Introduction to Renewable Energy, Second Edition covers the fundamentals of renewable energy and serves as a resource to undergraduates in renewable energy courses, non-specialists within the energy industries, or anyone working to support the successful implementation of renewable energy.

Table of Contents

• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Authors
• Chapter 1 Introduction
• 1.1 Energy and Society
• 1.2 Types of Energy
• 1.3 Renewable Energy
• 1.4 Advantages/Disadvantages
• 1.5 Economics
• 1.6 Climate Change
• 1.7 Order of Magnitude Estimates
• 1.8 Growth (Exponential)
• 1.9 Solutions
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 2 Energy
• 2.1 Introduction
• 2.2 Definition of Energy and Power
• 2.3 Heat
• 2.4 Thermodynamics
• 2.5 Energy Dilemma in Light of the Laws of Thermodynamics
• 2.5.1 Conservation
• 2.5.2 Efficiency
• 2.6 Use of Fossil Fuels
• 2.6.1 Petroleum
• 2.6.2 Natural Gas
• 2.6.3 Coal
• 2.7 Nuclear
• 2.8 Finite Resource
• 2.9 Summary
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 3 Sun
• 3.1 Solar Power
• 3.2 Electromagnetic Spectrum
• 3.2.1 Visible
• 3.2.2 Blackbody Radiation
• 3.3 Energy Balance of the Earth
• 3.4 Earth-Sun Motion
• 3.4.1 Earth Motion
• 3.4.2 Sun Position
• 3.5 Insolation
• 3.6 Solar Resource
• 3.7 Greenhouse Effect
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 4 Heat Transfer and Storage
• 4.1 Introduction
• 4.2 Conduction
• 4.3 Convection
• 4.4 Radiation
• 4.5 Thermal Mass
• 4.5.1 Thermal Mass Patterns
• 4.5.2 Specific Heat
• 4.6 Seasonal Heating or Cooling
• 4.7 Thermal Comfort
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 5 Solar Heating and Cooling
• 5.1 Building
• 5.1.1 Air Quality
• 5.1.2 Air and Vapor Barriers
• 5.1.3 Wind and Vegetation
• 5.2 Passive
• 5.3 Windows and Glazing
• 5.3.1 Other Glazings
• 5.3.2 Solar Heating
• 5.3.3 Shading
• 5.4 Passive Heating and Cooling
• 5.4.1 Direct Gain
• 5.4.2 Indirect Gain
• 5.4.3 Cooling
• 5.5 Active Heating
• 5.5.1 Flat-Plate Collectors
• 5.5.2 Domestic Hot Water
• 5.5.3 Swimming Pools
• 5.6 Active Cooling
• 5.7 Daylighting
• 5.8 Hybrid and Other
• 5.9 Drying Agricultural Products, Lumber
• 5.10 Solar Cookers
• 5.11 Water Purification
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 6 Photovoltaics
• 6.1 Introduction
• 6.2 Physics Basics
• 6.3 Energy Bands
• 6.4 Photovoltaic Basics
• 6.5 Performance
• 6.6 Design Considerations
• 6.6.1 Sizing
• 6.6.2 Tracking
• 6.6.3 Estimation of Energy Production
• 6.7 Installed Capacity and Production
• 6.8 Distributed Systems
• 6.9 Community Solar
• 6.10 Applications
• 6.10.1 Grid Connected
• 6.10.2 Village and Hybrid Power
• 6.10.3 Stand-Alone
• 6.11 Comments
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 7 Concentrating Solar Power
• 7.1 Introduction
• 7.2 Power Tower
• 7.3 Line or Linear
• 7.4 Dish/Engine
• 7.5 Point Focus
• 7.6 Solar Pond
• 7.7 Comments
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 8 Solar Systems
• 8.1 Introduction
• 8.2 Passive Systems
• 8.2.1 Location, Orientation, and Shape
• 8.2.2 Indoor Space
• 8.2.3 Windows
• 8.2.4 Direct Gain
• 8.2.5 Thermal Mass
• 8.2.6 Clerestories and Skylights
• 8.2.7 Sunroom (Solar Room) and Attached Greenhouse
• 8.2.8 Passive Cooling
• 8.2.9 Other
• 8.3 Hybrid Systems
• 8.3.1 Building
• 8.3.2 Passive Heating and Cooling
• 8.3.3 Solar Hot Air System
• 8.3.4 Solar Hot Water
• 8.3.5 Daylighting
• 8.3.6 Electrical Generation
• 8.3.7 Performance
• 8.4 Active Systems
• 8.5 Underground Homes
• 8.6 Computer Software
• 8.7 Others
• 8.7.1 Straw Bale House
• 8.7.2 Adobe and Rammed Earth
• 8.7.3 Tire Houses, Earthships
• 8.7.4 Double-Envelope House
• 8.7.5 Green Building
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 9 Wind Energy
