Muditha Abeysekera

Scientists and policymakers worldwide recognise that continuing to use fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) to produce useful energy with the inevitable emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses is leading to changes in the world's climate with potentially catastrophic consequences. Both mitigation of the emissions of greenhouse gases as well as adaptation to the changing environment are urgently required to manage the worst effects of climate change. Limiting greenhouse gas emissions from thermal energy is a key part of the solution, with its own set of challenges and opportunities. Widespread use of technologies for transporting and storing thermal energy is needed. District heating and cooling networks are well established in some countries but are now being adopted much more widely. Low carbon thermal energy can be sourced from heat pumps, combined heat and power plants using renewable fuels, and from waste heat, increasingly from IT facilities. Technologies exist at various power levels and timescales. Energy storage materials range from water and concrete to phase change materials. Thermal Energy Networks and Storage discusses thermal energy networks and thermal energy storage as well as buildings that maintain comfortable temperatures with minimum energy requirements. Chapters systematically cover these topics, and then the necessary integration of thermal energy and electricity networks. This book has been written with an audience of research and development professionals, providers of thermal energy network components as well as academic researchers in mind. It will also be a valuable reference for undergraduate and postgraduate students with an interest in thermal energy.

This book investigates the role of gas networks in future low-carbon energy systems, and discusses various decarbonisation pathways, providing insights for gas network operators, developers, and policy makers. As more countries around the world move towards low-carbon energy systems and increase their exploitation of renewable energy sources, the use of natural gas and the associated infrastructure is expected to undergo a substantial transformation. As such there is a great uncertainty regarding the future role of gas networks and how they will be operated in coming years. The topics addressed include:Fundamentals of gas network operationThe impact of variable renewable electricity generation on the operation and expansion of gas networksThe impact of decarbonising heat supplies on gas networksOpportunities and challenges of utilising gas networks to transport alternative low-carbon gases such as bio-methane and hydrogen