Alternative and renewable energy sources Books

Book SynopsisHybrid organic and inorganic perovskites (HOIP) have shown remarkable progress since the first realisation of efficient PSCs with a PCE of 3.9% in 2009; the record PCE reached 23.3% in 2018. The next step will undoubtedly be developing scale-up techniques for transitioning small-area devices to large-area modules. Most books outline only the basic theoretical background, fabrication methods and/or applications. To bridge the gap between academia and industry, a profound understanding of the recent advancements in the HOIPs field is necessary. Experts'' insights in this book present an in-depth overview of information regarding the materials synthesis methodologies, effects of dopants, optimised optoelectronic properties, suitable deposition methods, engineering and improving the stability of various device architectures using printing methods for flexible large-area PSC modules, including the module concept, discuss various challenges and issues that can open the door for the researchers towards commercialisation of durable perovskite solar cells. Moreover, this book also covers the developments on the zero-, two-, and three-dimensional non-toxic perovskite/non-perovskite materials, the radiation degradation of solar cells, the synergetics of cooperative phenomena in tandem systems and provide some recommendations to overcome the challenges for improving the photoconversion efficiency.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive analysis of existing examples in international practice regarding methods for massive implementation of renewable energy technology is provided. Following this, the authors assess alternative pathways for a future European energy system through the active involvement of relevant stakeholders according to their performance in key areas, such as the regulatory framework, market maturity, economic factors and stakeholder awareness towards a sustainable energy system, by using a multicriteria decision aid method. Recent developments in the field of electricity generation and distribution in Germany are presented, and decentralized forms of electricity generation and distribution are analyzed. As the consumption of power is increasing day by day, the power generation requirement is also increasing. As such, the authors discuss how renewable systems may be very useful in remote areas. The concluding paper studies the failure modes of wind turbine gearboxes and their causes. Factors affecting the gearbox reliability in both design and manufacturing processes are then analysed.Table of ContentsPreface; Guidelines for Promotion of Renewable Energy in Terms of Knowledge-Based Economy; Transformation Pathways Towards a Clean, Secure and Efficient European Energy System: A MCDA Approach; Electricity Transitions in Germany: The Transformation of a Strategic Action Field; Techno-Economic Analysis of Standalone Hybrid Energy System; Design and Manufacturing Approaches to Improve Reliability of Wind Turbine Gearboxes: A Review; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis is a source of information for researchers and experts mainly, as well as any party interested of gaining knowledge in this field. The volume brings a new and updated perspective on the current innovations in the energy field regarding technological and strategic approaches. The book is a result of the Second Open Meeting of the Balkan UNESCO Chairs 2017, organised by the UNESCO Chair for Business Administration (Chaire UNESCO pour la formation et la recherche appliquée au développement de l'entreprise dans les pays en conversion économique) within the Faculty of Business Administration, the Bucharest University of Economic Studies and Romania in partnership with the Romanian National Commission for UNESCO (CNR UNESCO). This event brought together the Balkan UNESCO Chairs on the topic of topic of "Education for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainability in the Knowledge Economy" on the 26-27th October 2017 at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. The book comprises the research of experts and scholars in the field of energy and business from various countries, especially from Europe. The research areas covered by the chapters include topics referring to: the developments of the innovative process in the electrical energy field in Romania, initiatives for promoting new investments in the energy sector, new sources of energy for diminishing hazardous waste, infrastructure protection as a security factor, promoting electricity from renewable energy sources, floating wind turbines, multipurpose hydropower projects under climate change, innovations in landscape of nuclear power, innovations in energy trading, energy policy, patents and its application process in the energy field. This book seeks to bridge an important research gap by questioning and studying the progress of different types of innovations in the energy field and their impact on developing and advanced economies globally. It aims to explore and present trends, dynamics and implications of the innovations and progress in energy technologies and sustainable business, economic and political strategies and the most recent developments in the green energy field. Furthermore, it explores opportunities and threats in the way of innovative challenges in these economies through a wealth of insights by researchers in the field with the objective of emphasizing possible strategies to global sustainability.Table of ContentsPreface; The Beginnings of the