Energy Sustainability

Abstract

Energy sustainability is an important component of sustainability, especially for urban regions due to their relatively large energy use. The importance of energy sustainability is due to the notable environmental impacts of energy processes and the importance of energy in economic development, lifestyles, and living standards, in combination with the pervasiveness of energy use. Many factors need to be addressed appropriately for energy sustainability, including appropriate energy sources, energy carriers, efficiency enhancement, holistic environmental stewardship, and satisfying various other sustainability factors like economics, equity, land use, lifestyle, socio-political actions, and population. In this chapter, energy sustainability definitions are reviewed and the requirements of energy sustainability are discussed, focusing on its technical, environmental, economic, social, and other dimensions. Then energy sustainability is examined, along with means for enhancing it, and energy sustainability evaluation is discussed. An illustrative urban energy system is presented.