Die 2. Auflage von Renewable Energy and Climate Change betrachtet zunächst unseren Hunger nach Energie: Wie viel Energie brauchen wir? Wieviel Energie wird verbraucht? Wie viel kostet diese Energie? Im Anschluss geht es um den Klimawandel und die Ursachen, um Energieverschwendung und Energieeinsparung. Das letzten Kapitel gehen auf die vielen alternativen Energiequellen ein, wie Photovoltaik, Solarthermie-Systeme und -Anlagen, Windkraft, Wasserkraft und Geothermie. Auch der aktuelle Stand der Technik bei Energie durch Biomasse, bei Wasserstoff und Brennstoffzellen werden untersucht. Abschließend richtet sich der Blick in die Zukunft und auf positive Beispiele nachhaltiger Energieformen. Bietet einen Überblick über alle modernen Technologien für eine alternative Energieerzeugung. Zeigt den Zusammenhang zwischen Energieverbrauch, den Preisen für Energie und dem Klimawandel. Gibt Hilfestellung für die Senkung des eigenen Energieverbrauchs. Durchgängig mit farbigen Abbildungen und Fotos, Datendiagrammen, einfachen Berechnungen und Ergebnissen, Textkästen mit wichtigen Informationen. Enthält Beispiele für erneuerbare Energien.

Preface to First Edition xiPreface to the Second Edition xiii1 Our Hunger for Energy 11.1 Energy Supply - Yesterday and Today 21.1.1 From the French Revolution to the Early Twentieth Century 21.1.2 The Era of Black Gold 41.1.3 Natural Gas - The Newest Fossil Energy Source 71.1.4 Nuclear Power - Split Energy 81.1.5 The Century of Fossil Energy 121.1.6 The Renewables Century 131.2 Energy Needs - Who Needs What, Where, and How Much? 141.3 'Anyway' Energy 171.4 Energy Reserves -Wealth for a Time 201.4.1 Non-Conventional Reserves - Prolongation of the Oil Age 211.4.2 An End in Sight 221.4.3 The End of Fission 241.5 High Energy Prices - the Key to Climate Protection 242 The Climate Before the Collapse 272.1 It Is Getting Warm - Climate Changes Today 272.1.1 Accelerated Ice Melt 272.1.2 More Frequent Natural Catastrophes 302.2 The Guilty Parties - Causes of Climate Change 332.2.1 The Greenhouse Effect 332.2.2 The Prime Suspect: Carbon Dioxide 342.2.3 Other Culprits 382.3 Outlook and Recommendations -What Lies Ahead? 402.3.1 Will it Be Bitterly Cold in Europe? 432.3.2 Recommendations for Effective Climate Protection 452.4 A Difficult Birth - Politics and Climate Change 482.4.1 German Climate Policy 482.4.2 International Climate Policy 492.5 Self-Help Climate Protection 513 From Wasting Energy to Saving Energy and Reducing Carbon Dioxide 533.1 Inefficiency 533.2 Personal Energy Needs - Savings at Home 563.2.1 Domestic Electricity - Money Wasted 563.2.2 Heat - Surviving the Winter with Almost No Heating 603.2.3 Transport - Getting Somewhere Using Less Energy 643.3 Industry and Commerce - Everyone Else is to Blame 663.4 Your Personal Carbon Dioxide Balance 673.4.1 Emissions Caused Directly by One's Own Activities 673.4.2 Indirect Emissions 683.4.3 Total Emissions 713.5 The Sale of Ecological Indulgences 714 'Energiewende' (Energy Transition) - The Way to a Better Future? 