Description
Book SynopsisRenewable Energy is a clear introduction to the topics of climate protection and renewable energy, demonstrating the correlations between use of energy, energy prices, and climate change. It evaluates and analyzes the current world situation, whilst also giving essential and practical guidance on personal climate protection.
Table of ContentsPreface xi
1 Our Hunger for Energy 1
1.1 Energy Supply – Yesterday and Today 2
1.1.1 From the French Revolution to the Early 20th Century 2
1.1.2 The Era of Black Gold 4
1.1.3 Natural Gas – the Newest Fossil Energy Source 7
1.1.4 Nuclear Power – Split Energy 9
1.1.5 The Century of Fossil Energy 12
1.2 Energy Needs – Who Needs What, Where and How Much? 13
1.3 ‘Anyway’ Energy 16
1.4 Energy Supplies – Wealth Forever 19
1.5 The End of Fission 21
1.6 Oil Prices Today – Politics, Supply and Demand 22
2 The Climate Before the Collapse? 24
2.1 It Is Getting Warm – Climate Changes Today 24
2.1.1 The Ice is Slowly Melting 24
2.1.2 Natural Catastrophes Occur More Frequently 26
2.2 The Guilty Parties – Causes of Climate Change 29
2.2.1 The Greenhouse Effect 29
2.2.2 The Prime Suspect: Carbon Dioxide 30
2.2.3 Other Culprits 34
2.3 Outlook and Recommendations – What Lies Ahead? 37
2.3.1 Will It be Bitterly Cold in Europe? 39
2.3.2 Recommendations for Effective Climate Protection 42
2.4 Diffi cult Birth – Politics and Climate Change 42
2.4.1 German Climate Policy 42
2.4.2 International Climate Policy 44
2.5 Self-Help Climate Protection 46
3 From Wasting Energy to Saving Energy and Reducing Carbon Dioxide 47
3.1 Less Effi cient – Energy Use and Waste Today 47
3.2 Personal Energy Needs – Easily Saved at Home 50
3.2.1 Domestic Electricity – Money Wasted 50
3.2.2 Heat – Surviving the Winter with Almost No Heating 54
3.2.3 Transport – Getting Somewhere Using Less Energy 58
3.3 Industry and Co – Everyone Else is to Blame 61
3.4 The Personal Carbon Dioxide Record 62
3.4.1 Emissions Caused Directly by One’s Own Activities 62
3.4.2 Indirectly Caused Emissions 63
3.4.3 Total Emissions 65
3.5 The Sale of Ecological Indulgences 67
4 Carbon-Free Energy – Vision or Utopia? 70
4.1 Options for Carbon-Free Energy Supply 70
4.1.1 Effi cient Power Plants – More Power with Less Carbon Dioxide 70
4.1.2 Carbon Dioxide Sequestering – Away with Carbon Dioxide 72
4.1.3 Nuclear Energy – Squeaky Clean 74
4.1.4 Combined Heat and Power – Using Fuel Twice 75
4.1.5 Saving Energy – Achieving More with Less 76
4.2 Renewable Energy Sources – No End to What is Available 77
4.3 Options for Protecting the Climate 79
4.3.1 Down with Primary Energy Needs 79
4.3.2 Electricity Generation Totally Without Nuclear and Fossil Power Plants 81
4.3.3 Insulation and Renewable Energies to Provide Heat 82
4.3.4 Increasing Effi ciency and New Concepts for Traffic 83
4.4 Reliable Supply Using Renewable Energies 84
5 Photovoltaics – Energy from Sand 87
5.1 Structure and Function 88
5.1.1 Electrons, Holes and Space-Charge Regions 88
5.1.2 Effi ciency, Characteristics and MPP 90
5.2 Production of Solar Cells – from Sand to Cell 92
5.2.1 Silicon Solar Cells – Electricity from Sand 92
5.2.2 From Cell to Module 94
5.2.3 Thin Film Solar Cells 95
5.3 Photovoltaic Systems – Networks and Islands 96
5.3.1 Sun Islands 96
5.3.2 Sun in the Grid 99
5.4 Planning and Design 103
5.4.1 Planned on the Grid 103
5.4.2 Planned Islands 107
5.5 Economics 109
5.5.1 What Does It Cost? 109
5.5.2 Incentive Schemes 111
5.6 Ecology 112
5.7 Photovoltaic Markets 113
5.8 Outlook and Development Potential 114
6 Solar Thermal Systems – Year-Round Heating from the Sun 116
6.1 Structure and Functionality 118
6.2 Solar Collectors – Collecting the Sun 120
6.2.1 Swimming Pool Absorbers 120
6.2.2 Flat-Plate Collectors 121
6.2.3 Air-Based Collectors 122
6.2.4 Vacuum-Tube Collectors 123
6.3 Solar Thermal Systems 125
6.3.1 Hot Water from the Sun 125
6.3.2 Heating with the Sun 128
6.3.3 Solar Communities 130
6.3.4 Cooling with the Sun 130
6.3.5 Swimming with the Sun 131
6.3.6 Cooking with the Sun 133
6.4 Planning and Design 133
6.4.1 Solar Thermal Heating of Domestic Hot Water 134
6.4.2 Solar Thermal Heating as Support Heating 136
6.5 Economics 138
6.6 Ecology 139
6.7 Solar Thermal Markets 140
6.8 Outlook and Development Potential 142
