Renewable Energy: A First Course

Renewable energy has great significance for the world's future, given the environmental issues related to energy generation and energy's importance in our society. Making wise energy choices is not easy, however. It involves balanced consideration of economic, environmental, technical, political, and other perspectives to weigh the relative costs a

Table of Contents:
Introduction. Fossil Fuels. Nuclear Power: Basic Science. Nuclear Power: Technology. Biofuels. Geothermal Energy. Wind Power. Hydropower. Solar Radiation and Earth's Climate. Solar Thermal. Photovoltaics. Energy Conservation and Efficiency. Energy Storage and Transmission. Climate and Energy: Policy, Politics, and Public Opinion. Appendix: Answers to Even-Numbered Problems. Index.

About the Author :
Robert Ehrlich is a professor of physics at George Mason University. He earned his B.S. in physics from Brooklyn College and his Ph.D. from Columbia University. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society. He formerly chaired the physics departments at George Mason University and SUNY New Paltz and has taught physics for nearly four decades. Dr. Ehrlich is an elementary particle physicist and has worked in a number of other areas as well. He has authored or edited 20 books and about 100 journal articles. His current scholarly interests include renewable energy and the existence of faster-than-light particles.

Review :
"This book can help you understand and communicate about topics involving physics of renewable energy. Many good features occupy the over-400 pages of this book. Most importantly, Ehrlich places renewable energy technologies within a context that makes sense for environmental professionals. ... deserves a place on the bookshelf of people working on energy projects ..." -John H. Perkins, Environmental Practice, December 2013 "Professor Ehrlich has succeeded in writing a clear, relevant and well-organized book that is very close to a perfect fit for the kind of course I want to teach. This text provides a nice balance between discussing the applied physical principles in energy production and describing state-of-the art technology in the energy field. The text is very clear and readable, and I found the problem sets to be excellent learning tools." -Professor John Smedley, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, USA "Ehrlich's readable style with humorous touches keeps the reader engaged. I can see this book as being a well-thumbed text by a wide spectrum of science students and others involved in learning about the central importance of energy security for societies. I strongly recommend Renewable Energy: A First Course for advanced level or introductory level graduate students and teachers or lecturers of these courses." -Alexander Waller, CBiol MSB