Answer

Part 1

• Book Title: Fundamentals of Renewable Energy Processes
• Author: Aldo Vieira da Rosa
• Publisher: Amsterdam; Boston: Elsevier / AP
• Date of Publication: 2012
• I obtained the book from an online book store (amazon.com)

Author’s Background

• Aldo Vieira da Rosa was born on November 15^th, 1917 at Florianopolis in Brazil. He was the son to Jose Vieira da Rosa, a Brazilian army general and Julia Weber, from Germany.
• His early education started in Brazil where upon graduating from high school, Escola Militar de Realengo, he joined the Brazilian Air Force. In the early 1940, he relocated to Alameda Naval Air Station located at the San Francisco bay where he had a chance to study Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. Later in 1944, he married Aili Ranta, fellow Stanford Student, before moving to Havard University.
• Aldo became very active in aerospace activities in Brazil, between the years 1952-1953, he became associate professor of Electronics at an Engineering college in Sao Jose dos Campos.
• In his book ‘Fundamental of Renewable Energy Processes,’ Aldo illuninates the key principles behind all the renewable sources of energy mainly, solar, hydropower, wind, biomass and fuel cells.

Part 2: Outline Structure of the Book

The book is outlined into four main parts with 16 different chapters.

Chapter 1-3

• These chapters indicate that the book shall adopt System International (SI) units in describing different quantities of energy; define gas and describe the usefulness of temperature in establishing molecular energy of gases; and outline the different mechanical heat engines and their efficiencies.
• The main processes through which mechanical heat energies operate include compression, heat addition, heat expansion and heat rejection.

Chapters 4 – 8

• Solar radiation can be harvested through the use of the oceans. According to the chapters, oceans cover over 71 percent of the Earth’s surface. Therefore, it has the capacity required to absorb and store sunlight.
• Chapter 6 describes thermionic and its emissions in details. It asserts that, at any temperature above absolute zero, free electrons in metals move around randomly with their velocity distribution determined by temperature.
• Chapter 7 discusses Alkali Metal Thermal Electronic Converter AMTEC and explores its energy efficiencies; while chapter 8 delves into radio-noise generators.

Chapters 9 – 11

These chapters are majorly concerned with          Hydrogen.

• The process of producing hydrogen is important since the key advantages of hydrogen use such as low pollution, controllability and safety, are also discussed in this chapter.
• The techniques for storing hydrogen are explored in chapter 11 where Aldo asserts that hydrogen can either be stored as an element or be extracted on demand from hydrogen rich substance through the utilization of an onboard extraction process.

Chapters 12-14

These chapters explore diverse issues regarding solar radiation and biomass.

• Solar radiation is very unique because the sun radiates solar energy in all regions of the spectrum ranging from gamma rays to radio waves.
• There is therefore need for installation of a proper architecture that would ensure solar energy is saved and stored.
• Focus on vegetable matter that can lead to the production of clean energy in the name of biogas is essential
• It is necessary to create anaerobic aeration in the production of energy.
• It is essential to assess photovoltaic converters and their operational costs since their significance is only realized during the day on clear skies. This calls for heavy investment in energy storage systems

Chapters 15 and 16

• The only costs incurred in tapping wind and water energy include land costs, decommissioning costs and maintenance costs.

Part 3: Worldview

In assessing if the book best fits Human Exceptionalism Paradigm (HEP) or New Environmental Paradigm (NEP), it is established that the book best fits HEP. This is because, as opposed to NEP that takes the assumption that there exists interdependencies between human and nature. The book demonstrates man’s superiority to the environment. Li & Efird (2014) defines Human Exemptionalism Paradigm as the view that humans are unique from other organisms in that they are exempted from ecological principles. According to the paradigm, humans are able to manage their environment in a manner that suits their specific needs. Besides, the humans also have the capacity and means of creating the required resources. Tapping and storing of hydrogen gas through technological processes is also given as well as the techniques for harvesting both wind and water energy. The capacity of humans to possess the means to create their most needed resources is also demonstrated in the book. For instance, the modification and the use of a number of naturally available resources in creating and promoting energy efficiency are discussed at length. For instance, gold has been identified in chapter 8 is described as the most suitable metal for making capacitor plates in the radio-noise converter due to its ability to combine low emissivity with best stability at relatively high temperatures. This feature has seen a majority of capacitor plates being gold coated to promote this efficiency. Equally, the hydrogen gas as advocated for due to its numerous benefits including low pollution as its combustion produces pure water, has led to various laboratory preparation of the gas so as to raise its production and availability levels.

Other reasons for describing the book as HEP but not NEP includes the fact that it mostly focuses on ways of promoting careful exploitation of the naturally available energy resources that have been described as renewable. According to Twidell & Weir (2015), renewable energy sources are those that can be rapidly replaced through natural processes. This demonstrates that the humans are thriving to be fully in charge of their own destiny through manipulation of environmental aspects which are permanent in nature. Also, it demonstrates that they have the capability to eliminate any limitation on their path that could result from natural world such as inadequate energy due to overdependence in fossil oils.

As the book indicates, the growing human population demands the dependency on the renewable forms of energy in meeting their equally growing energy demands. Moreover, solar and wind energy have been identified to have the capacity to produce large units of energy that when efficiently stored that can promote the growth of industries a great deal. Other naturally available resources such as biomass and water have been equally depicted as essential forms of energy that people should tap to help meet the energy demands.

From the examples derived from the book, it is clear that the book is giving a scenario where humans have the right to manipulate and adjust the environment to suit their needs as indicated by the HEP. However, for the humans to reap maximum benefits from their environment there is need to study and put into practice the most suitable techniques for its conservation and management to prevent excessive pollution and greenhouse effects that would cause climate change.