Innovative Process in the Electrical Energy Field in Romania and Todays Perspectives; Challenges of Energy Innovation Initiatives: Analysis of the Context in Romania with the Prospects of Encouraging New Investments; Energy, Water and Food Nexus: Multipurpose Hydropower Projects under Climate Change; Floating Wind Turbines; Innovation Landscape of Nuclear Power and Radioactive Waste Management; Innovations in Energy Trading and Its Perspectives; Policies Towards Greenhouse Gas Emissions Decrease; Energy Policy and Environment; Innovations and Patent Application Process in the Energy Sector; Enhancing Innovation through the Unitary Patent; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a better understanding of Fuzzy set theory, Fuzzy logic and Neural Networks and various other techniques seem very well suited for modelling and controlling a real system. Energy is of major importance to civilisation, because it is driving force which binds human race. The estimation of energy in the form of renewable and sustainable is one of the important aspects to understand the how resources are harnessed and to predict what might happen under various possible future conditions. Using available modelling techniques to generate the best algorithms, the objective is to determine the best solution in terms of comparing the performances of the solutions through different parameters for a specific case. Consumption of Fossil fuels at a rapid pace has generated an alarming situation and with the subsequent increase in the number of vehicle the pollution level has reached well beyond human's control. This is frightening enough to observe the fact that the pollution level has surpassed all records and the need of the hour is to find an alternate fuel which can really be of great assistance in reducing the exhaust emission and augment the performance parameters of engine. Major researches are carried out on various engines to draw closer towards a realistic solution. Experiments performed on various engines are considered to be time consuming and the expenses met to perform these experiments are too costly, so the need of soft computing techniques involved in this area. Soft computing can be better described as the process to find the solution to an inexact problem. Soft computing has showed lot of potential in giving the researchers the exact solution may be in case of validating or predicting the performance and emission parameters. Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference system (ANFIS), Fuzzy Expert System (FES), Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) are the various soft computing techniques widely used. This book focuses on to carry out the comprehensive review and various other experimental works of various researchers who have carried out the work on these various soft computing techniques on various engines with various alternative fuels on the basis of modelling techniques, time is saved to a great extent and the capital investment involved is comparably very low. Various modelling techniques are being readily used to predict the performance parameters for various engines and modelling techniques have become the readily available tool to compare and validate the experimental work being carried out by researchers to get accurate matching with the experimental data. The benefit of this issue will be at large in connecting with varieties of work done in the field of Biomass which includes wood and wood waste, municipal solid waste. Landfill gas and biogas. Ethanol, Biodiesel, Hydropower, Geothermal, Wind, Solar. Thus soft computing techniques are fast and reliable hence, they can be a substitute for conventional experiments.Table of ContentsPreface; Investigation of Wind and Photovoltaic Energy Systems for Daily Load Dispatch on Reconfigurable Microgrid through Hybrid Fuzzy-MFO; Biomass; Hydrogen: Present and Future Energy; Safety Aspects in Handling and Storage of Ultra High Purity Gaseous Hydrogen; Review on the Performance, Combustion, and Emissions of Butanol-Diesel Mixes in Compression Ignition Engine; Specific Soft Computing Strategies for Evaluating the Performance and Emissions of a Spark-Ignition Engine Using Alcohol-Gasoline Blended Fuels: A Comprehensive Analysis; Energy Conservation Techniques for Food Processing and Manufacturing Industries; Effect of Biodiesel on Performance, Emissions and Combustion; Sustainable Development through Learning Climate Change: Adaptation Mitigation and Finance; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book reviews recent advanced research work in the area of flat plate collectors, solar distillation, greenhouse technology for crop drying and production and solar electric/ thermal (PV/T) systems. The basic working principle, energy balances, thermal modelling, energy and economic analysis will be discussed. An instantaneous and overall efficiency of each solar thermal and electric system are also discussed and their results compared for economic analysis. Basic knowledge of availability of solar radiation is discussed in the beginning. Life cycle cost analysis, which includes initial investment, operating cost, interest rate, salvage value and annual power output, has been considered. An energy pay back time (EPBT) for solar electric/ thermal (PV/T) system has been evaluated by evaluating embodied energy during production of solar cell, PV module and balance of system (BOS) and useful both electric and thermal energy. Thermal energy from PV module can be in the form of sensible heat either for water or for air heating system.

