Photovoltaics (PV), the solar power, which was nothing a few years ago, is the world leader in clean and sustainable energy today. It has become low-cost and affordable for everybody: Millions of people have already invested in it. This book reports on the euphoria resulting from solar PV that started about half a century ago in the United States, followed by Japan. By the turn of the century was triggered the first PV market explosion in Germany, followed by the great financial and industrial turmoil ending up with China’s leadership. Today, the solar euphoria has embraced the whole world, with hundreds of billions of dollars being invested in millions of PV plants on buildings or on the ground. The book is a guide to investing while helping to save the environment. It tells everything about solar power.

This book sheds light on how the modern 3-bladed wind turbine came into being, and who, how and what in the proceeding period caused the success. It looks back over three decades to find the roots of this exciting development, a long cavalcade of developers, inventors, and manufacturers including the Danish authors who themselves were part of the breakthrough. Written for non-specialists, the book covers minimal science, emphasizing the story of how wind power became a worldwide 30-billion-euro business employing nearly one million people.

In part 2 of Wind Power for the World, the editors have collected reports and overviews of wind power status and history in various countries, several written by individuals who have made valuable contributions to the successful emergence of wind power. The chapters cover the uphill struggle; wind energy strategies and policies that paved the way; and the creative persons in politics, agencies, institutes, and the industry. It also examines the world societies at large and how solutions to the challenges were found in different countries.

Contents: Large Wind Turbine Technology - State of the Art. - Outline ofWEGA Large Wind Turbine Programme. - The WEGA Wind Turbines - Design and Construction. - Comparison of Essential Technical Criteria. - Commissioning and Early Operational Experiences. - Outlook to the Future Programme WEGA II.

The limited available of fossil energy carriers and the environmental impacts of energy consumtion demand mid-and long-term strategies both for the rational use of energy and for increased renewable energy utilization. Concepts of renewable energy conversion have been proposed and implemented during recent decades allover the world and their remarkable potential has been demonstrated. However, large scale implementation in the context of the requirements above has not yet taken place. The EUREC (European Renewable Energy Centres) Agency - an association of 25 European research centres from 11 EC countries, provides a framework of leading experts in the field of renewable energies, focusing on assessment studies, joint projects in research and development and on proposing future strategies in a European context. Under the leadership of Professor Wrixon, with the assistance and contributions of experts from the EUREC Agency, the document 'Renewable Energy - 2000' has been elaborated. This document critically evaluates the potential of renewable energies, focusing on the most relevant sources and methodologies, namely: wind energy, solar heating, cooling and daylighting, photovoltaics and biomass. It also proposes strategies for implementing components and systems to achieve economic operation in different regions of the European Community. It thereby makes use of the expert knowledge and experience concentrated in EUREC Agency member institutions.

Dramatic forest fires in California, flooding in Mozambique, unusual heat waves in Europe, hurricanes of strength never seen before-the world's climate is getting out of control. The list of human casualties and damage in billions of euros and dollars is getting longer day by day. Weather experts and climatologists make it clear that global carbon dioxide emissions are accelerating, and as a consequence, the world's climate is becoming unpredictable. This book, an updated edition of The Triumph of the Sun: The Energy of the New Century, is not another disaster report. It brings good news. It presents the details of a solar revolution that started with the dawn of the new century. The new solar energy conquered the markets and sidelined the conventional sources. Supplemented with the latest facts and figures, the book features new and updated sections on topics such as climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, carbon allowances and CO2 taxes, auto-consumption, and renewable energy for heat and transport. Energy being at the heart of economic development and everybody's well-being, the new dominance of the renewables, which are the key to combating global change, revolutionized our society as a whole for the better. The author of the book witnessed the progress of this solar revolution and was one of the pioneers in the development of modern solar technologies.

As the new century came, the world began to turn its back on the reckless developments of the past that resulted in global pollution and the deep misery it entails, a climate getting out of kilter, the threat of a nuclear war, and all perils brought about by the unchecked use of fossil and atomic resources. We have now resolutely begun to move to a life that believes in harmony with nature, with the Sun. Not only the climate but everyone is a winner going with the Sun, the celestial body that distinguishes itself with its constancy and bounties. Thanks to innovation and mass production, the power derived from the Sun now beats the conventional energy sector with its own strength: socio-economy. Solar energy has become cheaper than the energy harvested from conventional resources. The result is a booming economy that is not just sustainable, but is also capable of producing millions of new jobs. In this book, Wolfgang Palz, an independent expert on energy matters and the economy, presents his views on a solar revolution to which he made significant contributions. It is not a compendium of ecological dreams and wishful thinking for a better world, but a thorough report, buttressed with facts and figures, on what happened. Beginning with fundamentals, the book discusses the key role of the Sun in nature and life. It details what happened when the search for a cleaner world began and elaborates the efforts of the people who brought about the change.

Energy from solar radiation, fixated by self-assembling plant structures, creates biomass that is converted to energy carriers fit for application in today's and tomorrow's energy-generating equipment. The central theme of this book is the development of the current largest renewable energy source for efficient applications in modern and developing society-biomass. The book is presented in an easy-to-understand manner for non-experts, nevertheless revealing the true challenges of this extremely broad area. Through this book, passionate pioneers and (ex-)EU officials tell the interesting history of the use of biomass by mankind in general and how the future of its modern use was shaped by active support of the European Union. The book mainly emphasizes specific technologies, both biological and thermo-chemical, from simple to extremely complex. Recognized experts explain these technologies in a clear way along with their future prospects. Climb on the shoulders of all 35 authors of the book and look into the close and distant future where interaction with other renewable sources will occur, and discover a renewable energy future in which an important role will be played by the oldest one-bioenergy.

The book describes the industrial revolution associated with the implementation of electric power generation by photovoltaics (PV). The book s editor and contributing authors are among the leading pioneers in PV from its industrial birth in 1954 all the way up to the stormy developments during the first decade of the new century. The book describes the dramatic events in industry between 2009 and 2013 and puts all this into perspective. It concludes that solar power is yet to strengthen its role in technology and in mainstream of the world s economy.

Concentrating on Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Power and its scientific, technological, industrial, political, environmental and social implications, this authoritative account provides a historical summary of the present applications, and future strategies for development and implementation. Describing how modern PV was invented in 1954 in association with the transistor, how the PV markets have experienced exponential growth since 2005, and how its development has involved hundreds of companies worldwide--in effect creating 100,000 jobs and tens of thousands of experts--this in-depth guide is published in full-color with more than 100 pictures and illustrations from 41 leading pioneers in the solar industry, and is an invaluable reference for students of the history and future of renewable energy resources.