1. 1 Historical Background and Relationship to the lEA One of the objectives of the energy research, development and demonstra tion program of the International Energy Agency (lEA) is to promote the development and application of new and improved energy technologies which could potentially help cover our energy needs. Early in 1976, a working party for Small Solar Power Systems (SSPS) was created with the approval and encouragement of the Committee for Research and Develop ment of the International Energy Agency (lEA) [1]. At that time the following countries showed interest in attending the formative meeting: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Great Britain, Greece, The Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States of America. In its first meetings the SSPS Working Party explored the technological possibilities of the exploitation of solar power at small levels (photovoltaics, wind, waves and thermal power conversion) and also reviewed what was being done at that time in the domain of solar power in each of the participating countries. At a meeting in mid 1976 in Vienna, a study performed by MBB was presented. It stated that as distributed systems (systems using a large number of parabolic trough collectors "DCS", see chapter 4) grow linearly in terms of power, the associated costs grow as a function of the size of the intended system. By comparison, the cost per unit output of the central receiver systems ("CRS" , see section 5.

The technologies of hydrogen's energetic utilization have been known for a long time. But aspects of system analysis, energy economics, and ecology that would come into play in introducing it into energy systems nave received much less attention. For those reasons, this book attempts to show the development path of a hydrogen economy, based on assured technological knowledge. One special concern has been to demonstrate, on one hand, how these developments would fit into existing energy supply structures, and, on the other, how they would contribute to further development of the energy system as a whole. With that goal in mind it is necessary to contrast the obvious advantages of hydrogen with the large efforts that would be required for its introduction. This total-systems approach led to a three-part organization of the book that also aids the reader in quickly identifying those parts that are of special interest to him. Section A essentially explains why it is necessary today to think about a new synthetic energy carrier. It also describes the irreplacable and growing role of hydrogen as a chemical raw material, and it explains technologies that al ready exist for its energetic use or that need further development. An attempt has also been made to prove that hydrogen's safety characteristics indeed per mit its handling and use as an energy carrier. Hopefully, all this will show that hydrogen, together with electricity, could be the universally employable energy carrier of a future non-fossil energy supply system."

The technologies of hydrogen's energetic utilization have been known for a long time. But aspects of system analysis, energy economics, and ecology that would come into play in introducing it into energy systems nave received much less attention. For those reasons, this book attempts to show the development path of a hydrogen economy, based on assured technological knowledge. One special concern has been to demonstrate, on one hand, how these developments would fit into existing energy supply structures, and, on the other, how they would contribute to further development of the energy system as a whole. With that goal in mind it is necessary to contrast the obvious advantages of hydrogen with the large efforts that would be required for its introduction. This total-systems approach led to a three-part organization of the book that also aids the reader in quickly identifying those parts that are of special interest to him. Section A essentially explains why it is necessary today to think about a new synthetic energy carrier. It also describes the irreplacable and growing role of hydrogen as a chemical raw material, and it explains technologies that al ready exist for its energetic use or that need further development. An attempt has also been made to prove that hydrogen's safety characteristics indeed per mit its handling and use as an energy carrier. Hopefully, all this will show that hydrogen, together with electricity, could be the universally employable energy carrier of a future non-fossil energy supply system."

Auszuge aus der Presse zur ersten Auflage: ..".nur der Wasserstoff ist wahrhaft umweltfreundlich. Bei seiner Verbrennung entstehen weder Kohlendioxid noch Schwefeldioxid, nur Wasserdampf. Die Atmosphare wird nicht vergiftet, die Klimakatastrophe im letzten Moment abgewendet. Elektrolytischer Wasserstoff entsteht aus Wasser und verbrennt wieder zu Wasser. Wasser aus dem naturlichen Wasserhaushalt der Erde, aus ihm entnommen, an ihn zuruckgegeben... Winter, ...und...Nitsch, ...sind die klugsten Anwalte, die Sonne und Wasserstoff im Lande haben. Ihr Pladoyer ... gilt jetzt schon als Standardwerk, als die Bibel des neuen Zeitalters... Man kann Wasserstoff ohne grosse Muhe komprimieren, speichern, uber weite Strecken durch Gasleitungen transportieren, ihn zentral und dezentral einsetzen ahnlich wie derzeit Erdgas. In der Kuche, zur Heizung, sogar zur lokalen Gewinnung elektrischen Stroms in sogenannten Brennstoffzellen und in herkommlichen Blockheizwerken." "Der Spiegel"#1"

Auszuge aus der Presse zur ersten Auflage: ..".nur der Wasserstoff ist wahrhaft umweltfreundlich. Bei seiner Verbrennung entstehen weder Kohlendioxid noch Schwefeldioxid, nur Wasserdampf. Die Atmosphare wird nicht vergiftet, die Klimakatastrophe im letzten Moment abgewendet. Elektrolytischer Wasserstoff entsteht aus Wasser und verbrennt wieder zu Wasser. Wasser aus dem naturlichen Wasserhaushalt der Erde, aus ihm entnommen, an ihn zuruckgegeben... Winter, ...und...Nitsch, ...sind die klugsten Anwalte, die Sonne und Wasserstoff im Lande haben. Ihr Pladoyer ... gilt jetzt schon als Standardwerk, als die Bibel des neuen Zeitalters... Man kann Wasserstoff ohne grosse Muhe komprimieren, speichern, uber weite Strecken durch Gasleitungen transportieren, ihn zentral und dezentral einsetzen ahnlich wie derzeit Erdgas. In der Kuche, zur Heizung, sogar zur lokalen Gewinnung elektrischen Stroms in sogenannten Brennstoffzellen und in herkommlichen Blockheizwerken." "Der Spiegel"#1"