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Book SynopsisIn a world faced with massive and ever-growing energy demands where the environment is an important factor, an array of new technologies and or fuels are becoming a necessity, not a choice. Hydrogen may be one of those alternatives. Hydrogen can be produced from diverse domestic feedstocks using a variety of process technologies. Hydrogen-containing compounds such as fossil fuels, biomass or even water can be a source of hydrogen. Thermochemical processes can be used to produce hydrogen from biomass and from fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and petroleum. Power generated from sunlight, wind and nuclear sources can be used to produce hydrogen electrolytically. Sunlight alone can also drive photolytic production of hydrogen from water, using advanced photoelectrochemical and photobiological processes.

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Book SynopsisBiofuels are enjoying a boom throughout the world. Led by ethanol and biodiesel, they are becoming an increasingly popular source of fuel for planes and automobiles. Brazil is the world''s leading producer followed by America. Biofuels are far cleaner than petroleum and renewable by plant growth.

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Book SynopsisSolar energy is derived ultimately from the sun. It can be divided into direct and indirect categories. Most energy sources on Earth are forms of indirect solar energy, although we usually don''t think of them in that way. Coal, oil and natural gas derive from ancient biological material which took its energy from the sun (via plant photosynthesis) millions of years ago. All the energy in wood and foodstuffs also comes from the sun. Movement of the wind (which causes waves at sea), and the evaporation of water to form rainfall which accumulates in rivers and lakes, are also powered by the sun. Therefore, hydroelectric power and wind and wave power are forms of indirect solar energy. Direct solar energy is what we usually mean when we speak of solar power -- it is the use of sunlight for heating or generating electricity. Solar energy research and applications have been receiving increasing attention throughout the world as solar energy must play a much greater role in the energy mix in upcoming years. This book examines new research in this frontier field.

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Book SynopsisThis book addresses the rapid developments in the new field of solar resource knowledge as a reflection of growing needs of management of renewable energy resources. The authors have structured the content of this work as a set of contributions from the research, international and commercial institutions. The chapters discuss the availability of new primary data, basic concepts of research trends and approaches developed for providing higher resolution data and value-added products in an operational mode. Based on the experience from commercial and aid-providing sphere, individual and more generic barriers have been identified and solutions for overcoming them are discussed. The approaches exploiting geographical information systems, integrating spatial data and methods, outline directions for decision-making and management of distributed energy systems, considering regional and time variability at various hierarchical scales. The final contributions point out that the recent developments gave an impetus for complementing the traditional applications of Earth observation data by renewable energy programs.

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Book SynopsisThe word ''sustainability'' is frequently misunderstood because there are numerous definitions of sustainability and not even two definitions have converging meanings. Instead of achieving ''sustainability'', some of the sustainable development projects aggravate ecological and other problems, as painfully evidenced in numerous experimental projects. This book attempts to improve our understanding of what it means to be sustainable by exploring several different sustainability projects and techniques.

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Book SynopsisA solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts light energy into electrical energy. Sometimes the term solar cell is reserved for devices intended specifically to capture energy from sunlight, while the term photovoltaic cell is used when the light source is unspecified. Fundamentally, the device needs to fulfil only two functions: photogeneration of charge carriers (electrons and holes) in a light-absorbing material, and separation of the charge carriers to a conductive contact that will transmit the electricity (simply put, carrying electrons off through a metal contact into a wire or other circuit). This conversion is called the photovoltaic effect, and the field of research related to solar cells is known as photovoltaics. Solar cells have many applications. They have long been used in situations where electrical power from the grid is unavailable, such as in remote area power systems, Earth-orbiting satellites and space probes, consumer systems, e.g. handheld calculators or wrist watches, remote radiotelephones and water pumping applications. More recently, they are starting to be used in assemblies of solar modules (photovoltaic arrays) connected to the electricity grid through an inverter, often in combination with a net metering arrangement. This new book presents the latest research in the field from around the globe.

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Book SynopsisLarge scale production and consumption of biofuel is being promoted by many nations because of its potential for economic, political, and environmental benefits. Biofuels are partially renewable and substituting them for petroleum fuels may reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, and dependency on imported oil. Of special interest is the possibility of widespread use of biofuels such as biodiesel in the transportation sector, especially if integrated with existing and new hybrid and plug-in technologies and emission control technologies such as particle traps. This book provides new research on this field from around the globe.

