PhD Thesis - Energy Systems Research Unit - University of Strathclyde

The general increase in energy consumption and overall reliance on fossil fuels
shown here are not unique to the United Kingdom. Global energy consumption
is increasing, and this is particularly noticeable in the developing nations as they
move towards industrialisation [6]. It is therefore important that, where new
energy demands are created, these are met, where possible, by sustainable and
non-polluting means, in order to stop the escalation of the already visible
environmental effects of fossil fuel use. This alone, however, will not be
enough to meet emissions targets, and reduce the environmental threat posed by
the production of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. To achieve this, the
current reliance on fossil fuels for all energy uses must be reduced, and,
eventually, eliminated. Consequently, it will be necessary to re-evaluate the
way in which energy is produced, distributed and used in the UK and
worldwide. This, however, will not happen until less expensive, easily
implemented, and equally reliable alternatives become available.
1.2 Reduction of Fossil Fuel Use
To achieve the necessary reduction in fossil fuel use, a number of measures can
be considered: -
• The electricity supply grid can be supplied with an increasing amount of
electricity generated from sustainable and non-polluting sources. This
has interesting implications for the organisation of the electricity supply
grid, which will be discussed later [7,8].
• The use of waste and biomass, or fuels derived from these, can be
considered for transportation, heating and cooking, electricity
production, and energy storage [9-13]. Due to the low energy density of
these raw materials, it is generally more prudent to use biomass and
waste sources close to their point of origin, to reduce the amount of fuel
required for their transport. If transported over large distances, more
energy may be required for transport than is actually available in the fuel
being transported!
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