Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This book provides rich, in-depth technical and political detail related to the design and implementation of Renewable Energy Systems (RES). The author writes mostly from his experiences in Denmark, and it's informative that even in Denmark, held by many in the US to be a social democracy utopia, there are plenty of institutional and political barriers to moving toward what the other refers to as "radical technological change". However, just as the reader is thinking that it would be nice to know how this might play out in the rest of the world, the author also includes examples from Thailand, North Carolina and California. (Interestingly enough, California would seem to be the most succesful of all of the examples.)
The book gets into it quickly- there are no attempts to convince the reader that renewable energy is a good thing (thank goodness). It does spend some time on the Change Awareness theory, but it's important to the underlying argument that entities outside of established institutions have to be the ones to propose technological change, and the authors demonstrates in numerous places where institutions have indeed argued that there were no alternatives but the ones that reinforced existing, non-renewable technology.
I was very surprised when reading this to discover that the greatest concern in the energy systems discussed wasn't that renewable energy wouldn't supply enough energy but that it would supply too much. The design of the system to minimize excess energy and to capture what excess one can would seem to be the greatest challenge. Integrating transportation (via electric and battery-operated vehicles) would seem to be one way to solve the problem of excess capacity. A problem of success, I would say.
For all of its conflicts, Denmark has successfully integrated renewable energy systems. The author implies that the back and forth that country has had to engage in is a necessary part of the process toward change. That, in turn, indicates that citizens cannot merely depend on their government, however well-intentioned, to do the right or correct thing, but that all should be constantly aware of and engaged in the process. This book provides examples of tactics used by those who wanted to maintain the status quo and the lessons learned from those battles.
Recommended for all who want to begin the process of crafting a policy of renewable energy systems and radical technological change.
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Renewable Energy Systems: The Choice and Modeling of 100% Renewable SolutionsIn this practical guide, globally recognized renewable energy researcher and professor Henrik Lund describes the modeling and simulation techniques that can be utilised to ensure at the outset of any renewable energy project that the resources available will meet supply demands. A clear, comprehensive methodology is set forth for comparing different energy systems' abilities to integrate fluctuating and intermittent renewable energy sources. Dr. Lund offers a freely available accompanying software tool, EnergyPLAN, that automates and simplifies the calculations supporting such detailed comparative analysis. The book further presents concrete design examples derived from a dozen successfully implemented renewable energy systems around the globe. It makes recommendations on the first steps of large-scale integration, focusing on the more immediate issue of conversion, rather than storage technologies. The text also undertakes the socio-political realities governing the implementation of renewable energy systems. Dr. Lund makes clear that it is the work of professionals in the renewables field to raise awareness that alternatives DO exist and that it is indeed economically and technically viable to choose renewable energy systems. To aid readers in that task, the book presents key strategies on how to overcome the inherent lethargy of entrenched institutions that seek to reinforce the status quo when confronted with objectives implying the need for radical technological change. After all, knowing there IS a choice is half the battle.
Provides an introduction to the technical design of renewable energy systems
Demonstrates effective methodologies for analyzing the feasibility and efficiency of large-scale renewable energy systems to help implementers avoid costly trial and error
Contextualizes renewable energy design efforts by addressing the socio-political challenge of implementing the shift to renewables
Free companion analysis software empowers energy professionals to crunch data for their own projects
Features a dozen extensive case studies from around the globe that provide successful real-world templates for new installations
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