Review of Encyclopedia of Energy Engineering and Technology by Barney L. Capehart

The three-volume Encyclopedia of Energy Engineering and Technology is an imposing 1,936-page collection of more than 190 timely and informative articles on a broad range of energy engineering topics. The Encyclopedia offers a useful reference for energy managers, researchers, teachers, engineers, designers, consultants, and policymakers. The Encyclopedia’s editor, Barney Capehart, of the University of Florida, Gainesville, is an experienced and highly regarded energy engineering professional. Individual articles were written by over 300 researchers and practitioners in the field. A review of their credentials indicates that they are well qualified and well chosen. The project was sponsored by the Association of Energy Engineers AEE . Although the articles are presented in alphabetical order by title, superficially similar to the design of a traditional encyclopedia, articles are not grouped by shared topic areas. Finding information on a given subject can be a bit tricky in a publication of this size, which covers such a broad range of topics. For this reason, the topical table of contents, beginning on page xxi immediately after the table of contents, becomes an indispensable search tool. The topical table of contents groups individual articles into seven broad categories, each further divided into subcategories. For instance, checking the topical table of contents, Section I, “Energy, Energy Sources, and Energy Use,” we find the subcategory “Renewable Energy.” Under this heading, in turn, the reader finds references to relevant articles scattered throughout the Encyclopedia’s nearly 2,000 pages, among them “Biomass” listed under “B,” on p. 86 ; “Geothermal Energy Resources” listed under “G,” on p. 744 ; and “Wind Power” listed under “W,” on page 1607 . The seven larger groupings listed in the topical table of contents are 1. “Energy, Energy Sources, and Energy Use”: Topics include historical and technical background, fossil fuels, nuclear and renewable energy sources, and fuel cells. 2. “Principles of Energy Analysis and Systems/Economic Analysis of Energy Systems”: Financial and economic analysis topics are covered, as well as principles of electric and thermal energy systems. 3. “Utilities, Suppliers of Energy, and Utility Regulation”: Topics include electric supply systems, utility rate structures and bill analysis, and regulatory issues. 4. “Facilities and Uses of Energy”: The largest section, with topics in the areas of the building envelope, HVAC systems, heat recovery, industrial facilities, space heating, lighting and motors, and steam and boiler systems. 5. “Energy Management”: Another large section, which covers energy auditing and benchmarking, codes and standards, energy management programs, energy savings projects, commissioning, and measurement and verification of energy savings. 6. “Current Energy and Environmental Issues”: A small section covering environmental regulation and sustainable buildings. 7. “Transportation and Other Energy Uses”: A small catch-all section. Experienced energy engineering professionals with solid background knowledge are best equipped to use this publication. In some cases, sufficient background information necessary for a newcomer to the field is not given. For example, the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning HVAC section includes detailed articles on subjects such as “Cold Air Retrofit: Case Study”; “Cooling Towers”; “Geothermal Heat Pump Systems”; and “Thermal Energy Storage,” to name 4 of 11 useful and current topics covered in the HVAC section. However, the Encyclopedia does not include a big-picture analysis with an introduction to the basic concepts of HVAC. Such an overview would be very helpful, if not essential, for a beginner hoping to make sense of the individual articles. Reading through the Encyclopedia, I first focused on a number of pieces that covered topics with which I was familiar, looking for accuracy and completeness. I found both. Then I read articles about which I knew little. I found these to be written with reasonable clarity and generally easy to understand. Graphics, though black and white and a bit grainy, were well chosen and helped to clarify and enhance the material. In summary, the Encyclopedia of Energy Engineering and Technology presents a comprehensive and up-to-date collection of useful, well-written, and well-researched articles on a broad range of topics in the field of energy engineering. Although not quite an “encyclopedia” in the traditional sense, this impressive threevolume set fills a void in the publications currently available and represents a welcome resource for the energy engineering professional.