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Book SynopsisThe commercialisation of fuel cells needs further developments in materials, power density and durability. These key issues are strongly related to the choice of electrochemical, thermodynamic and design parameters. This applies in particular to the sensitivity of the solid oxide fuel cell''s (SOFC''s) power density and durability. Achieving high power density has to be assessed carefully with regard to the cell''s voltage, fuel utilisation and efficiency. The operation at high fuel utilisation is particularly critical due to the decrement in the Nernst voltage and the formation of nickel oxide at nickel cermet anodes. Both effects are influenced by the local hydrogen to water ratio of the anode gas. Therefore, it is essential to understand the local resolution of the gas composition and its influence on the total power density. In this context, analytical solutions of the integral current density at a constant area specific resistance (ASR) are presented in this study. As a result of the transferred species, loss mechanisms occur. These polarisation losses are sensitively influenced by numerous mechanisms, which are strongly non-linear. Therefore, a finite difference model is chosen to analyse the influence of the major operational parameters on the power density. It is based on a two dimensional resolution of the local energy balance in the axial and radial direction of a tubular SOFC. This model includes heat transfer by conduction, convection and radiation as well as the heat sources due to the chemical and electrochemical reactions. The shift reaction and the reforming of residual methane are taken into account by a kinetic approach. The electrochemical losses of the hydrogen oxidation are determined by commonly used Butler-Volmer equation, binary diffusion, Knudsen diffusion and ohmic law. Based on the finite difference simulation, a novel conceptual solution is proposed which allows improvements in the fuel utilisation and power density. The proposed configuration consists of an anode gas condenser which is used to increase the fuel utilisation from 85% to 94-97% at a constant total cell area and higher efficiency. In this context, the tendency of the formation of nickel oxide at the anode is approximately estimated to take roughly the durability of the anode into account. This system could be applied to stationary CO2 sequestering applications. Using methane as fuel, it is further shown that the CO2 can be separated with a minimum demand of energy with the high fuel utilising SOFC gas turbine cycle.

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Book SynopsisBiofuels have significant roles in a variety of international issues, including: mitigation of carbon emissions levels and oil prices, the "food vs fuel" debate, deforestation and soil erosion, impact on water resources, and energy balance and efficiency. The use of biofuels reduces dependence on petroleum and enhances energy security. Also, unlike fossil fuels, which return carbon that was stored beneath the surface for millions of years into the atmosphere, biofuels can produce energy without causing a net increase of atmospheric carbon. This is because as new plants are grown to produce fuel, they remove the same amount of CO2 from the atmosphere as they will release as fuel. Some studies have found that certain crops may produce more harmful greenhouse gases than CO2, indicating that the specific biofuel used is an important factor.

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Book SynopsisThis book concentrates on energy conservation which is the practice of decreasing the quantity of energy used. It may be achieved through efficient energy use, in which case energy use is decreased while achieving a similar outcome, or by reduced consumption of energy services. Energy conservation may result in increase of financial capital, environmental value, national security, personal security, and human comfort. Individuals and organisations that are direct consumers of energy may want to conserve energy in order to reduce energy costs and promote economic security. Industrial and commercial users may want to increase efficiency and thus maximise profit. Energy conservation is an important element of energy policy. Energy conservation reduces the energy consumption and energy demand per capita, and thus offsets the growth in energy supply needed to keep up with population growth. This reduces the rise in energy costs, and can reduce the need for new power plants, and energy imports. The reduced energy demand can provide more flexibility in choosing the most preferred methods of energy production. By reducing emissions, energy conservation is an important part of lessening climate change. Energy conservation facilitates the replacement of non-renewable resources with renewable energy. Energy conservation is often the most economical solution to energy shortages, and is a more environmentally benign alternative to increased energy production.

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Book SynopsisRising energy prices and concern over greenhouse gas emissions have focused congressional attention on energy alternatives, including wind power. Although wind power currently provides only a small fraction of U.S. energy needs, it is growing more rapidly than any other electricity source. Wind energy already plays a significant role in several European nations, and countries like China and India are rapidly expanding their capacity both to manufacture wind turbines and to integrate wind power into their electricity grids. This book describes utility-scale wind power issues in the United States as well as background on wind energy, wind resources and technology, industry composition and trends, wind power economics and policy issues. Other policy questions, such as federal funding for wind research and development, and siting and permitting requirements, are also outlined.

