Handbook of Alternate Energy

This is a complete sourcebook on the subject of alternative energy. An introduction to alternative and renewable energy is provided with focus on energy development, co-processing, distributed generation, virtual power plant, country-wise electricity production from renewable sources, and related case studies. Various sources, forms and concerns of alternative energy are covered, including that of energy fuel. The capacity factor and environmental concerns with electricity generation are covered. The solar thermal energy and photovoltaic are discussed in detail. The third generation photovoltaic cell, nanoantenna, dye-sensitised solar cell and dye Sol are analysed. Solar energy technology and companies are described, with select case studies. The subject areas of hydropower and hydroelectric energy are covered with special focus on types of hydropower plants, history of hydropower development, types of hydropower turbines, mobile hydricity and run-of-the-river hydroelectricity. The advantages and disadvantages of hydropower are explained. The select national patterns in geothermal energy and power are discussed with case studies of Australia, China, Iceland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Portugal, Turkey and the USA. An overview of bioenergy and biomass is provided giving the case studies China and New Zealand biomass programmes. An introductory overview of biofuel energy and road to sustainable biofuel is discussed. The food bioenergy crops such as jatropha curcas, Chinese tallow, hemp, maize, sorghum bicolor, soybean, stover, straw, sugarcane and sunflower are described. Similarly the non-food bioenergy crops such as miscanthus giganteus, panicum virgatum, etc are discussed. The various bioenergy technologies, such as, bioconversion of biomass to mixed alcohol fuels; biomass heating systems; biorefinery; industrial biotechnology; pellet mill; pellet stove, thermal depolymerization and cellulosic ethanol commercialisation are highlighted. The energy from wind power and wind turbines are covered with highlights on wind farms, wind generators, wind turbines, laddermills, vertical axis wind turbines, darrieus wind turbines, quiet revolution wind turbines, windstar turbines, savonius wind turbines, turby wind turbines, floating wind turbines and unconventional wind turbines. The regional and national potentials of global wind power are outlined with case studies of Asia, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Turkey, Sweden, Spain, Romania, Portugal, Pakistan, Gharo, New Zealand, India, Morocco, Italy, the Republic of Ireland, Iran, Greece, Germany, France, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, China, Canada, Brazil, Austria, and Australia. An overview of systems related to ocean and marine energy are covered. The ocean wave energy and power are discussed with case study of Autonomous Powerbuoy tidal energy and power resources are analysed with focus on methods of converting tidal energy into electricity. The case studies of India, Garorim Bay, Kislaya Guba, Rance, Sagen and Severn Barrage are made. Also, the ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is discussed in detail. Similarly, the ocean salinity gradient energy is described with case studies of Blue Energy Canada Inc. and the Davis HydroTurbine. The ocean current energy and other ocean energy and power sources are also covered in brief, such as, offshore wind energy; deep-water-supported mariculture; offshore solar energy; and deep sea mineral extraction. This handbook also makes an effort towards creating an understanding of the significance of energy efficiency program and impact evaluation w.r.t alternative energy. Attempts are made towards gross and net energy and demand savings calculations; avoided air emissions calculation and impact evaluation planning; other evaluation types and renewables and combined heat and power project measurement and verification systems. The handbook is user-friendly and future research oriented.