Principles of Sustainable Energy: (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Series)

A transition from a fossil fuel–based economy to one that uses renewable energy has become inevitable; this transition will not only be an engineering challenge, but will also be an economic and environmental one. Offering an interdisciplinary, quantitative approach, Principles of Sustainable Energy presents a comprehensive overview of the major renewable energy technologies currently available, including biomass and biofuels, solar thermal conversion, photovoltaics, and wind energy conversion. Written by renowned expert Frank Kreith, the book emphasizes economics as well as energy return on investment analyses for each technology and integrates the need for energy conservation with the overall aspects of building a sustainable energy system with renewable sources. The author covers energy storage in depth, because it is considered one of the most important, and problematic, requirements for building a sustainable renewable energy system. Treatments of the economics of nuclear power and options for transportation systems are also included. The book contains worked-out example problems illustrating engineering analyses from a systems perspective and problem sets to reinforce concepts and applications. Examples and exercises relating to solar energy systems cover latitudes in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and use current worldwide solar radiation data. But this text is not merely academic: its clearheaded look at the energy picture from the ground up, and the environmental, economic, and sustainability benefits that renewable energy systems can provide, make it a resource for government and industry as well as a text for engineering students.

Table of Contents:
Introduction to Sustainable Energy Global Sustainability Role of Energy Conservation Nuclear Energy Hydrogen Geothermal Energy Global Status and Potential of Renewable Energy Summary of Renewable Energy Resources Orders of Magnitude Energy Units and Conversion Factors Problems Online Resources References Suggested Readings Economics of Energy Generation and Conservation Systems Time Value of Money Inflation Societal Costs Total Life Cycle Costs Internal Rate of Return Levelized Cost of Energy Example of a Typical Cash Flow Scenario Energy Analysis Methodology EROI for a Wind Energy System EROI for Nuclear Power Problems Appendix 2.A Capital Recovery Factor References Wind Energy, Contributing Author: G. Pawlas Wind Power in a Nutshell Power and Energy Fact or Fiction: Common Questions about Wind Turbines History of Wind Turbine Development: HAWTs and VAWTs Introduction to Wind Turbine Performance Aerodynamics Wind Characteristics Turbine Performance Cost of Energy Wind Farms Offshore Wind Energy Additional Topics for Study Acknowledgment Problems References Capturing Solar Energy through Biomass, Contributing Authors: R.C. Brown and M.M. Wright Introduction Biomass Feedstocks Conversion of Biomass to Gaseous Fuels Transportation Fuels from Biomass Conversion of Biomass to Electricity Conclusions Solutions to Selected Problems Additional Problems References Fundamentals of Solar Radiation The Physics of the Sun and Its Energy Transport Thermal Radiation Fundamentals Sun–Earth Geometric Relationship Solar Radiation Models Based on Long-Term Measured Horizontal Solar Radiation Measurement of Solar Radiation Problems Appendix References Photovoltaics Semiconductors Analysis of Photovoltaic Cells Manufacture of Solar Cells and Panels Design for Remote Photovoltaic Applications Thin-Film PV Technology Multilayer PV Technology Problems References Solar Heating and Cooling of Buildings Radiative Properties and Characteristics of Materials Flat-Plate Collectors Evacuated Tube Collectors Experimental Testing of Collectors Calculations of Heating and Hot Water Loads in Buildings Solar Water-Heating Systems Liquid-Based Solar-Heating Systems for Buildings Methods of Modeling and Design of Solar Heating Systems Solar Cooling Solar Desiccant Dehumidification Problems Appendix References Solar Process Heat and Thermal Power Historical Perspective Solar Industrial Process Heat Parabolic Collectors Long-Term Performance of SIPH Systems TRNSYS—Computer Simulation Program Solar Thermal Power Examples of Solar Thermal Power Plants Parabolic Dish Systems and Stirling Engines Recent Developments in Solar Thermal Power Cycles Problems References Passive Solar Heating, Cooling, and Daylighting, Contributing Author: J.H. Morehouse Introduction Solar Thermosyphon Water Heating Passive Solar Heating Design Fundamentals Passive Space Cooling Design Fundamentals Daylighting Design Fundamentals Defining Terms References For Further Information Energy Storage Overview of Storage Technology Mechanical Technologies Direct Electrical Technologies Fundamentals of Batteries and Fuel Cells Rechargeable Batteries Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Thermal Energy Storage Problems References Other Battery Resources Ocean Energy Conversion Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Tidal Energy Ocean Wave Energy References Transportation Introduction Alternative Fuels Well-to-Wheel Analysis Mass Transportation Hybrid Electric Vehicles Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles Advanced Ground Transportation with Biomass Fuel Future All-Electric System Hydrogen for Transportation Problems References Index

About the Author :
Frank Kreith is the ASME Legislative Fellow for Energy and Environment at the National Conference of State Legislators. Jan F. Kreider is the Founding Director of the University of Colorado's Joint Center for Energy Management.

Review :
! examines the practical issues surrounding energy efficiency, and renewable energy concepts and systems. And a more appropriate author for such a work could not be found ! combines the expertise earned from decades of practical and scholarly research with the most up-to-date analysis of the energy scene. --From the Foreword by Dan E. Arvizu, President, Alliance for Sustainable Energy, and Manager and Operator of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory