The utilisation of renewable energies is not at all new; in the history of mankind renewable energies have for a long time been the primary possibility of generating energy. This only changed with industrial revolution when lignite and hard coal became increasingly more important. Later on, also crude oil gained importance. Offering the advantages of easy transportation and processing also as a raw material, crude oil has become one of the prime energy carriers applied today. Moreover, natural gas used for space heating and power provision as well as a transportation fuel has become increasingly important, as it is abundantly available and only requires low investments in terms of energy conversion facilities. As fossil energy carriers were increasingly used for energy generation, at least by the industrialised countries, the application of renewable energies decreased in absolute and relative terms; besides a few exceptions, renewable energies are of secondary importance with regard to overall energy generation.

This book discusses renewable energy resources and systems as well as energy efficiency. It contains twenty-three chapters over six sections that address a multitude of renewable energy types, including solar and photovoltaic, biomass, hydroelectric, and geothermal. The information presented herein is a scientific contribution to energy and environmental regulations, quality and efficiency of energy services, energy supply security, energy market-based approaches, government interventions, and the spread of technological innovation.

This book deals with the emerging generation of renewable energy technologies, covering solar energy (photovoltaic, thermal and thermodynamic energy conversion), wind energy, marine energy, small hydropower, geothermal energy, biofuels, biogas and the use of wood as a substitute for fossil fuels.

This book, consisting a series of papers written by experts in their respective fields of specialization, will provide a comprehensive coverage of renewable energy technologies, such as wind, wave and solar thermal energy. Other industrial terms like photovoltaic systems, biomass, distributed generations and small hydro power systems are also discussed and further elaborated upon. The Handbook of Renewable Energy Technology will be of great practical benefit to professionals, scientists and researchers in the relevant industries, and will be of interest to those of the general public wanting to know more about renewable energy technologies.

Recent Advances in Renewable Energy Technologies is a comprehensive reference covering critical research, laboratory and industry developments on renewable energy technological, production, conversion, storage, and management, including solar energy systems (thermal and photovoltaic), wind energy, hydropower, geothermal energy, bioenergy and hydrogen production, and large-scale development of renewable energy technologies and their impact on the global economy and power capacity. Technological advancements include resources assessment and deployment, materials performance improvement, system optimization and sizing, instrumentation and control, modeling and simulation, regulations, and policies.Each modular chapter examines recent advances in specific renewable energy systems, providing theoretical and applied aspects of system optimization, control and management and supports them with global case studies demonstrating practical applications and economical and environmental aspects through life cycle analysis. The book is of interest to engineering graduates, researchers, professors and industry professionals involved in the renewable energy sector and advanced engineering courses dealing with renewable energy, sources, thermal and electrical energy production and sustainability. - Focuses on the progress and research trends in solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower and geothermal energy production and conversion - Includes advanced techniques for the distribution, management, optimization, and storage of heat and energy using case studies

This exciting new resource presents comprehensive coverage of renewable energy technologies and resources. The book focuses on solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal, wind, hydro and tidal energy technologies, and describes the scientific principles and physical systems used for the harvesting and harnessing of these resources. The environmental and economic impacts of using these methods are also explained by using worked examples, exercises and suggested laboratory experiments. Photovoltaics and the modeling of these systems are discussed in depth, along with the environmental and social issues of utilizing a specified biomass as an energy source. Readers will also learn how to effectively calculate the cost and payback time for a given renewable energy plant by understanding the factors affecting the cost of generating electricity from a renewable energy system. Simulations using ORCAD and Simulink are included. Based on the author’s experience in the field of development and delivery of renewable energy models, this book provides concise, practical solutions that will appeal to both student and professional practitioners.