7 Solar Power Plants – Even More Energy from the Sun 144
7.1 Concentration on the Sun 145
7.2 Solar Power Plants 147
7.2.1 Parabolic Trough Power Plants 147
7.2.2 Solar Tower Power Plants 150
7.2.3 Dish-Stirling Power Plants 153
7.2.4 Solar Chimney Power Plants 153
7.2.5 Concentrating Photovoltaic Power Plants 155
7.2.6 Solar Chemistry 155
7.3 Planning and Design 156
7.3.1 Concentrating Solar Thermal Power Plants 157
7.3.2 Solar Chimney Power Plants 158
7.3.3 Concentrating Photovoltaic Power Plants 158
7.4 Economics 158
7.5 Ecology 160
7.6 Solar Power Plant Markets 161
7.7 Outlook and Development Potential 162
8 Wind Power Systems – Electricity from Thin Air 165
8.1 Gone with the Wind – Where the Wind Comes From 166
8.2 Utilizing Wind 168
8.3 Installations and Parks 173
8.3.1 Wind Chargers 173
8.3.2 Grid-Connected Wind Turbines 174
8.3.3 Wind Farms 178
8.3.4 Offshore Wind Farms 179
8.4 Planning and Design 182
8.5 Economics 184
8.6 Ecology 187
8.7 Wind Power Markets 188
8.8 Outlook and Development Potential 189
9 Hydropower Plants – Wet Energy 191
9.1 Tapping into the Water Cycle 192
9.2 Water Turbines 194
9.3 Hydropower Plants 197
9.3.1 Run-of-River Power Plants 197
9.3.2 Storage Power Plants 198
9.3.3 Pumped-Storage Power Plants 200
9.3.4 Tidal Power Plants 201
9.3.5 Wave Power Plants 202
9.3.6 Ocean Current Power Plants 203
9.4 Planning and Design 204
9.5 Economics 206
9.6 Ecology 206
9.7 Hydropower Markets 207
9.8 Outlook and Development Potential 209
10 Geothermal Energy – Power from the Deep 210
10.1 Tapping into the Earth’s Heat 210
10.2 Geothermal Heat and Power Plants 215
10.2.1 Geothermal Heat Plants 215
10.2.2 Geothermal Power Plants 216
10.2.3 Geothermal HDR Power Plants 218
10.3 Planning and Design 219
10.4 Economics 220
10.5 Ecology 220
10.6 Geothermal Markets 221
10.7 Outlook and Development Potential 222
11 Heat Pumps – from Cold to Hot 223
11.1 Heat Sources for Low-Temperature Heat 223
11.2 Working Principle of Heat Pumps 226
11.2.1 Compression Heat Pumps 226
11.2.2 Absorption Heat Pumps and Adsorption Heat Pumps 227
11.3 Planning and Design 228
11.4 Economics 232
11.5 Ecology 233
11.6 Heat Pump Markets 235
11.7 Outlook and Development Potential 236
12 Biomass – Energy from Nature 237
12.1 Origins and Use of Biomass 238
12.2 Biomass Heating 241
12.2.1 Wood as a Fuel 241
12.2.2 Fireplaces and Closed Woodburning Stoves 245
12.2.3 Firewood Boilers 245
12.2.4 Wood Pellet Heating 246
12.3 Biomass Heat and Power Plants 248
12.4 Biofuels 250
12.4.1 Bio-oil 251
12.4.2 Biodiesel 251
12.4.3 Bioethanol 252
12.4.4 BtL Fuels 253
12.4.5 Biogas 254
12.5 Planning and Design 255
12.5.1 Firewood Boilers 256
12.5.2 Wood Pellet Heating 256
12.6 Economics 259
12.7 Ecology 260
12.7.1 Solid Fuels 260
12.7.2 Biofuels 262
12.8 Biomass Markets 263
12.9 Outlook and Development Potential 264
13 The Hydrogen Industry and Fuel Cells 265
13.1 Hydrogen as an Energy Source 266
13.1.1 Production of Hydrogen 267
13.1.2 Storage and Transport of Hydrogen 269
13.2 Fuel Cells: Bearers of Hope 270
13.3 Economics 272
13.4 Ecology 273
13.5 Markets, Outlook and Development Potential 274
14 Sunny Prospects – Examples of Sustainable Energy Supply 276
14.1 Climate-Compatible Living 276
14.1.1 Carbon-Neutral Standard Prefabricated Houses 277
14.1.2 Plus-Energy Solar House 278
14.1.3 Plus-Energy Housing Estate 279
14.1.4 Heating Only with the Sun 279
14.1.5 Zero Heating Costs after Redevelopment 280
14.2 Working and Producing in Compatibility with the Climate 281
14.2.1 Offi ces and Shops in Solar Ship 281
14.2.2 Zero-Emissions Factory 282
14.2.3 Carbon-Free Heavy Equipment Factory 283
14.3 Climate-Compatible Driving 284
14.3.1 Waste Gas-Free Electropower 284
14.3.2 Travelling around the World in a Solar Mobile 285
14.3.3 Across Australia in Thirty-Three Hours 286
14.3.4 Game over CO2! 287
14.4 Climate-Compatible Travel by Water or Air 288
14.4.1 Modern Shipping 288
14.4.2 Solar Ferry on Lake Constance 289
14.4.3 World Altitude Record with a Solar Aeroplane 290
14.4.4 Flying around the World in a Solar Plane 291
14.4.5 Flying for Solar Kitchens 292
14.5 Carbon-Free Electricity for an Island 293
14.6 All’s Well that Ends Well 294
Appendix 296
A.1 Energy Units and Prefixes 296
A.2 Geographic Coordinates of Energy Power Plants 297
References 300
Index 303
