Renewable Energies and European Landscapes

Renewable Energies and European Landscapes
Author: Marina Frolova
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 298
Release: 2015-06-09
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9401798435

This book provides timely, multidisciplinary cross-national comparison of the institutional and social processes through which renewable energy landscapes have emerged in Southern Europe. On the basis of case studies in these countries, it analyzes the way in which and the extent to which the development of renewable energies has affected landscape forms and whether or not it has contributed to a reformulation of landscape practices and values in these countries. Landscape is conceived broadly, as a material, social, political and historical process embedded into the local realm, going beyond aesthetic. The case studies analyze renewable energy landscapes in Southern Europe on different political and geographical scales and compare different types of renewable energy such as wind, hydro, solar and biomass power. The contributors are leading experts from Spain, France, Italy and Portugal. The book is intended for researchers, graduate students and professionals interested in geography, landscape and planning.

Water Policy and Management in Spain

Water Policy and Management in Spain
Author: Francisco González-Gómez
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2016-04-08
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1134921578

Spain is facing an increasingly difficult situation in terms of water stress. This is an issue that is due mostly to poor management practices in all sectors. Large amounts of water have been used for agricultural purposes at very low prices for too long; there is an uncontrolled use of most aquifers in rural areas which result from ineffective control by the public administration; per capita consumption continues increasing as well as water used for industrial and energy generation, the construction and tourism sectors and for recreation activities. In fact, they have all exerted additional pressure on available water resources. In order to face the above challenges, water policy has made a gradual shift towards more rational and sustainable management of water resources. This has also been influenced by the European Water Framework Directive about which, as the book discusses, there are both myths and misunderstandings. This book analyses the very complex position of all sectors in the country, the alternatives available and the challenges ahead. In so doing, it makes an important contribution to the literature on water resources management. This book was published as a special issue of the International Journal of Water Resources Development.

Renewable Energies

Renewable Energies
Author: Fausto Pedro García Márquez
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 163
Release: 2018-02-16
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3319453645

This book provides a comprehensive overview of current renewable energy technologies and their basic principles. It also addresses the financial aspects of renewable energy projects and analyzes their profitability, covering the most relevant topics for engineers, economists, managers and scientists who are actively involved in renewable energy research and management. The authors are professionals and researchers who are active in the industry, and supplement the main content with revealing case studies and best-practice examples.

Water, Agriculture and the Environment in Spain: can we square the circle?

Water, Agriculture and the Environment in Spain: can we square the circle?
Author: Lucia De Stefano
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 340
Release: 2012-10-17
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0415631521

"The world water problems are a due to bad governance, not to physical water scarcity." This book is inspired by this statement and explores whether it holds in a specific country, Spain, where climatic conditions – Spain is one of the most arid countries of the European Union - would fully justify saying that water problems are due to physical water scarcity. The metrification of water uses and their monetary value is a first important step in understanding how reallocation of water among users could help mitigating many of current water problems in Spain. However, water reallocation among users or from users to nature is far from simple. Initiatives portrayed as the solution to the water governance ‘jigsaw’ – e.g. water trade, improved water use efficiency, users collective action, public participation – are not free of difficulties and shortcomings. The book explores the growing need for maintaining Spain’s natural capital and the human component of water governance – people’s needs, wishes, (vested) interests, aspirations – that often determine the result of decisions and, sometimes, lead water management to a deadlock. This book takes a step forward in showing a more complex - and also closer to reality - picture of water governance in Spain.

OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Spain 2015

OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Spain 2015
Author: OECD
Publisher: OECD Publishing
Total Pages: 239
Release: 2015-03-02
Genre:
ISBN: 9264226885

This report evaluates Spain's progress towards sustainable development and green growth, with a focus on biodiversity and the environmental performance of the private sector.

OECD Rural Policy Reviews: Spain 2009

OECD Rural Policy Reviews: Spain 2009
Author: OECD
Publisher: OECD Publishing
Total Pages: 303
Release: 2009-06-19
Genre:
ISBN: 9264060073

The radical transformation that Spanish rural areas have experienced in the past few decades suggest a new approach to rural policy. This report looks at such issues as rural tourism, renewable energies, rural clusters, development of peri-urban areas, and service delivery.