The International Conference on New and Renewable Energy Technologies for Sustainable Development held in Ponta Delgada, Azores (2002), Portugal, has provided technology specialists and hardware developers with the opportunity to discuss, review and demonstrate the research directions, the design methodologies, and the production techniques leading to cost- effective energy technologies for sustainable development. This dialog provides the context for more detailed technical presentations and panel discussions on energy systems, renewable resource exploitation, and the engineering design and optimisation for minimum resource consumption. The papers included in this volume are selected from those presented at the conference reflecting to present the state-of-the-art developments in the field. The selection of papers presented in this volume has enlightened various fields of scientific and economic development which should merge efforts in the understanding of the sustainable development concept and technological implications. The book will be of particular interest to engineering practitioners, product developers, researchers, and also economists, political scientists and government administrators exploring the multifaceted relationship between renewable energy technologies and sustainable development. Keynote lectures frame the technical and policy issues confronting the sustainable development movement and enrich the dialog between various segments of the community.

This book presents a highly accessible introduction to the multi-disciplinary field of renewable energy sources—an area which is becoming increasingly important. It is intended to serve as a textbook for undergraduate electrical and mechanical engineering students and will also be useful for courses in environmental science. The book helps beginners to understand the basic energy conversion processes involved in various renewable energy based equipment such as solar photovoltaics, solar water heaters, wind turbines, and biomass plants. Under each technology, several possi-ble system configurations and their usages are considered. Step-by-step procedures are given to design and cost estimate several renewable energy based systems, designed for the given requirements. Numerous chapter-end problems are given to reinforce concepts, and for getting used to system design and system costing procedures. Besides students, this book will be immensely useful for individuals interested in learning and practising renewable energy technologies.

Renewable Energy and Green Technology: Principles and Practices is based on the present need to understand the principles and utility of renewable energy and green technology to minimize dependency on fossil fuels in global development. Renewable energy is the best and cheapest source of energy as an alternate resource. There is massive potential for renewable energy globally, including in India. The efficient utilization of renewable energy resources could minimize the impact of climate change globally. Generally, renewable energy is generated from essentially inexhaustible sources, including wind power, solar power, geothermal energy, tidal energy, biomass energy, and other sources. Hence, encouraging renewable energy use could save our tomorrow from the climate change perspective and in terms of sustainable food production. This book promotes the exchange of ideas, policy formulation, and collective action to ensure a smooth transition to renewable energy. It describes the technological interventions for reducing environmental and economic damage resulting from the use of conventional energy sources. In this book, the focus is on utilizing various renewable energy sources in diverse sectors. It also elaborates the descriptive methodology of different renewable energies, accompanied by figures and tables. It provides information on biogas energy plants, gasifier technologies, and hydropower technologies, among others, along with their applications. Further, it delves into energy concepts and details significant advantages of the energy resources for sustaining the future world. Lastly, this book will provide instant access to comprehensive, cutting-edge knowledge, making it possible for academicians and researchers to utilize this ever-growing wealth of information. Key features Emphasizes the understanding of the principles and utility of renewable energy and green technology to minimize dependency on fossil fuels in the era of global development Focuses on recent trends in renewable energy with principles and practices in relation to climate change Highlights advanced approaches for sustainable use of renewable energy sources Illustrates the methodology for various aspects of renewable energy with figures and charts Discusses the green technology usages of the agriculture and forestry sectors Provides comprehensive cutting-edge information for policymakers in the field of renewable energy

'offers knowledge and inspiration to promote renewable energy in developing and industrialized countries' Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of UNEP From technology to financing issues, Renewable Energy offers a comprehensive and authoritative review of the determining factors that drive worldwide dissemination of renewable energy technologies. With a clear emphasis on policy and action, contributions from internationally renowned experts combine to form a holistic picture of the current status, impacts and future potential of renewable energy. Addressing the situation in both developing and developed countries, each chapter reviews in detail a different issue, to present extensive information on social, environmental, political, economic and technological aspects. This will be essential reading for professionals in renewable energy, in particular policy-makers, researchers, NGOs and energy consultants, and a valuable resource for teachers and students of renewable energy, environmental studies, development studies, political science and international relations.