This handy pocket reference provides a wealth of practical information relating to solar energy and solar energy technologies. Topics covered include solar radiation and its detailed measurement, the emissivity and absorption properties of materials, solar thermal energy collection and storage, photovoltaics (both at all scales), solar cooling, and the use of solar energy for desalination and drying.

Table of Contents

• List of figures and tables
• 1 Sunlight
• 1.1 The nature of sunlight
• 1.2 Calculating photon flux
• 1.3 Spectral irradiance
• 2 Modelling available solar radiation
• 2.1 Total radiant power density
• 2.2 Black-bodies
• 2.3 Standard solar spectra
• 2.4 Solar time
• 2.4.1 The equation of time
• 2.4.2 The hour angle
• 2.4.3 The declination angle
• 2.4.4 The elevation angle
• 2.4.5 The azimuth angle
• 2.5 Sun path diagrams
• 2.5.1 Shading factor
• 2.6 Solar radiation at the earth's surface
• 2.6.1 Net radiation
• 2.6.2 Air mass
• 2.6.3 Global horizontal irradiance (GHI)
• 2.6.4 The clearness index
• 2.6.5 The clear-sky index
• 2.7 Tilted surfaces
• 2.7.1 Solar incidence angles
• 2.7.2 Irradiance components
• 3 Emissivity and absorption of materials
• 3.1 Selective surfaces
• 3.1.1 Band gaps
• 3.2 Emittance
• 3.3 Absorptance
• 3.4 Absorption and emissivity of selective surfaces
• 3.5 Absorbed solar radiation by material
• 3.6 Spectral absorption of solar radiation in water
• 3.7 Light refraction in transparent materials
• 4 Photovoltaics
• 4.1 Photovoltaic cells
• 4.2 Types of cell
• 4.2.1 Wafer-based crystalline silicon technology
• 4.2.2 Thin film
• 4.2.3 Concentrating solar power
• 4.2.4 Organic PV
• 4.2.5 Advanced inorganic thin films
• 4.2.6 Perovskite
• 4.3 Power calculations
• 4.4 Balance of system elements
• 4.5 General PV system design advice
• 4.6 Costs
• 4.7 Capacity factor
• 4.8 Small-scale stand-alone system design
• 4.9 Utility-scale PV
• 4.9.1 Fixed or tracking arrays?
• 4.9.2 Suggested time line for a project (with average time estimate)
• 4.9.3 Operation and maintenance
• 4.10 Worked example
• 4.11 Safety issues
• 4.12 PV power for water pumping
• 4.13 Social and environmental aspects of PV
• 4.13.1 Energy payback
• 4.13.2 Carbon payback
• 4.13.3 Environmental effects of photovoltaics
• 5 Solar thermal systems
• 5.1 Collector types: small/medium scale
• 5.2 Small-scale solar thermal system types
• 5.2.1 Open loop system
• 5.2.2 Closed loop system
• 5.3 Medium-scale solar thermal system design
• 5.3.1 System efficiency
• 5.3.2 Tank sizing
• 5.3.3 Pump sizing
• 5.3.4 Safety issues
• 5.4 Collector types: large scale
• 5.4.1 Parabolic trough
• 5.4.2 Fresnel reflector
• 5.4.3 Solar tower
• 5.4.4 Solar dishes
• 5.4.5 Solar updraft tower
• 5.5 Large-scale solar system types
• 5.6 Evaluating collectors
• 5.6.1 Unglazed collectors
• 5.6.2 Flat collectors
• 5.6.3 Concentrating collectors
• 5.6.4 Evacuated tubes
• 5.7 Solar thermal system calculations
• 5.7.1 Calculating thermal energy requirements
• 5.7.2 Calculating flow rates in heating systems
• 5.7.3 The f-chart method
• 5.7.4 Piping and tank losses
• 5.7.5 The utilisability method
• 5.8 Thermal storage systems
• 5.8.1 Sensible heat storage
• 5.8.2 Phase change materials (PCMs)
• 5.8.3 Thermo-chemical storage
• 5.8.4 Storage options for larger systems
• 6 Desalination and drying
• 6.1 The need for desalination
• 6.2 Technologies for desalination
• 6.3 Solar options for desalination
• 6.3.1 Concentrated solar power (CSP)
• 6.3.2 PV
• 6.3.3 Photovoltaic thermal technology (PV/T)
• 6.3.4 Concentrated evaporation
• 6.3.5 Plasmon-mediated solar desalination
• 6.4 Solar desalination greenhouse
• 6.5 Small scale: solar stills
• 6.5.1 Passive design
• 6.5.2 Active PV design
• 6.6 Solar drying
• 6.6.1 Three designs
• 6.6.2 Solar kiln
• 6.7 Solar pasteurisation
• 7 Solar cooling
• 7.1 Space cooling
• 7.1.1 Absorption NH3/H2O
• 7.1.2 Absorption H2O/LiBr
• 7.1.3 Adsorption
• 7.1.4 Open cycle liquid desiccant cooling
• 7.1.5 Solid desiccant air handling unit
• 7.1.6 Desiccant-enhanced evaporative (DEVAP) air-conditioner
• 7.2 Solar design considerations
• 7.2.1 Evaluation
• 8 Making the business case
• 8.1 Financial case
• 8.1.1 Estimate the resulting cash flow
• 8.1.2 Apply the discount rate
• 8.1.3 Calculate the net present value (NPV)
• 8.1.4 Compare the internal rate of return (IRR)
• 8.2 Carbon offsetting
• 9 Units
• 9.1 SI radiometric units
• 9.2 Prefixes
• 9.3 Other energy units
• 9.4 Conversion factors
• 9.4.1 Conversion factors for mass
• 9.4.2 Conversion factors for volume
• 9.5 Power and energy
• 10 Standards
• 10.1 Standard setting bodies
• 10.2 Standards for solar measurement
• 10.3 Standards for solar thermal
• 10.4 Standards for solar PV
• 11 Resources for calculation and modelling
• 11.1 Datasets
• 11.2 Software
• 11.3 Case studies and technical information