754.1 Coal and Nuclear Power Plants - Crutch Instead of Bridge 754.1.1 Energy and Automotive Companies Have Bet on the Wrong Horse 764.1.2 Lignite - A Climate Killer Made in Germany 784.1.3 Carbon Dioxide Sequestration - Out of Sight, Out of Mind 814.1.4 Nuclear Power Comeback Was Not a Radiant Success 834.2 Efficiency and CHP - A Good Double for Starters 844.2.1 Combined Heat and Power - Using Fuel Twice 844.2.2 Saving Energy - Achieving More with Less 854.3 Renewables - Energy Without End 874.4 Germany Is Becoming Renewable 884.4.1 All Sectors Are Important 894.4.2 Energy Transition in the Heat Sector 904.4.3 Energy Transition in the Transport Sector 934.4.4 Energy Transition in the Electricity Sector 944.4.5 Reliable Supply Using Renewables 974.4.6 Decentralized Instead of Centralized - Fewer Power Lines 1004.5 Not So Expensive - The Myth of Unaffordability 1014.6 Energy Revolution Instead of Half-Hearted Energy Transition 1034.6.1 German Energy Policy - In the Shadow of Corporations 1034.6.2 Energy Transition in the Hands of the Citizens - A Revolution Is Imminent 1045 Photovoltaics - Energy from Sand 1075.1 Structure and Function 1075.1.1 Electrons, Holes, and Space-Charge Regions 1075.1.2 Efficiency, Characteristics, and MPP 1095.2 Production of Solar Cells - From Sand to Cell 1115.2.1 Silicon Solar Cells - Power from Sand 1115.2.2 From Cell to Module 1135.2.3 Thin-Film Solar Cells 1145.3 PV Systems - Grids and Islands 1155.3.1 Sun Islands 1155.3.2 Sun in the Grid 1185.3.3 More Solar Independence 1215.4 Planning and Design 1245.4.1 Designing Stand-Alone Systems 1245.4.2 Designing Grid-Connected Systems 1265.4.3 Planned Autonomy 1305.5 Economics 1315.5.1 What Does It Cost? 1315.5.2 Funding Programmes 1325.5.3 Avoiding VAT 1345.6 Ecology 1355.7 PV Markets 1365.8 Outlook and Development Potential 1376 Solar Thermal Systems - Year-Round Heating from the Sun 1416.1 Structure and Functionality 1426.2 Solar Collectors - Collecting the Sun 1456.2.1 Swimming Pool Absorbers 1456.2.2 Flat-Plate Collectors 1456.2.3 Air-Based Collectors 1466.2.4 Vacuum-Tube Collectors 1476.3 Solar Thermal Systems 1496.3.1 Hot Water from the Sun 1496.3.2 Heating with the Sun 1526.3.3 Solar Communities 1546.3.4 Cooling with the Sun 1556.3.5 Swimming with the Sun 1566.3.6 Cooking with the Sun 1576.4 Planning and Design 1586.4.1 Solar Thermal Heating of Domestic HotWater 1586.4.2 Solar Thermal Auxiliary Heating 1616.5 Economics 1636.5.1 When Does It Pay off? 1636.5.2 Funding Programmes 1636.6 Ecology 1646.7 Solar Thermal Markets 1656.8 Outlook and Development Potential 1677 Solar Power Plants - Even More Power from the Sun 1697.1 Focusing on the Sun 1697.2 Solar Power Plants 1717.2.1 Parabolic Trough Power Plants 1717.2.2 Solar Tower Power Plants 1757.2.3 Dish-Stirling Power Plants 1777.2.4 Solar Chimney Power Plants 1787.2.5 Concentrating Photovoltaic Power Plants 1797.2.6 Solar Chemistry 1797.3 Planning and Design 1807.3.1 Concentrating Solar Thermal Power Plants 1817.3.2 Solar Chimney Power Plants 1827.3.3 Concentrating Photovoltaic Power Plants 1827.4 Economics 1827.5 Ecology 1837.6 Solar Power Plant Markets 1847.7 Outlook and Development Potential 1858 Wind Power Systems - Electricity from Thin Air 1898.1 Gone with the Wind -Where the Wind Comes From 1908.2 Utilizing Wind 1928.3 Wind Turbines and Windfarms 1968.3.1 Wind Chargers 1968.3.2 Large, Grid-Connected Wind Turbines 1978.3.3 Small Wind Turbines 2018.3.4 Windfarms 2028.3.5 Offshore Windfarms 2038.4 Planning and Design 2068.5 Economics 2088.6 Ecology 2108.7 Wind Power Markets 2128.8 Outlook and Development Potential 2139 Hydropower Plants -Wet Electricity 2159.1 