• 9.1 Introduction
• 9.2 Wind Resource
• 9.2.1 Wind Shear
• 9.2.2 Wind Maps
• 9.3 Wind Turbines
• 9.4 Wind Farms
• 9.5 Wind Industry
• 9.6 Small Wind Turbines
• 9.7 Distributed-Community Wind
• 9.8 Village Power
• 9.9 Wind Diesel
• 9.10 Others
• 9.11 Performance
• 9.12 Comments
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 10 Bioenergy
• 10.1 Introduction
• 10.2 Climate Change
• 10.2.1 Climate Change-Anthropocene
• 10.2.2 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• 10.3 Biomass Production
• 10.4 Conversion
• 10.5 Heat and Power
• 10.5.1 Municipal Solid Waste
• 10.5.2 Landfill Gas
• 10.5.3 Biogas
• 10.6 Biofuels
• 10.6.1 Ethanol
• 10.6.2 Biodiesel
• 10.6.3 Biogas Digesters
• 10.6.4 Microalgae
• 10.7 Comments
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 11 Geothermal Energy
• 11.1 Introduction
• 11.2 Resource
• 11.3 Types of Geothermal Resources
• 11.4 Direct Use
• 11.4.1 Springs, Space Heating, and Others
• 11.4.2 District Heating
• 11.4.3 Case Studies
• 11.5 Geothermal Heat Pumps
• 11.6 Electricity
• 11.6.1 Dry Steam
• 11.6.2 Flash
• 11.6.3 Binary Plants
• 11.6.4 Combined Heat and Power
• 11.6.5 Other Systems
• 11.7 Comments
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 12 Water
• 12.1 Introduction
• 12.2 World Resource
• 12.3 Hydroelectric
• 12.3.1 Large (≥30 MW)
• 12.3.2 Small Hydro (100 kW to 30 MW, 10 MW in Europe)
• 12.3.3 Microhydro (≤100 kW)
• 12.4 Turbines
• 12.4.1 Impulse Turbines
• 12.4.2 Reaction Turbines
• 12.5 Water Flow
• 12.6 Tides
• 12.7 Ocean
• 12.7.1 Currents
• 12.7.2 Waves
• 12.7.3 Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
• 12.7.4 Salinity Gradient
• 12.8 Others
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 13 Storage
• 13.1 Introduction
• 13.2 Pumped Hydro
• 13.2.1 Case Study
• 13.3 Compressed Air
• 13.4 Flywheels
• 13.5 Batteries
• 13.5.1 Lead Acid
• 13.5.2 Lithium Ion
• 13.5.3 Sodium Sulfur
• 13.5.4 Flow Batteries
• 13.5.4.1 Case Study
• 13.5.5 Other Types of Batteries
• 13.6 Other Storage Systems
• 13.6.1 Magnetic Systems
• 13.6.2 Capacitors
• 13.6.3 Phase Change Materials
• 13.7 Hydrogen
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 14 Institutional Issues
• 14.1 Introduction
• 14.2 The United States
• 14.2.1 Avoided Cost
• 14.2.2 Utility Concerns
• 14.3 Regulations
• 14.4 Environmental Issues
• 14.5 Politics
• 14.6 Incentives
• 14.6.1 The United States
• 14.6.1.1 Federal Support
• 14.6.1.2 State Support
• 14.6.1.3 Green Power
• 14.6.1.4 Net Metering
• 14.6.2 Other Countries
• 14.6.2.1 Wind
• 14.6.2.2 Photovoltaic Energy, Solar Hot Water
• 14.7 Externalities (Social Costs/Benefits)
• 14.8 Transmission
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 15 Economics
• 15.1 Introduction
• 15.2 Factors Affecting Economics
• 15.3 Economic Analyses
• 15.3.1 Simple Payback
• 15.3.2 Cost of Energy
• 15.4 Life-Cycle Costs
• 15.5 Present Worth and Levelized Costs
• 15.6 Externalities
• 15.7 Project Development
• 15.7.1 Landowner Considerations
• 15.8 Cost (Value) of Energy and Different Sources
• 15.8.1 Passive Solar
• 15.8.2 Active Solar Heat
• 15.8.3 Photovoltaics
• 15.8.4 Concentrating Solar Power
• 15.8.5 Wind
• 15.8.6 Bioenergy
• 15.8.7 Geothermal Systems
• 15.8.8 Water
• 15.8.9 Village Power
• 15.8.10 Wind Diesel
• 15.9 Summary
• 15.10 Future Trends
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Chapter 16 Observations
• 16.1 Solid-State Electronics
• 16.2 Internet
• 16.3 Geographic Information Systems
• 16.4 Satellites
• 16.5 Examples
• 16.5.1 Interactive Maps
• 16.5.2 Interactive Database
• 16.5.3 Tools
• 16.5.4 Others
• 16.6 Predictions
• 16.7 Science
• 16.8 Authors’ Predictions
• 16.9 On the Downside
• References
• Recommended Resources
• Appendix