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Book SynopsisIn his 2003 State of the Union address, President Bush announced a hydrogen initiative to reverse America''s growing dependence on foreign oil and improve the environment. The President urged the development of commercially viable fuel cells for cars, truck homes, and businesses. A transition to hydrogen as a major fuel in the next 50 years could fundamentally transform the U.S. energy system, creating opportunities to increase energy security through the use of a variety of domestic energy resources for hydrogen production while reducing environmental impacts, including atmospheric CO2 emissions and criteria pollutants. This book provides information on the Department of Energy''s (DOE) hydrogen program which has made important progress in all research and development areas, including both fundamental and applied science. Specifically, the DOE has reduced the cost of producing hydrogen from natural gas, an important source of hydrogen through the next 20 years, developed a sophisticated model to identify and optimise major elements of a projected hydrogen delivery infrastructure, increased the storage capacity of hydrogen by 50%, and reduced the cost and improved the durability of fuel cells. However, some of the most difficult technical challenges lie ahead, including reducing the cost of delivering hydrogen to consumers, and further reducing the cost and improving the durability of fuel cells. The difficulty of overcoming these technical challenges, as well as hydrogen research and development budget constraints, has led the DOE to push back some of its interim target dates.

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Book SynopsisA joint EERE-PI project was completed to estimate the world-wide potential to produce and transport ethanol and other biofuels, with an emphasis on the 5 year and 10 year potential for biofuels supply to the United States. The range of countries and/or regions identified in the joint EERE-PI project includes Brazil, the Caribbean Basin, Central America, Mexico, Europe, China, India and Sub-Saharan Africa. This project, discussed in this book, included four specific tasks: 1) to identify the range of countries to be included in the study, 2) to assess the resource potential for production of ethanol from sugar and starch-based feedstocks and biodiesel, 3) to assess the resource potential for production of other biofuels and 4) to integrate results into the MARKAL energy policy model. Additionally, the NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) examined in this book was primarily concerned with estimating the plant gate price (PGP) of liquid biofuels from selected biomass feedstocks for countries included in the study using representative existing and developing technologies. A methodology for comparing costs between countries was developed as well.

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Book SynopsisNow is the time to plan for the integration of significant quantities of distributed renewable energy into the electricity grid. Concerns about climate change, the adoption of state-level renewable portfolio standards and incentives, and accelerated cost reductions are driving steep growth in U.S. renewable energy technologies. This book addresses such concerns and in particular, the number of distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, which is growing very rapidly. As distributed PV and other renewable energy technologies mature, they can provide a significant share of our nation''s electricity demand. However, as their market share grows, concerns about potential impacts on the stability and operation of the electricity grid may create barriers to their future expansion. To facilitate more extensive adoption of renewable distributed electric generation, this book discusses the the Renewable Systems Interconnection (RSI) study, which looks at the technical and analytical challenges that must be addressed to enable high penetration levels of distributed renewable energy technologies.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a clean energy technology market overview for India and China with two primary objectives: (1) to analyse the clean energy markets in India and China and (2) to identify opportunities for trade and investment through 2020. Clean energy technologies include renewable energy, hybrid and co-generation, and energy efficiency technologies for power generation; alternative fuels; and advanced technologies for transportation. They produce power for a wide range of applications using no fuel or less fuel than fossil-fuel-based technologies, produce no or fewer pollutants than conventional technologies and can use renewable energy sources, which, unlike fossil fuels, are not depleted over time. The renewable energy technologies considered in this book are biomass and biofuels, waste-to-energy, solar power, wind power, geothermal, hydropower, and ocean power. This is an edited, excerpted and augmented edition of two U.S. Department of Commerce publication.

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Book SynopsisNow is the time to plan for the integration of significant quantities of distributed renewable energy into the electricity grid. Concerns about climate change, the adoption of state-level renewable portfolio standards and incentives, and accelerated cost reductions are driving steep growth in U.S. renewable energy technologies. As distributed PV and other renewable energy technologies mature, they can provide a significant share of our nation''s electricity demand. To facilitate more extensive adoption of renewable distributed electric generation, the U.S. Department of Energy launched the Renewable Systems Interconnection (RSI) study during the spring of 2007. This book addresses the technical and analytical challenges that must be addressed to enable high penetration levels of distributed renewable energy technologies. This book consists of public domain documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.

