The management of global warming is a relevant issue throughout the world and has experts of various fields considering various methods to control Earth s atmospheric temperature. While microgrid technology is emerging as the next generation energy supply system, renewable energy is often unstable and requires the support of conventional energy equipment. Optimum Design of Renewable Energy Systems: Microgrid and Nature Grid Methods investigates the development of highly efficient energy storage equipment and of operation optimization technology of compound energy systems. This book is an essential reference source for technical consultants, urban environment engineers, and energy researchers interested in the development of efficient energy systems and operation optimization technology."

Fuel Cell Micro-grids describes an energy supply method based on a network of two or more proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEM-FC). Such a network enables the effective use of exhaust heat, the simplification of the transmission network, the possibility of backup during disruptive hazards and the consideration of regional factors. Furthermore, green energy and renewable energy systems can be connected to the network, to function in cooperation with the fuel cells. For these reasons, it is believed that an increasing number of applications will make use of such fuel cell energy networks.

Fuel Cell Micro-grids analyses the operation plan of these new energy supply methods using genetic algorithms. The book explains the results of the analysis of the optimization operation plan, energy cost, and greenhouse gas discharge characteristics for many application cases of the fuel cell network.

The authors decribe the construction and operation of compound energy systems using the latest optimization methods. They consider important factors such as cost, efficiency and dynamic characteristics.

Fuel Cell Micro-grids describes an energy supply method based on a network of two or more proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEM-FC). Such a network enables the effective use of exhaust heat, the simplification of the transmission network, the possibility of backup during disruptive hazards and the consideration of regional factors. Furthermore, green energy and renewable energy systems can be connected to the network, to function in cooperation with the fuel cells. For these reasons, it is believed that an increasing number of applications will make use of such fuel cell energy networks.

Fuel Cell Micro-grids analyses the operation plan of these new energy supply methods using genetic algorithms. The book explains the results of the analysis of the optimization operation plan, energy cost, and greenhouse gas discharge characteristics for many application cases of the fuel cell network.

Microgrids are electric power grids composed of loads and distributed energy resources which provide electricity to villages, university campuses and other entities usually smaller than cities which are capable of operating independently from the larger grid if necessary. Such systems are gaining importance in times of rising shares of renewable power and desire for energy resilience. There is a need for an updated work and overview describing the latest technology in microgrids and also adding perspectives of economics, environment and energy policies, including microgrids for cold regions, and future trends. The aim of this work is to give this complete overview of the latest technology around the world, and the interrelation with clean energy systems. Topics covered include key concepts and definitions; microgrid communication and control; storage systems for microgrids; microgrid reliability; clean generation in microgrids; country case studies; economics and policies. The book is essential reading for researchers and practicing engineers, as well as advanced students.

To ensure reliable, accurate, and timely data, which are necessary to monitor the progress of U.S. education, Congress has mandated that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produce an annual report, 'The Condition of Education'. This year's report presents indicators of important developments and trends in U.S. education. These indicators focus on participation and persistence in education, student performance and other measures of achievement, the environment for learning, and resources for education.

From deregulation of energy business, and an environmental problem, the installation spread of the small-scale distribution power due to a fuel cell and a heat engine is expected. Under the objective function set up by the designer or the user, optimisation planning that controls small-scale distribution power is required. In dynamic operation planning of the energy plant, the analysis method using mixed integer linear programming is developed. For the compound energy systems of solar modules and fuel cell cogeneration, there have been no reports of the optimisation of operation planning. Therefore, there are no results showing the relationship between the objective function given to the combined system and operation planning. Such as a solar modules or wind power, green-energy equipment is accompanied by the fluctuation of an output in many cases. Almost all green energy equipment requires backup by commercial power, fuel cells, heat engines, etc. Operation planning of the system that utilises renewable energy differs by the objective function and power and heat load pattern. Thus, this book investigates the operation planning of the compound energy system composed of proton exchange membrane fuel cell cogeneration with methanol steam-reforming equipment, a solar module, geo-thermal heat pump, heat storage, water electrolysis equipment, commercial power, and a kerosene boiler. In such a complex energy system, facility cost is expensive. However, in this book, it investigates as a case of the independent power source for backlands with renewable energy. This book considers the operation planning of a system, and the optimisation of equipment capacity. The Genetic Algorithm (hereafter described as GA) applicable to a non-linear problem with many variables is installed into the optimisation calculation of the operation planning of the system. In the operation analysis of a complex energy system, Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) other than GA can be used. Because the non-linear analysis using MIP is made to approximate using a linear expression of relations, it is considered that an error is large. On the other hand, GA is applicable to the analysis of the non-linear problem of many variables. The range of the analysis accuracy obtained by calculation with GA is understood that it can use industrially. In GA, the design variable of energy equipment is shown with many gene models. In this book, the objective functions given to the system were set up as (1) Minimisation of error in demand-and-supply balance, (2) Minimisation of the operation cost (fuel consumption) of energy equipment, (3) Minimisation of the carbon dioxide gas emission accompanying operation, and (4) Minimisation of the three objective functions described above. The load pattern in winter (February) and summer (August) of the average individual house in Sapporo, Japan, is used for the energy demand model shown with a case study. This chapter described the operation plan of the independence energy system when installing a methanol steam-reforming type fuel cell and renewable energy into a cold region house. Such complex operation optimization of the energy system did not have a report until now. Consequently, the method of installing and analysing the GA apply to the non-linear problem of many variables was proposed. In points of equipment cost, it is difficult for a proposed system to spread generally. However, the installation to the area where the commercial power is not fixed is possible.

Distribution and a network of the small-scale energy systems are investigated as new energy supply methods. If two or more types of small energy equipment are connected to an energy network, it is thought that effective use of exhaust heat, simplification of the transmission network, installation of a backup at the time of a hazard, etc., are possible. However, since the system becomes complicated, optimisation of the arrangement plan of the equipment and the operation plan become difficult. Especially when unstable green energy is intermingled, a precise operation plan is required. The author proposes a new analysis method by installing genetic algorithms into the analysis of the equipment arrangement and the operation plan. Various energy networks including fuel cell, solar power modules, wind turbine generators, diesel engines, geo-thermal heat pumps, etc. are investigated using this new algorithm. The book will be important for those involved in mechanical engineering, power engineering, energy engineering, environmental engineering, etc. who are provided with optimisation of small-scale energy systems.