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International Journal of Solar Energy
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A review of: Review of the book by J. C. McVeigh
Energy around the World reviewed by J. Gretz
Version of record first published: 05 Apr 2007.
To cite this article: (1986): A review of: Review of the book by J. C. McVeigh Energy around the World reviewed by J.
Gretz, International Journal of Solar Energy, 4:1, 65-66
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Inr. I . Solar Energy, 1986, Vol. 4, pp. 65-66
0142-5919186/0401-0065$12.0010
1986 hanvood academic publishers GmbH
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Book Review
Review of the book by J. C. McVeigh "Energy around the World"
reviewed by J. Gretzt
This is a refreshingly different book amongst the abundant literature
on the energy issue. In the opening chapter, the author challenges
the reader with some basic and useful mathematics and physics to
help understand some of the concepts and terms often quoted in
articles and books. Work, power, the different forms of energy,
exergy, entropy and other terms are briefly and lucidly explained as
well as, for instance, the frequently confused different types of
growth: linear growth, compound growth and exponential growth.
This book is obviously written by someone who from long teaching
experience, knows what he is doing when he feels it necessary in the
chapter on Units and Conversion factors, to point out that
40C-2O0C=20K.
After this opening chapter there follows a chapter on the past
development of energy resources, past and present production and
consumption patterns and some projections into the future. Much
of the data used are world data, the rest mostly refers to the US or
UK, leaving a French of German reader somehow unhappy. Some
historically interesting facts are given like the Chinese having
ignited timber by the use of burning mirrors in the seventh century
BC, some five hundreds years before the famous burning of the
Roman fleet by Archimedes. A nice, almost self explanatory design
of Belidor's solar pump built in 1740 is also presented.
The author then treats, chapter by chapter, petroleum, coal, gas,
hydropower and biomass, nuclear energy, solar energy, geothermal,
wind, tidal and wave power. The different energy sources are
t Commission of the European Communities, Joint Research Centre ISPRA
(Varese), Italy.
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66 BOOK REVIEW
discussed by giving a physical description of the matter, then
looking into resources and reserves, production growth, technology
of extraction, mining, collection, health hazards and waste. Here
also, information is backed up by basic formulae illustrating the
underlaying physico-mathematical mechanism. At the end of each
chapter there is a summary followed by a useful reference list,
classroom exercises with solutions and suggestions for further
reading.
Solar energy is visibly a cherished field of the author, At plate
solar collectors enjoying 8 pages with formulae for heat collection
and efficiency determination whereas, for instance, only one page is
devoted to fusion.
The question of electricity generation costs was illustrated with
nuclear energy, some formulae and numerical values illustrating
fairly well how these costs are calculated and where the uncer-
tainties lie. It would also have been interesting to have some data
for tidal, wave and other forms of renewable energies so as to give
the reader a picture of what is one of the problems, if not the
problem with their penetration, namely economics.
To the reviewer this is amongst the very good introductions to
energy studies he has read, a well written book with essential
general and numerical information for students, teachers and
informed laymen interested in the energy issue.
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