Green Energy : Solar Energy, Photovoltaics, and Smart Cities

Like most industries around the world, the energy industry has also made, and continues to make, a long march toward “green” energy.  The science has come a long way since the 1970s, and renewable energy and other green technologies are becoming more and more common, replacing fossil fuels.  It is, however, still a struggle, both in terms of energy sources keeping up with demand, and the development of useful technologies in this area. To maintain the supply for electrical energy, researchers, engineers and other professionals in industry are continuously exploring new eco-friendly energy technologies and power electronics, such as solar, wind, tidal, wave, bioenergy, and fuel cells. These technologies have changed the concepts of thermal, hydro and nuclear energy resources by the adaption of power electronics advancement and revolutionary development in lower manufacturing cost for semiconductors with long time reliability. The latest developments in renewable resources have proved their potential to boost the economy of any country. Green energy technology has not only proved the concept of clean energy but also reduces the dependencies on fossil fuel for electricity generation through smart power electronics integration. Also, endless resources have more potential to cope with the requirements of smart building and smart city concepts.  A valuable reference for engineers, scientists, chemists, and students, this volume is applicable to many different fields, across many different industries, at all levels.  It is a must-have for any library.