Scheer Solar Economy Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future (Earthscan, 2005)
.pdfindustry 41–42, 259–267 operators 235–236
prices 28, 267–268, 282–283 renewable resources 73–74 storage plants 185
subsidies 151–152 supply chains 41–42
electrochemical accumulators 185, 186–187, 193
electrodynamic storage 189–190, 193
electrolysis 75–76, 190 electromechanical storage 188–189,
193
electrostatic storage 187, 193 emissions ix–x, 295 employment
agriculture 316, 318–319 economic development 21 megacities 125–128 technology 320–321 transition 288–290
see also labour; work energy–industrial combine 53–56 energy–minerals complex 52 environmental aspects
disasters 247–248 economic development links
21–25, 34 efficiency 156–158 fossil fuel costs 93
globalization 12–13, 117–118 standards 302–304
tackling issues 206–207 equality 31–32, 34, 291 equity 322
estimates 98–101, 105, 161–162 see also forecasts; predictions
exemption 257–258, 283, 297–301
exhaustion of resources 7, 103–105, 314, 324
exports 46, 134
extraction processes 38–44, 45, 99–101, 106–107
farming subsidies 319 fly-wheels 188
food industry 72, 299, 314–315 forecasts 94–97, 143–148
see also estimates; predictions
INDEX 343
free trade 302, 306 freight subsidies 299–300 fuel 96, 194, 196–197
fuel cells xv, 163, 193, 194–197, 204, 273, 289
fuel duty exemption 297–298, 300 fuel-efficient vehicles 51 functional separation 266–267,
282
gas see natural gas gas–chemicals–oil complex 51–52 gene patents 319–320 generation processes
comparisons 77–78, 78–81, 79 electricity 73–74
local 74–75, 78, 82 resource exhaustion 7 technologies 14–15, 63–66
GENESIS see Global Energy Network Equipped with Solar Cells and International Superconductor Grids
genetic engineering 225–230 geographical location 36, 43, 65,
66–68, 263–264, 285–286 geopolitics 105–115
Germany 64, 218, 298
global capital transfers (Tobin) tax 301
Global Energy Network Equipped with Solar Cells and International Superconductor Grids (GENESIS) 83
global governance 116 globalization
big business 15–19 concept development 12–13 cutting loose from 19–21 economic 12–14, 323
environmental damage 117–118 regionalization 285
resource dependence 9–10, 33 supply chains 37–44
governments x–xi, 305–306, 309 green electricity 265–272
green taxation schemes 256–259 grid feed-in laws 260–265
heating systems 141–142, 239–240
344 THE SOLAR ECONOMY
hidden subsidies 150–151 horizontal network integration 58 humanitarian intervention
108–109
hybrid systems 183–184 hydrocarbons 39, 42, 50, 102, 208,
209–214, 243, 245, 279, 284 hydrogen 63, 65, 75–76, 84, 88,
163, 190–191, 193, 194–195, 273, 275
hydropower 6, 8, 184, 47, 53, 63, 66, 68, 76, 82–83, 88, 130–133, 140, 144, 161, 204, 242, 251–252, 267, 272, 273, 289
hybrid systems 184
IEA see International Energy Agency ILO see International Labour
Organization implementation ix, 292–296 import revenues 134–136 incentives 253–255
see also subsidies; taxation independent electricity markets
265–269
independent solar technology see autonomous power generation
India 111, 112 indigenous resources 16 individualization 168
Industrial Revolution 17–18, 313 industrialization 294–295 industry
concentration 44–56, 88, 251 development 22–23, 91–92 electricity from renewable
resources 73–74 energy combine 53–56
heightened concentration 251 policy instruments xi–xii processing 215–218, 243, 245 resource supply chains 42–44 transition to renewable energy
276–280 inefficiency 158–159 installation rebates 258
integration 58, 72, 249–250, 252, 274, 275
international aspects agreements xiii, xvii 303,
309–310
conferences x–xi, xiv, 309 laws 304–305, 308–309, 310
International Energy Agency (IEA) 144
International Labour Organization (ILO) treaties 303–304
internationalization 59 intervention, humanitarian
108–109
Japan 179