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Book SynopsisThis book is an overview of the Solar Energy Technologies Program in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Energy is committed to "discovering the solutions to power and secure America''s future, which include clean energy technologies that not only enhance energy independence but also can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and criteria air pollutants. The Department''s robust activities to support the development of solar energy technologies include applied research in support of the Solar America Initiative in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Solar Energy Technologies Program as well as important exploratory research in the Office of Science.

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Book SynopsisBiomass gasification means incomplete combustion of biomass resulting in the production of combustible gases consisting of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane. Amongst the renewable energies, the biomass is the most important energy source. Three types of biomass are available, one generated during the processing of wood in timber mills, another is energy plantation and third bio-residues generated during the processing of agricultural produce. Due to a booming population and increasing needs in life quality all over the world, energy demand is undergoing a great increase. To find alternative fuels and to increase the contribution of renewable energy to world-wide energy production, biomass wastes must be used for energy production. This book examines the importance of biomass gasification and assesses the possibility of biomass exploitation as an alternative to conventional fuel.

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Book SynopsisAmong the oil-bearing tree species, Jatropha curcas is currently becoming an interesting crop for the production of biodiesel due to some of its interesting properties including resistance to drought, possibility to grow well and quickly on marginal lands without much fertiliser inputs and the need for only moderate rainfall. In this book, a series of biotechnological methodologies is reported, such as vitro propagation and plant breeding of jatropha curcas for the sustainable production of biodiesel. An overview of the currently available information on the different research on the production of biodiesel using jatropha al raw material is also given in terms of catalysts and possible non-edible feedstocks to be utilised in the process. In addition, the different options to include Jatropha in agroforestry systems are described. Their potential social, economic and environmental risks and benefits are discussed. In particular, land use changes related to Jatropha cultivation, their possible impact on food supplies and the up-scaling possibilities are focused upon. Based on this assessment, the authors provide clear guidelines for the expansion of Jatropha cultivation on a sound socio-economic and environmental basis. Moreover, Yunnan is the richest wild Jatropha resources province now and is to become the greatest Jatropha planting forest province in the following ten years. This book describes the flowering, fruit setting, pollination, seeds biological characteristics of Jastropha under various conditions in Yunnan. Other chapters review the studies available to date about the impact of the introduction of the biofuel crops Jatropha curcas on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from land use change in tropical regions. This book also attempts to go beyond the pro-contra debate on bio-fuels to search for possible sustainable trajectories.

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Book SynopsisBook & CD-ROM. This text has been used in the form of class notes taught to graduate and senior undergraduate students in chemical and mechanical engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology for the last three decades. The computer codes, particularly the Navier-Stokes equation solvers, have been continually updated by several Ph.D. students over the last decade. The theory of fluidisation and multiphase flow is based on the new paradigm that emerged in the 1980s as granular flow. Commercial CFD codes, such as FLUENT, already use this theory. However, this theory is not yet complete. Hence the programs described in this text can be easily updated as new theory is developed. For example, the codes can be extended to anisotropic and multi-size particle flow based on the emerging kinetic theories. Hence this book should be useful to research engineers in industry, to graduate students and to professors teaching a first course in computational techniques. In this book the authors illustrate how their code as well as the commercial codes can be used for the design of green energy technology processes.

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Book SynopsisPhotovoltaics (PV) is the field of technology and research related to the application of solar cells for energy by converting sun energy directly into electricity. Due to the growing demand for clean sources of energy, the manufacture of solar cells and photovoltaic arrays has expanded dramatically in recent years. Photovoltaic production has been doubling every two years, increasing by an average of 48 percent each year since 2002, making it the world''s fastest-growing energy technology. They are best known as a method for generating electric power by using solar cells packaged in photovoltaic modules, often electrically connected in multiples as solar photovoltaic arrays, to convert energy from the sun into electricity. This book gathers the latest research from around the globe in this dynamic field.

