Solar Energy Renewable Energy and the Environment

Drawing on the authors’ extensive research and project implementation around the globe, Solar Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment covers solar energy resources, thermal and photovoltaic systems, and the economics involved in using solar energy. It provides background theory on solar energy as well as useful technical information for implementing solar energy applications. The book details the strengths, weaknesses, and applications of solar power generation technologies. It discusses the design and implementation of often-overlooked solar technologies, such as solar water pumping, distillation, detoxification, refrigeration, and village power. The text also examines photovoltaic power and how it is best suited for remote-site applications with small to moderate power requirements. Examples, real-world case studies, and lessons learned from technical failures illustrate how to best implement solar energy projects. The time for clean energy solutions is here. Only through energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies can modern civilization extricate itself from the gathering "perfect energy storm." Focusing on one of the keys to lessen the potentially harmful impacts of the storm, this book discusses how to increase energy production from a clean energy source—the sun.

Introduction to Solar Energy The Twenty-First Century’s Perfect Energy Storm Renewable Energy for Rural Development Renewable Energy Solutions Global Solar Resource Problems Solar Resources Introduction Sun–Earth Geometric Relationship Equation of Time Structure of the Sun Electromagnetic Radiation Solar Spectral Distribution Solar Constant Extraterrestrial Solar Radiation Terrestrial Solar Radiation Measurement of Terrestrial Solar Radiation Terrestrial Insolation on Tilted Collectors References Problems Fundamentals of Engineering: Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer Introduction Conduction Heat Transfer One-Dimensional Conduction Heat Transfer in a Rectangular Coordinate Thermal Resistance Circuits One-Dimensional Conduction Heat Transfer in a Cylindrical Coordinate Convection Heat Transfer Radiation Heat Transfer Introduction to Thermodynamics References Solar Thermal Systems and Applications Introduction Solar Collectors Tracking Systems Solar Thermal Systems References Photovoltaic Cells by Jeanette Moore Introduction Crystal Structure Cell Physics Energy Bands More about Electrons and Their Energy Electrons and Holes Direct and Indirect Band-Gap Materials Doping Transport Generation and Recombination The p–n Junction Solar Cell Equations Characterization Efficiency Current Research Cell Applications References Problems Photovoltaic Conversion Systems Solar Benefits Basic Module Electrical Concepts PV Arrays PV Array Tilt PV Balance of Systems PV System Utility PV System Safety PV System Testing Rules References Problems Photovoltaic System Sizing and Design Introduction Solar Resource Sizing Considerations Solar Trajectory Solar Energy System Sizing Considerations Solar Energy System Sizing Solar Water Pumping System Sizing Generic Water Pump Sizing Methodology Electrical Codes for PV System Design Stand-Alone PV Lighting Design Example Bibliography Problems Photovoltaic Applications Introduction Grid-Tied PV Japanese PV Development and Applications Future Japanese Trends Stand-Alone PV Applications PV for Schools PV for Protected Areas PV Water-Pumping Grounding and Lightning Protection for Solar Water Pumps Solar Tracking for Solar Water Pumps Operation and Maintenance of the Systems The PV Array PV Water-Pumping Results References Economics by Vaughn Nelson Solar Energy Is Free, but What Does It Cost? Economic Feasibility Economic Factors Economic Analysis Life Cycle Cost Present Value and Levelized Costs Annualized Cost of Energy Externalities Solar Irrigation Case Study Water Pumping Example Summary Problems Institutional Issues Introduction Sustainability Institutional Considerations Stakeholders Program Implementation Institutional Models for Solar Energy Dissemination Management and Ownership Tariffs and Payment Other Critical Issues Summary Problems Energy Storage Introduction Batteries in PV Systems Lead-Acid Battery Construction Lead-Acid Battery Operation Lead-Acid Battery Characteristics Battery Problem Areas Battery Maintenance Battery Safety Precautions Determination of Battery Failure Battery Selection Criteria Charge Controller Terminology Charge Controller Algorithms Charge Controller Selection Criteria References Bibliography Solar Energy Glossary Appendix A: Global Insolation at Latitude Tilt for Select Cities Appendix B: Friction Loss Factors Appendix C: Present Value Factors Index

Robert Foster is a program manager in the College of Engineering at the Southwest Region Solar Experiment Station and the Institute for Energy and the Environment at New Mexico State University. He is currently on assignment in Kabul as the deputy chief of party for the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Afghanistan Water, Agriculture, and Technology Transfer Program. Majid Ghassemi is a visiting research scientist in the Institute for Engineering Research and Applications at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NM Tech), where he is currently conducting research on energy-efficient wall panels for the U.S. Department of Energy. Alma Cota is a chemistry professor and solar researcher at the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez. She previously worked as a photovoltaic research assistant in the Southwest Region Solar Experiment Station at New Mexico State University.