The Science of Renewable Energy

This book presents a multidisciplinary approach to renewable energy, covering physical and engineering approaches and addressing economic, social, environmental, and policy issues. It surveys all of the principal renewable energy sources available and uses straightforward language with little emphasis placed on math and theoretical science. Instead, the emphasis is placed on the technical aspects and practical applications of renewable energy. This new edition is updated and adds information on the latest innovations related to all types of renewable energy sources and the related environmental implications.

Frank R. Spellman, PhD, is a retired adjunct assistant professor of environmental health at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, and the author of more than 100 books covering topics ranging from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to all areas of environmental science and occupational health. Many of his texts are readily available online, and several have been adopted for classroom use at major universities throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Russia; two have been translated into Spanish for South American markets. Dr. Spellman has been cited in more than 850 publications. He serves as a professional expert witness for three law groups and as an incident/accident investigator for the U.S. Department of Justice and a northern Virginia law firm. In addition, he consults on homeland security vulnerability assessments for critical infrastructures, including water/wastewater facilities, and conducts pre-Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Environmental Protection Agency audits throughout the country. Dr. Spellman receives frequent requests to co-author with well-recognized experts in several scientific fields; for example, he is a contributing author to the prestigious text The Engineering Handbook, 2nd ed. Dr. Spellman lectures on wastewater treatment, water treatment, and homeland security, as well as on safety topics, throughout the country and teaches water/wastewater operator short courses at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. In 2011, he traced and documented the ancient water distribution system at Machu Picchu, Peru, and surveyed several drinking water resources in Amazonia, Ecuador. He has also studied and surveyed two separate potable water supplies in the Galapagos Islands, in addition to studying Darwin's finches while there. Dr. Spellman earned a BA in public administration, a BS in business management, an MBA, and both an MS and a PhD in environmental engineering.

POST-OIL ENERGY. ENERGY BASICS. PRINCIPLES OF BASIC ELECTRICITY. SOLAR ENERGY. WIND ENERGY. HYDROPOWER. BIOENERGY. GEOTHERMAL ENERGY. BLUE ENERGY. FUEL CELLS. CARBON CAPTURE AND SEQUESTRATION.