing the pros and cons of different models.
Advancing Bioenergy for Sustainable Development: Roles for Policymakers and Entrepreneurs, S. Kartha, G. Leach, S.C. Rajan. Report prepared for the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP) of the World Bank (Stockholm Environment Institute, Stockholm, 2005).
Renewables for Power Generation (2003), 189 pp. Technology descriptions, detailed cost analyses, market overviews, and future prospects for all renewable energy power generation technologies--small hydro, solar PV, concentrating solar, biopower, geothermal, and wind.
Renewables in Russia, International Energy Agency (Paris, 2003), 116 pp. Renewable energy market opportunities, prospects, benefits, and overall context.
Open for Business: Entrepreneurs, Clean Energy, and Sustainable Development, UN Environment Programme and the United Nations Foundation (Paris, 2003), 32 pp. Rural energy markets for renewable energy and new entrepreneurial approaches.
The Global CSP Market -- Its Industry, Structure and Decision Mechanisms, Hajo Wenzlawski, Master's Thesis (University of Hamberg, Germany, 2003), 80 pp.
Handbook of Renewable Energies in the European Union: Case Studies of all Member States, Danyel Reiche, ed. (Peter Lang Publishing, Bern, Germany, 2002), 270 pp.
Environmental Policy: Renewable Energy--Current German and European Legislation and More. Publication 6108. German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (2002), 69 pp.
"Renewable energy markets in developing countries," Eric Martinot, Akanksha Chaurey, Debra Lew, Jose Roberto Moreira, and Njeri Wamukonya, Annual Review of Energy and the Environment 27: 309-348 (2002).
Biomass energy in Asia: a review of status, technologies and policies in Asia, S.C. Bhattacharya. Energy for Sustainable Development 6(3): 5-10 (2002).
Technology Transfer for Renewable Energy: Overcoming Barriers in Developing Countries, Gill Wilkins (Earthscan, London, 2002), 256 pp.
Energy for the Poor, UK Department for International Development (DFID) (London, 2002), 32 pp.
Natural Selection: Evolving Choices for Renewable Energy Technology and Policy, United Nations Environment Programme (Paris, 2000), 36 pp. Basic introduction to technologies and policy options.
Renewable Energy Essentials series by the International Energy Agency, for wind, concentrating solar thermal power, and solar heating and cooling, plus information contained in the "technology roadmaps."
US Department of Energy -- Energy Information Portal
US National Renewable Energy Laboratory -- Renewable Energy Basics
Renewable Energy World -- Renewable Energy Technology Basics
Natural Selection: Evolving Choices for Renewable Energy Technology and Policy, United Nations Environment Programme (Paris, 2000), 36 pp. Basic introduction to technologies and policy options.
Energy Technology Indicators, European Commission (EC), Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS) (2002).
Renewable Energy: Its Physics, Engineering, Environmental Impacts, Economics, and Planning, Bent Sørensen (Academic Press, San Diego and London, 2002), 912 pp.
"Renewable energy technologies," WC Turkenburg et al, in World Energy Assessment: Energy and the Challenge of Sustainability, J. Goldemberg et al., eds. (UN Development Programme, New York, 2000).
"The Environmental Imperative for Renewable Energy: An Update," Adam Serchuk, Renewable Energy Policy Project Special Report (Washington, DC, 2000), 36 pp. The "Executive Summary" of this report contains a nice 3-page table comparing major life-cycle environmental impacts of renewable energy with conventional forms of energy.
Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future, Godfrey Boyle, ed. (Oxford University Press/Open University, 1997), 479 pp.
"Renewable Energy Technologies: A Review of the Status and Costs of Selected Technologies," Kelsum Ahmed. World Bank Technical Paper 240 (Washington, DC, 1994), 169 pp.
Renewable Energy: Sources for Fuels and Electricity, Thomas B Johansson, Henry Kelly, Amula KN Reddy, Robert H Williams, eds. (Island Press, 1993), 1160 pp.
RENEWABLE ENERGY AND FOSSIL-FUEL PRICE RISK
"Determining the real cost: why renewable power is more cost-competitive than previously believed," Shimon Awerbuch, Renewable Energy World 6(2): 53-61 (Mar/Apr 2003).
Accounting for Fuel Price Risk: Using Forward Natural Gas Prices Instead of Gas Price Forecasts to Compare Renewable to Natural Gas-Fired Generation, M. Bolinger, R.H. Wiser and W. Golove, LBNL-53587 (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 2003), 72 pp. There is also an Executive Summary.
Comparing the Risk Profiles of Renewable and Natural Gas Electricty Contracts: A Summary of the California Department of Water Resources Contracts, D. Bachrach, R.H. Wiser, M. Bolinger and W. Golove, LBNL-50965 (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 2003), 108 pp.
"Power price stability: what's it worth? The value of renewables as a physical hedge against natural gas price movements," Brandon Owens (Boulder, CO: Platts Research and Consulting, 2003).