Tapping into the Water Cycle 2159.2 Water Turbines 2179.3 Hydropower Plants 2209.3.1 Run-of-River Hydropower Plants 2209.3.2 Storage Power Plants 2229.3.3 Pumped-storage Hydropower Plants 2229.3.4 Tidal Power Plants 2249.3.5 Wave Power Plants 2259.3.6 Ocean Current Power Plants 2269.4 Planning and Design 2279.5 Economics 2289.6 Ecology 2289.7 Hydropower Markets 2309.8 Outlook and Development Potential 23110 Geothermal Energy - Power from the Deep 23310.1 Tapping into the Earth's Heat 23310.2 Geothermal Heat and Power Plants 23710.2.1 Geothermal Heat Plants 23710.2.2 Geothermal Power Plants 23810.2.3 Geothermal HDR Power Plants 24010.3 Planning and Design 24110.4 Economics 24210.5 Ecology 24210.6 Geothermal Markets 24310.7 Outlook and Development Potential 24411 Heat Pumps - From Cold to Hot 24511.1 Heat Sources for Low-Temperature Heat 24511.2 Operating Principle of Heat Pumps 24711.2.1 Compression Heat Pumps 24811.2.2 Absorption Heat Pumps and Adsorption Heat Pumps 24911.3 Planning and Design 25011.4 Economics 25311.5 Ecology 25411.6 Heat Pump Markets 25711.7 Outlook and Development Potential 25712 Biomass - Energy from Nature 25912.1 Origins and Use of Biomass 26012.2 Biomass Heating 26312.2.1 Wood as a Fuel 26312.2.2 Open Fires and Woodburning Stoves 26612.2.3 Log Boilers 26612.2.4 Wood Pellet Heating 26812.3 Biomass Heat and Power Plants 26912.4 Biofuels 27112.4.1 Bio-oil 27112.4.2 Biodiesel 27212.4.3 Bioethanol 27312.4.4 BtL Fuels 27412.4.5 Biogas 27512.5 Planning and Design 27612.5.1 Log Boilers 27612.5.2 Wood Pellet Heating 27712.6 Economics 27912.7 Ecology 28012.7.1 Solid Fuels 28112.7.2 Biofuels 28212.8 Biomass Markets 28212.9 Outlook and Development Potential 28413 Renewable Gas and Fuel Cells 28513.1 Hydrogen as an Energy Source 28713.2 Methanation 28913.3 Transport and Storage of Renewable Gas 29013.3.1 Transport and Storage of Hydrogen 29013.3.2 Transport and Storage of Renewable Methane 29113.4 Fuel Cells: Bearers of Hope 29313.5 Economics 29613.6 Ecology 29713.7 Markets, Outlook, and Development Potential 29814 Sunny Prospects - Examples of Sustainable Energy Supply 30114.1 Climate-Compatible Living 30114.1.1 Carbon-Neutral Standard Prefabricated Houses 30114.1.2 Plus-Energy Solar House 30214.1.3 Plus-Energy Housing Estate 30314.1.4 Heating Only with the Sun 30414.1.5 Zero Heating Costs After Redevelopment 30514.2 Working and Producing in a Climate-friendly Manner 30614.2.1 Offices and Shops in the 'Sonnenschiff' 30614.2.2 Zero-Emissions Factory 30614.2.3 Carbon-free Heavy Equipment Factory 30714.2.4 Plus-Energy Head Office 30714.3 Climate-Compatible Driving 30914.3.1 Travelling Around the World in a Solar Car 30914.3.2 Across Australia in 33 hours 31014.3.3 Emission-free Deliveries 31114.3.4 Electric Cars for All 31214.4 Climate-Compatible Travel by Water or Air 31314.4.1 Advanced Sailing 31314.4.2 Solar Ferry on Lake Constance 31414.4.3 World Altitude Record with a Solar Aeroplane 31414.4.4 Flying Around the World in a Solar Plane 31514.4.5 Flying for Solar Kitchens 31614.5 Everything Becomes Renewable 31714.5.1 A Village Becomes Independent 31714.5.2 Hybrid Power Plant for Secure Renewable Supply 31814.6 Everything will Turn Out Fine 319A Appendix 321A.1 Energy Units and Prefixes 321A.2 Geographic Coordinates of Power Plants 322A.3 Further Reading 325References 327Index 331