Category: 1.Introduction

This section briefly reviews other renewable energy systems. Most of these, except wind energy, are not covered in this book. More details on these systems can be found in other publications. Wind energy Wind is generated by atmospheric pressure differences, driven by solar power. Of the total of 175,000 TW of solar power reaching the earth,…

Solar energy is the oldest energy source ever used. The sun was adored by many ancient civilizations as a powerful god. The first known practical application was in drying for preserving food (Kalogirou, 2004). Probably the oldest large-scale application known to us is the burning of the Roman fleet in the bay of Syracuse by…

A good source of information on the state of climate in the year 2011 is the report published by the U.S. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), which summarizes global and regional climate conditions and places them in the context of historical records (Blunden and Arndt, 2012). The parameters examined are global temperature and various gases…

Energy is considered a prime agent in the generation of wealth and a significant factor in economic development. The importance of energy in economic development is recognized universally and historical data verify that there is a strong relationship between the availability of energy and economic activity. Although in the early 1970s, after the oil crisis,…

Many alternative energy sources can be used instead of fossil fuels. The decision as to what type of energy source should be utilized in each case must be made on the basis of economic, environmental, and safety considerations. Because of the desirable environmental and safety aspects it is widely believed that solar energy should be…

The sun is the only star of our solar system located at its center. The earth and other planets orbit the sun. Energy from the sun in the form of solar radiation supports almost all life on earth via photosynthesis and drives the earth’s climate and weather. About 74% of the sun’s mass is hydrogen,…