Transition to Sustainable Energy Technologies: Pathways, Sources, Mobility

by Carlo Villante, Sonia Dell'Aversano, Stefano Ranieri

Overview

This book explains the challenges related to global energy transition, focusing on decarbonization, renewable technologies, and sustainable mobility. It offers a comprehensive exploration of integrated socio-economic, environmental, and technological perspectives and provides actionable solutions and practical pathways for transitioning to sustainable energy systems. Designed to be used in short academic courses, this textbook is an excellent foundational text for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in engineering and environmental sciences taking specialized courses in energy systems, renewable technologies, climate change mitigation, and environmental impacts. It is also a great resource for professionals and policy makers involved in energy projects.

Features:

• Offers an interdisciplinary approach to energy transitions combining theoretical frameworks with practical applications.
• Explores the full spectrum of energy systems, comparing conventional to renewable sources, energy vectors, and energy-storage technologies.
• Incorporates real-world data from leading institutions and integrates key historical milestones like the Paris Agreement with forward-looking trends.
• Highlights cutting-edge innovations, including solar and wind energy, hydrogen, energy-storage systems, synthetic fuels, and smart grids, and emphasizes their integration into energy systems and sustainable mobility solutions.
• Bridges the gap between socio-economic, environmental, and technological perspectives.

The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781040395721
Publisher:	CRC Press
Publication date:	06/27/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	402
File size:	94 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Carlo Villante is the Lead and Corresponding Author of this book. He is an Associate Professor at the University of L’Aquila, Italy. He has 25 years of teaching experience in Sustainable Energy Technologies, Mobility and Propulsion Systems. He also worked as a researcher at ENEA (Italian National Agency for Energy, New Technologies, and Sustainability). He founded CITraMS - Research Centre on Sustainable Mobility and Transportation (involving more than 50 professors and researchers.), serving as Vice-Director and Board Member.

Sonia Dell’Aversano is a young researcher who earned her B.Sc. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering at the University of L’Aquila in 2019 and 2022, respectively. She is currently a Ph.D. researcher at the University of L’Aquila, focusing mainly on e-Fuels synthesis and experimental testing in collaboration with ENEA, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development.

Stefano Ranieri earned his B.Sc. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering at the University of L’Aquila in 2016 and 2019, respectively. He completed a Ph.D. in Internal Combustion Engines in 2022 at the University of L’Aquila in collaboration with the Internal Combustion Engines Institute of the CNR (Italian National Research Centre). He published about 20 technical papers. He is an Energy Expert Operator at ESC (Energy Systems Consulting) in Italy.

Table of Contents

Part I: Energy Transition: History, Issues, Policies and Pathways, KETs. I.1. Sustainable Development. I.2. Energy Systems. I.3. Energy Dependency. I.4. Energy Sources' Exhaustibility. I.5. Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming. I.6. Global Warming Effects and Related Issues. I.7. Decarbonization Policies Design – The Kaya Identity. I.8. Decarbonization Pathways. I.9. Small Space-Time Scale Environmental Impacts. I.10. Energy Transition to Sustainable Energy Systems. I.11. Key Enabling Technologies for Energy Sources Conversion. I.12. Sustainable Choice of Energy Carriers. I.13. Key Enabling Technologies for Final Energy Uses. Part II: Sustainable Energy Sources: Characteristics, Key Conversion Technologies. II.1. Sustainable Energy Sources' Characteristics. II.2. Solar Energy. II.3. Wind Energy. II.4. Hydro Energy. II.5. Geothermal Energy. II.6. Biomass, Biofuels, and e-Fuels. Part III: Sustainable Mobility: Section Evolution, Propulsion Systems. III.1. Sustainable Mobility Issues. III.2. Vehicular Energy Power Requirements. III.3. ICEs and Their Local and Global Impact. III.4. Alternative Fuels for ICEs. III.5. Vehicle Electrification. III.6. Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs). III.7. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). III.8. Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs).

Editorial Reviews

With the global focus on transitioning to sustainable energy systems, this book fills a critical gap by integrating technical, socio-economic, and environmental perspectives. Its structured approach provides readers with both foundational knowledge and practical insights, which are essential for addressing contemporary challenges in energy transition and sustainable mobility. The book merges technical, policy, and environmental dimensions to provide a detailed exploration of renewable energy sources and sustainable mobility. Real-world data and figures support the content of the book, throughout – this book is an excellent source of detailed technical information for students and professionals in energy systems, sustainability, and mobility studies.

Giorgio Rizzoni, Professor, The Ohio State University, USA

This book is a timely contribution to the literature, as it provides an easy-to-read summary of the state of the art in sustainable energy technologies. The book aims to present a holistic approach that brings together social, economic, environmental, and technical aspects of the energy transition issue. I believe it will be useful to experts, as a relevant and comprehensive go-to reference, and researchers or students entering the topic of sustainable energy technologies for the first time.

Michele Barbato, Professor, University of California, Davis, USA

I wholeheartedly endorse Transition to Sustainable Energy Technologies by Carlo Villante and his collaborators, a compelling and insightful exploration of the pathways to a sustainable energy system. This book is an essential read for anyone interested in understanding the complexity of the global energy transition, offering historical perspective, socio-economic insight, environmental considerations, and technical expertise. In contrast with most existing literature, Transition to Sustainable Energy Technologies does not focus on specific technologies or policies but aims at presenting the broader context of energy sustainability with a holistic viewpoint. It is not just informative but also engaging for those passionate about building a sustainable future.

Antonio Sciarretta, IFP Energies Nouvelles, France

Transition to Sustainable Energy Technologies offers a valuable and interesting roadmap toward a sustainable society. The authors’ approach is useful for academics, industry leaders, and policymakers interested in sustainable energy solutions. Carlo Villante and his co-authors have created a fundamental and well-researched, insightful guide that bridges the gap between theory and practice, providing a clear vision for the future of sustainable mobility and energy. A good balance into decarbonization and fitness solutions for future mobility.

Bianca Maria Vaglieco, Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche-Stems, Italy

In Transition to Sustainable Energy Technologies, Carlo Villante and his co-authors dissect the challenges of the energy transition, covering history, policy, and cutting-edge technologies. The book is a valuable contribution to the literature on energy transition and sustainability. It not only presents a rigorous analysis of energy systems but also offers actionable insights into decarbonization and mobility solutions. A vital reference for business leaders, professionals, engineers, researchers, policymakers, and ordinary people looking at science, data, and technology for a sense of direction to a greener tomorrow.

Claudio Santoni, Managing Director, Aston Martin Performance Technologies, Silverstone, UK

From the Publisher