jobs see employment
joint implementation 295, 296
knowledge 164–166
labour 209–210, 321–322, 324–325
see also employment land 220–221, 241
large-scale power plants 293–294 legislation 264–265 liberalization 48–49, 248–249 lignite 40, 100–101
lithium batteries 187
localized energy systems 130–131, 270, 271
long-distance power cables 273 long-term cashflow analysis 237 lubricants 215–217
MAI see Multinational Agreement on Investment
manufacturing processes 7, 289–290
marginalization of solutions 163 markets
analysis 171 commodities 307 demand and costs 224 global to regional 286 liberalization 248–249 prices 154, 214–215
medicine 217
megacities 121–125, 125–128 mercenary companies 108 metal ores 44
micro-power plants 155–152, 195–201, 241–242 microelectronic revolution xv
migration 120, 128–129 minerals
developing countries 135–136 energy complex 52 replacement by solar resources
219–220
reserves 6–7, 43, 102 supply chains 42–44 minimum price legislation
264–265
monocultures 221–222, 224 monopolization
food-processing industry 72 liberalization 248–249 renewable energy plants 85, 88 seed 228–229
subsidies 151–152 Multinational Agreement on
Investment (MAI) 117 municipal self-sufficiency 269–276
national grids see distribution grids national statistics 139
NATO see North Atlantic Treaty Organization
natural feedback loops 24–25 natural gas 39, 99–100, 105 natural-fibre-reinforced plastic 215,
217
negotiation-based approaches x, xii–xiii, xiv, xvii
networks 57–61, 77–78, 203–204, 271, 274–275
non-conventional oil reserves 99–100
non-renewable resources 102 North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) 110–111 northern Europe 65 nuclear industry
development 101, 165 subsidies 151, 283 supply chains 41
weapons and resource interests 113–114
oil 51–52, 99–100, 145–146 see also crude oil
oil–petrochemicals complex 50–51 on-site biomass cogeneration plants
239–240
INDEX 345
on-site generation 75, 78 operators 235–236
patents, gene 228–229, 230, 319–320
peak-load electricity 262 pest-resistant plants 227 petrochemicals 50–51, 211–218 photovoltaics (PV) see solar panels planning 124, 197–199
plastic 215, 217 political aspects
genetic engineering 229, 230 industrial concentration 47 policy instruments xi–xii resource interests 105–115 transition 250, 313
polycultures 221
polyurethane production 210–211 population 104, 128–129
power
concentration of 56–61 energy industry 266–267,
276–277
generation technologies 14–15 large-scale plants 293–294 networks 203–204
precursor materials 214 predictions 94–97
see also estimates; forecasts prices
comparisons 154, 214–215 cutting 27–28, 266, 282–283 forecasts 95
see also costs
primacy of the market 32, 34 primary economy 316–320 primary energy 140
product of labour 321–322 production
biomass 66 domestic 292–293
proximity 70, 71, 78, 130–131 renewable energy 95–96
productivity
biological resources 209–218 centralization 155–156 energy contracting model
233–234 goals 8–9 prices 153
346 THE SOLAR ECONOMY
renewable energy 81–82 profitability 233–237 prospecting 45 protectionism 286, 302
proximity of production 70, 71, 78, 130–131
PV see photovoltaics
quota systems 263–264
raw materials biodiversity 218–219
comparisons 214, 216, 225 developing countries 293 monocultures 221–222, 224 plant resources 225
rebates 258
rechargeable batteries 175–176, 177
recycling 223
redox batteries 186–187 refining processes 38–44 reforestation 207–208 regionalization 285–311 Reichstag building, Berlin 239 relative energy density 160–161 replacement of fossil fuels 148,
166–170, 218–220 see also transition
research and development subsidies 150
reserves
capacity 182–184 fossil 97–101, 105 mineral ores 102
resources access to 9
biological 207–209 dependency and wealth contrast
133–136
economic development 2–5 exhaustion 7, 103–105, 314,