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Book SynopsisFuel ethanol production has increased steadily in the U.S. since the 1980''s, when it was given impetus by the need to reduce energy dependence on foreign supplies. The momentum has continued as production costs have fallen, and as the U.S. Clean Air Act has specified a percentage of renewable fuels to be mixed with gasoline. New technologies that may further increase cost savings include co-product development, such as recovery of high-value food supplements, and cellulosic conversion. Though improvements in processing and technology are important, however, the fluctuating rise of inputs such as corn, the cost of energy alternatives, and environmental developments play larger roles in the fortunes of the industry. This book examines the use of ethanol as fuel, as well as its other applications in different parts of the world. This book also addresses a policy initiative by the Federal Administration to apply United States Department of Energy (DOE) research to broadening the country''s domestic production of economic, flexible, and secure sources of energy fuels. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.

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Book SynopsisThe world of nanotechnology has opened a vast array of novel frontiers in materials science, by the exploitation of the properties and phenomena at the nanometer scale. After transistors, also other devices will enter the nanoscale era. Technologies based on semi-conducting and/or organic materials have moved from a few empirical examples to a booming science-based activity. Physics at nanoscale becomes the science used for new device improvements. Solar cells are no exception to that. This book on nanophysics of photovoltaic cells thus comes at the right moment. Such a book will support research efforts in numerous laboratories where the solar cells of tomorrow are designed. The reader will be happy to find chapters on various topics, such as thermodynamics, photonics and electronics of dye-sensitised, electrochemical, nanostructured, polymer and organic materials. Light concentration, photoluminescence, intermediate-band absorption, photon conversion, and quantum confinement are discussed. The present book will surely be of great value for all scientists and engineers involved in the development of future solar cells.

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Book SynopsisBiodiesel, produced from seed oils or animal fats via the transesterification process, has been the focus of biofuel production because of its potential environmental benefits and because it is made from renewable biomass resources. Biodiesel can be blended with conventional diesel fuel in any proportion and used in diesel engines without significant engine modifications. In recent years, the sales volume for biodiesel in the U.S. has increased dramatically from about 2 million gallons in 2000, to 75 million gallons in 2005, to 250 million gallons in 2006. This book explores the effects of biodiesel on diesel engine nitrogen oxide and other regulated emissions.

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Book SynopsisCurrent energy consumption of biomass accounts for about 14% of total world energy consumption, second only to coal, oil, and natural gas, and developing countries account for 75% of the biomass utilisation. According to the statistics from 1998 to 2003, biomass resources in China were equivalent to 700 million tons of standard coal, of which about half was from straw. Combustion is frequently used for energy conversion of biomass, and corn straw combustion in grate furnaces is widespread in China. Corn is one of China''s three major crops and its straw is rich in resources. Understanding the mechanism of corn straw combustion in a fixed bed will help the clean and efficient use of corn straw as a source of energy. This book covers the issues of corn production and related discussion.

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Book SynopsisEvaluating what types of energy are sustainable is not a simple task. The entire life cycle of each energy source must be considered before it can be classified as sustainable. Within each life cycle there exist multiple indicators that should be included. Each of these indicators may impact or modify some phase of an energy source''s life cycle that effects whether it is truly sustainable. An approach for analysing current energy technologies and their appropriateness to be considered sustainable is the focus this book. Since the most recognised examples of sustainable technologies using renewable resources are wind power, biomass, and solar, these are the primary focus of this assessment.

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Book SynopsisOffshore wind power is poised to deliver an essential contribution to a clean, robust and diversified U.S. energy portfolio. Capturing and using this large and inexhaustible resource has the potential to mitigate climate change, improve the environment, increase energy security and stimulate the U.S. economy. The United States is now deliberating an energy policy that will have a powerful impact on the nation''s energy and economic health for decades to come. This book provides a broad understanding of today''s wind industry and the offshore resource, as well as the associated technology challenges, economics, permitting procedures and potential risks and benefits.

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Book SynopsisAn electric power system is a network of electrical components used to supply, transmit and use electric power. Burning coal produces sulphur, nitrogen oxide and mercury emissions and causes disastrous environmental and health consequences. In addition to environmental issue, fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas are non-renewable. Once a deposit of these fuels is depleted it cannot be replenished. Thus, the renewable energy has been widely emphasised in the world. Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable. Renewable energy sources are continually and naturally replenished in a short period of time. Renewable energy sources differ from conventional sources in that, generally they cannot be scheduled, and they are often connected to the electricity distribution system rather than the transmission system.

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