Solar Energy Index is an index of resources dealing with solar energy, including archival materials from the International Solar Energy Society collection; references to articles in major solar journals; patents and pamphlets; National Technical Information Service reports; unbound conference proceedings; and other assorted reports. Both theoretical and ""how-to-do-it"" publications are well represented. This book places particular emphasis on terrestrial solar thermal and photovoltaic applications of solar energy. Subjects are classified according to physics, terrestrial wind, collectors, space heating and cooling, economics, materials, distillation, thermal-electric power systems, photoelectricity, solar furnaces, cooking, biological applications, water heaters, photochemistry, energy storage, mechanical devices, evaporation, sea power, space flight applications, and industrial applications. Topics covered range from wind energy and bioconversion to ocean thermal energy conversion, heliohydroelectric power plants, solar cells, turbine generation systems, thermionic converters, batteries and fuel cells, and pumps and engines. This monograph will be of interest to government officials and policymakers concerned with solar energy.

A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Energy Systems: With Special Focus on Photovoltaic Systems, the most advanced and research focused text on all aspects of solar energy engineering, is a must have edition on the present state of solar technology, integration and worldwide distribution. In addition, the book provides a high-level assessment of the growth trends in photovoltaics and how investment, planning and economic infrastructure can support those innovations. Each chapter includes a research overview with a detailed analysis and new case studies that look at how recent research developments can be applied. Written by some of the most forward-thinking professionals, this book is an invaluable reference for engineers. - Contains analysis of the latest high-level research and explores real world application potential in relation to developments - Uses system international (SI) units and imperial units throughout to appeal to global engineers - Offers measurable data written by a world expert in the field on the latest developments in this fast moving and vital subject

While solar is the fastest-growing energy source in the world, key concerns around solar power's inherent variability threaten to de-rail that scale-up . Currently, integration of intermittent solar resources into the grid creates added complication to load management, leading some utilities to reject it altogether, while other operators may penalize the producers via rate increases or force solar developers to include storage devices on-site to smooth out power delivery at the point of production. However these efforts at mitigation unfold, it is increasingly clear to parties on all sides that energy storage will be pivotally important in the drive to boost the integration of variable renewable sources into power infrastructures across the globe. Thoughtfully implemented storage technologies can reduce peak demand, improve day-to-day reliability, provide emergency power in case of interrupted generation, reduce consumer and utility costs by easing load balance challenges, decrease emissions, and increase the amount of distributed and renewable energy that makes it into the grid. While energy storage has long been an area of concern for scientists and engineers, there has been no comprehensive single text covering the storage methods available to solar power producers, which leaves a lamentable gap in the literature core to this important field. Solar Energy Storage aims to become the authoritative work on the topic, incorporating contributions from an internationally recognized group of top authors from both industry and academia, focused on providing information from underlying scientific fundamentals to practical applications, and emphasizing the latest technological developments driving this discipline forward. - Expert contributing authors explain current and emergent storage technologies for solar, thermal, and photovoltaic applications - Sheds light on the economic status of solar storage facilities, including case studies of the particular challenges that solar energy systems present to remote locations - Includes information on: chemical storage mechanisms, mechanical storage tactics, pumped hydro, thermal storage, and storage strategies for systems of all sizes—from centralized utilities to distributed generation

This book provides an outstanding single-volume resource on the topic of solar energy for young adults and general audiences. While how much longer the world's supply of fossil fuels will last is debatable, it is a fact that the fossil fuels that we depend on so heavily today are non-renewable resources that will inevitably be exhausted—making the need to shift to alternative sources of energy such as solar extremely important. Solar Energy: A Reference Handbook presents encyclopedic coverage of the social, political, economic, and environmental issues associated with the development and use of solar energy in the United States and around the world. This book provides an in-depth description of the ways solar power has been used for at least 2,000 years. It outlines how humankind has utilized various forms of energy from the sun by way of photovoltaic cells, concentrating or focusing solar power, active and passive solar heating, and other mechanisms; and provides perspectives on today's solar energy issues from a variety of subject experts. Readers will better understand not only the advantages and disadvantages of solar power but also the critical nature of energy production to sustaining life on earth, thereby underscoring the importance of developing solar power and other alternative sources of energy to meet the world's energy needs in coming decades. The book also includes profiles of key individuals and organizations related to the field of solar energy, a chronology of important events in the history of solar energy, and a glossary that defines the key terms used in discussing the topic of solar energy.

Solar energy is a substantial global industry, one that has generated trade disputes among superpowers, threatened the solvency of large energy companies, and prompted serious reconsideration of electric utility regulation rooted in the 1930s. One of the biggest payoffs from solar’s success is not the clean inexpensive electricity it can produce, but the lessons it provides for innovation in other technologies needed to address climate change. Despite the large literature on solar, including analyses of increasingly detailed datasets, the question as to how solar became inexpensive and why it took so long still remains unanswered. Drawing on developments in the US, Japan, Germany, Australia, and China, this book provides a truly comprehensive and international explanation for how solar has become inexpensive. Understanding the reasons for solar’s success enables us to take full advantage of solar’s potential. It can also teach us how to support other low-carbon technologies with analogous properties, including small modular nuclear reactors and direct air capture. However, the urgency of addressing climate change means that a key challenge in applying the solar model is in finding ways to speed up innovation. Offering suggestions and policy recommendations for accelerated innovation is another key contribution of this book. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of energy technology and innovation, climate change and energy analysis and policy, as well as practitioners and policymakers working in the existing and emerging energy industries.

This reference guide provides a detailed perspective on the investing opportunities in solar power technologies and services, as well as an indication of the direction of trends in the sector. Significant attention is also given to the companies operating within the sector.