324 indigenous 16
national interests 106–109 security 107–108, 118–119 solar 8, 30–31, 62–89 supply chains 42–44
responsibility 6, 168–169 revenue, import and export 134 running costs 237
SADC see South African Development Community
scientific credibility xii, 146 seasonal variations 141–142, 191 security
resource 107–108, 118–119, 319
seed supplies 228–229, 319 self-sufficiency 127–128, 239,
243, 269–276 settlement patterns 120–123 Shell forecast study 144–145
shipping industry 258, 299–300 short-term calculations of cost
237–238 social context
global governance 117–118 globalization 19–21 information 202–203 organization 120–123 standards 302–304 stratification 126 technological development
164–166
solar heating 8, 68, 85, 141–142, 191–194, 239
see also thermal storage Solar Manifesto 26–27
solar panels 74–75, 176–177, 178, 180–181, 238
solar powered electrolysis 190 solar resources, terminology 8 solar thermal power 68, 74, 76, 78,
82, 88, 161, 162, 190 sources of solar energy 8 South African Development
Community (SADC) 133 stand-alone systems 174–181 stand-by power 177–178, 180–181 standards, social and environmental
302–304, 307
statistical inadequacy 139–143 steam engine 2, 14–15, 24, 164,
172
storage of energy 182–195, 196, 199–201, 272
stranded investments 152 subsidiary companies 145–146,
267–268
subsidies 72, 149–153, 254–255, 297–301, 319
sunlight 8, 64–65, 68, 74, 80, 81, 83–85, 140, 158, 176, 194, 197, 234
see also photovoltaics; solar panels supercapacitors 187
suppliers 235, 269–276 supply chains
analysis 35–36
comparisons 29–30, 34, 35–36, 77–78, 79
energy–industrial combine 54 fossil 37–62, 120–136
solar xiv–xv, 66–82 synthetic goods 208–209, 215
taxation 51, 154, 256–259, 290–291, 297–301
technology
accessibility 324–325 conventional and renewable
contrast 147
developments xv–xvi, 2–4, 11, 164–166, 171–172
employment 320–321 fossil energy 137 marginalization 163 market rules 310
renewable energy sources 63–66, 204–205, 289–290
storage 185–195 telecommunications 58–59 thermal storage 191, 193 tidal power 63, 74, 82
Tobin see global capital transfers tax trade
barriers 287, 305 emissions permits 295–296 flows 296–301
free 302, 306 transition
awareness and action 312–313 biological resources 207–209 costs 231
current status 247–250 economic 33
independent agents 252–253 industry transformations
276–280 policies 250
INDEX 347
regionalization 288–292 see also replacement
transmission charges 267, 268–269
transnational corporations 117 transport industry 296–297
universal provision 31–32, 34 uranium reserves 101
urban
diversity 123–125 farming 127
planning 124, 197–199 urbanization 16–17, 104, 120,
121–122, 128–136 USSR 17–18, 109
vegetable oil 51, 65, 156, 184, 195, 215, 217, 218, 239, 245, 272
supply chains 70
vertical network integration 58, 72
waste 223
water power see hydropower; tidal power; wave power
water reserves 113, 314 wave power 8, 63, 68, 85
wind power xvi, 27, 64, 68, 75, 80, 82, 160, 182–184, 194, 195, 205, 240, 241, 264
hybrid systems 184
wind turbines xv, 47, 64, 75, 78, 80, 85–87, 130, 142, 146, 161–162, 163, 185, 189, 204, 241, 273, 278, 280, 289
windfarms 47, 53, 63, 86, 146, 157, 182, 184, 260, 262, 273
windmills 142 work 320–323
see also employment; labour World Bank 131–132
World Trade Organization (WTO) xv, 13, 303–304
WTO see World Trade Organization
yields 228, 244
DR. HERMANN SCHEER is a Member of Parliament for the German Government, the Deutscher Bundestag. In addition, he is President of EUROSOLAR, the European Association for Renewable Energies, and General Chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy. He has been awarded several prizes in recognition of his work and achievements, receiving the Alternative Nobel Prize in 1999, the World Solar Prize in 1998 and the World Prize for BioEnergy in 2000.