Introduction to Renewable Energy
Features
- Covers all the major technologies and types of renewable energy
- Addresses the economic considerations and life cycle analyses for implementing alternative energy systems
- Explains environmental policies, standards, and incentives
- Contains appendix material explaining how population growth relates to energy consumption and currently available finite natural resources
- Includes end-of-chapter questions
Solutions manual is available upon qualifying course adoption.
Summary
As the world population grows and places more demand on limited fossil fuels, renewable energy becomes more relevant as part of the solution to the impending energy dilemma. Renewable energy is now included in national policies, with goals for it to be a significant percentage of generated energy within the coming decades. A comprehensive overview, Introduction to Renewable Energy explores how we can use the sun, wind, biomass, geothermal resources, and water to generate more sustainable energy.
Taking a multidisciplinary approach, the book integrates economic, social, environmental, policy, and engineering issues related to renewable energy. It explains the fundamentals of energy, including the transfer of energy, as well as the limitations of natural resources. Starting with solar power, the text illustrates how energy from the sun is transferred and stored; used for heating, cooling, and lighting; collected and concentrated; and converted into electricity. A chapter describes residential power usage—including underground and off-grid homes—and houses that are designed to use energy more efficiently or to be completely self-sufficient. Other chapters cover wind power; bioenergy, including biofuel; and geothermal heat pumps; as well as hydro, tidal, and ocean energy.
Describing storage as a billion-dollar idea, the book discusses the challenges of storing energy and gives an overview of technologies from flywheels to batteries. It also examines institutional issues such as environmental regulations, incentives, infrastructure, and social costs and benefits. Emphasizing the concept of life-cycle cost, the book analyzes the costs associated with different sources of energy.
With recommendations for further reading, formulas, case studies, and extensive use of figures and diagrams, this textbook is suitable for undergraduates in Renewable Energy courses as well as for non-specialists seeking an introduction to renewable energy.
Pedagogical Features:
- End-of-chapter problems
- Numerous case studies
- More than 150 figures and illustrations
- A solutions manual is available upon qualifying course adoption
Table of Contents
Introduction
Energy and Society
Types of Energy
Renewable Energy
Advantages/Disadvantages
Economics
Global Warming
Order of Magnitude Estimates
Growth (Exponential)
Solutions
Energy
Introduction
Definition of Energy and Power
Heat
Thermodynamics
Energy Dilemma in Light of the Laws of Thermodynamics
Use of Fossil Fuels
Nuclear
Finite Resource
Summary
Sun
Solar Power
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Energy Balance of the Earth
Earth-Sun Motion
Insolation
Solar Resource
Greenhouse Effect
Heat Transfer and Storage
Introduction
Conduction
Convection
Radiation
Thermal Mass
Seasonal Heating or Cooling
Thermal Comfort
Solar Heating and Cooling
Building
Passive
Windows and Glazing
Passive Heating and Cooling
Active Heating
Active Cooling
Daylighting
Hybrid and Other
Drying Agricultural Products, Lumber
Solar Cookers
Water Purification
Photovoltaics
Introduction
Physics Basics
Energy Bands
Photovoltaic Basics
Performance
Design Considerations
Installed Capacity and Production
Applications
Comments
Concentrating Solar Power
Introduction
Power Tower
Line or Linear
Dish/Engine
Point Focus
Solar Pond
Solar Systems
Introduction
Passive Systems
Hybrid Systems
Active Systems
Underground Homes
Computer Software
Other
Wind Energy
Introduction
Wind Resource
Wind Turbines
Wind Farms
Small Wind Turbines
Village Power
Wind Diesel
Other
Performance
Comments
Bioenergy
Introduction
Conversion
Heat and Power
Biofuels
Comments
Geothermal Energy
Introduction
Resource
Types of Geothermal Resources
Direct Use
Geothermal Heat Pumps
Electricity
Comments
Water
Introduction
World Resource
Hydroelectric
Turbines
Water Flow
Tides
Ocean
Other
Storage
Introduction
Pumped Hydro
Compressed Air
Flywheels
Batteries
Other Storage Systems
Hydrogen
Institutional Issues
Introduction
United States
Regulations
Environmental Issues
Politics
Incentives
Externalities (Social Costs/Benefits)
Transmission
Economics
Introduction
Factors Affecting Economics
Economic Analyses
Life-Cycle Costs
Present Worth and Levelized Costs
Externalities
Project Development
Cost (Value) of Energy, Different Sources
Summary
The Future
Appendix
A1 Mathematics
A2 Conversion
A3 Resistance to Flow of Heat
Index
Each chapter contains references, recommended resources, and end-of-chapter problems.
