Sustainable Energy for All: Transforming Commitments to Action Lessons Learned and Actions for the Future

Energy crisis is one of the most pressing issues of our century. The world currently invests more than $1 trillion per year in energy, much of it going toward the energy systems of the past instead of building the clean energy economies of the future. Effectively, the provision of energy should be such that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Investment in sustainable energy is a smart strategy for growing markets, improving competitiveness, and providing greater equity and opportunity. Sustainable energy has two key elements - renewable energy and energy efficiency. The promise of renewable energy can only be realised through significant R&D investments on technologies such as solar, biomass, wind, hydropower, geothermal power, ocean energy sources, solar-derived hydrogen fuel coupled with energy storage technologies necessary to operate them competitively. Energy efficiency has a profound effect on productivity, ensuring universal access to modern energy services, health, education, climate change, food and water security and communication services. This book is an extended and updated version of 15 papers presented at the 3rd Triennial International Workshop on ‘Sustainable Energy for All: Transforming Commitments to Action’ organised by the Centre for Science & Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre) jointly with the Society of Energy Engineers and Managers (SEEM), Trivandrum, India, and in association with the Christ University Faculty of Engineering, Bangalore, India during 22-24 February 2014 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. The papers included in the publication emphasise upon the need to take further action for sustainable management of energy requirements and efficient use of available resources, as well as the transfer of advanced technology to developing countries and countries with economies in transition for providing efficient and wider use of new and renewable sources of energy.