Progress in Renewable Energies Offshore

Progress in Renewable Energies Offshore
Author: C. Guedes Soares
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 1731
Release: 2016-11-18
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 135185853X

Progress in Renewable Energies Offshore includes the papers presented in the 2nd International Conference on Renewable Energies Offshore (RENEW2016, Lisbon, Portugal, 24-26 October 2016). The scope of the book is broad, covering all aspects of renewable energies offshore activities such as resource assessment; wind energy; wave energy; tidal energy; ocean energy devices; multiuse platforms; PTO design; grid connection; economic assessment; installation and maintenance planning. The contents of the present book are organized in these main subject areas corresponding to the sessions in the Conference. The conference reflects the importance of the renewable energies offshore worldwide and is an opportunity to contribute to the exchange of information on the developments and experience obtained in concept development, design and operation of these devices. Progress in Renewable Energies Offshore has as main target academics and professionals working in the related areas of renewable energies.

Renewable Energy Policy Convergence in the EU

Renewable Energy Policy Convergence in the EU
Author: David Jacobs
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2016-03-23
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1317066316

This book examines the coordination of renewable energy policies in the European Union using an innovative theoretical approach to explain national policy making. David Jacobs asks, why are national support instruments for electricity from renewable energy sources converging, even though the harmonisation of these frameworks at the European level has failed? Which causal mechanisms lead to cross-national policy similarities? And what are the implications for policy coordination in the EU? The author traces the evolution of feed-in tariffs - the most successful and most widely used support mechanism for renewable electricity - in Germany, Spain and France. He reveals increasing cross-national policy similarities in feed-in tariff design - despite the failure of harmonizing instruments at the European level. He explains these increasing policy similarities by applying policy convergence theory. Policy convergence can occur voluntarily, based on transnational communication, regulatory competition and technological innovations and these findings have important implications for European policy steering. The key to this book is the interrelation of an innovative theoretical concept (coordination of policies in the international arena via voluntary cooperation) with a very topical empirical research focus - the promotion of renewable energies in the EU. It will be essential reading for scholars and students of environmental policy, comparative politics and European studies.

Climate Law in EU Member States

Climate Law in EU Member States
Author: Marjan Peeters
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
Total Pages: 393
Release: 2012-01-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1781002789

ÔThe book gives detailed discussions of essential EU climate law and presents profound national reports which cover the transposition of EU law and focus on national climate strategies, which are often complex and sometimes also ambitious. Comparative studies at the grassroots level are an important source of ideas and possibilities and also useful documentation both for researchers and political actors.Õ Ð Erkki Hollo, University of Helsinki, Finland ÔThis is an outstanding collection of essays by a multi-national team of leading scholars. It reminds us that in a system of multi-level governance, it is crucial to examine and appraise developments not only at the level of the European Union but also within the Member States. This task has become easier with the publication of this excellent book.Õ Ð Joanne Scott, University College London, UK The complex and multifaceted nature of EU climate legislation poses a major challenge for EU Member States. This timely book focuses on national climate action, addressing the regulatory responses required for the purposes of meeting greenhouse gas emissions reduction objectives for 2020 (and beyond). The book seeks to answer such questions as: what kind of legislative approaches should be developed to comply with EU climate law? What room for national discretion should remain? What opportunities exist to go beyond EU ambitions? In addition, distinguished authors analyse national regulatory developments across selected Member States, identifying potential areas for review and improvement. The book offers further discussion and legal analysis of core themes such as: long-term target setting; contrasting legislative approaches; instrument mixes; and key linkages between environmental and energy law. In light of the challenges confronting national legislators, this book offers important insights into the role and contribution of law towards improved climate protection, with potential lessons for countries both within and outside the EU. With this in mind, Climate Law in EU Member States will be a valuable read for policymakers and civil servants at national ministries and at the European Commission, carbon consultants and environmental non-governmental organisations, as well as for academics in and outside the EU.