Steven Fawkes' new book aims to explain the intricacies of the complicated but increasingly important world of energy efficiency. His work is reviewed by Stephen Hibbert.
The author provides an authoritative and comprehensive overview of all the issues and arguments in the current debate about how to overcome the barriers and create the enabling conditions to massively scale-up deployment of energy efficiency measures. This book can justifiably be styled "the definitive guide".
From the start, Fawkes sets out the guiding theme of the book: "The process of improving energy efficiency or reducing energy input for a given output is a process of technical, and/or behavioural change that is driven by technological, financial, management, social and political drivers".
With clear explanations and definitions, helpful historical facts and thoughtful opinions, he gives readers from all backgrounds the basic information about the issues, an understanding of the positions of others and the shared language that is essential for success in any multiparty problem-solving process.
If enough energy specialists, project developers, business managers, policymakers, NGOs, financiers, analysts and other stakeholders read this book, we will be one big step closer to realising the significant potential of energy efficiency.
It should be required reading for participants in all future roundtable discussions, brainstorming workshops and experts' consultation sessions which characterise so much of the current debate.
The authority to write this book comes from Fawkes' position as an internationally recognised expert in energy efficiency, new energy and clean technology (his PhD concerned the potential for energy efficiency in UK industry) and his extensive experience of working in Europe, Asia and the Americas, on a variety of projects in both the public and private sectors, as an adviser, developer and financier.
But the factor that makes this book stand out is the author's well-turned writing style, with which readers of his blog 'Only eleven percent' will already be familiar.
If enough energy specialists, project developers, business managers, policymakers, NGOs, financiers, analysts and other stakeholders read this book, we will be one big step closer to realising the significant potential of energy efficiency
He has a rare ability to present complex issues in a manner that non-specialists can understand and, with his snippets of history and choice quotations, he makes learning about this subject a pleasure.
In the opening chapter we are told that the book will be broad in scope, rather than deep in any one aspect. However, breadth rather than depth should not be confused with superficiality. This book contains more than enough material to provide readers with a solid grounding in all the main topics and, where more information is required, each chapter has extensive references and a bibliography.
While each chapter covers a distinct topic and can be read in isolation, the book is carefully structured with a wide range of newcomers from many disciplines in mind and they would be well advised to read the chapters in sequence.
After first getting to grips with the fundamentals, Fawkes then factors in issues of global energy supply trends, management techniques and processes, technology and design, finance and policies. After the first reading, the careful cross-referencing between chapters, helpful use of sub-headings, detailed index and list of abbreviations will make this the perfect handbook for those roundtable discussions.
I think that my profile will be fairly typical of most newcomers to the energy efficiency market: bringing the benefit of a background in one field, but lacking experience in other important areas.
My one regret after reading this book was that it was not written two years ago when I started to look seriously into the energy efficiency opportunity. Reading it then would have saved me much of the time my own research effort has taken me to understand the technological possibilities, break through the policy jargon and appreciate the different, but equally valid, motivations of others from diverse backgrounds.
As an aid to mobilising more people from the widest range of backgrounds quickly to tackle the challenge of unlocking the cheapest, cleanest, fastest source of energy, the 'efficiency rating' of this book is unquestionably an 'A'.
Energy Efficiency – The definitive guide to the cheapest, cleanest, fastest source of energy. By Steven Fawkes. Gower Publishing, ISBN: 978-1-4094-5359-8. £65
Book review by Stephen Hibbert, global head of energy and carbon efficiency at ING Commercial Banking. He writes in a personal capacity.
