Renewable Energy World

Renewable Energy Sources, Non-Renewable Sources, Solar, Wind, Hydro, Bio, Energy Storage, Clean Technologies

The need for a deep decarbonization of the energy sector and the associated opportunities are now increasingly recognized, with fossil fuel projects simultaneously becoming more risky business propositions. With large-scale wind and solar generation now being the cheapest options in many parts of the world, a deeply renewable electricity sector is predestined to become the main driver of this transition.

This book is about the necessity of energy transition toward renewables that convert sunlight diurnally, thus a sustainable Anthropocene. Such an energy transition is equally momentous as that of the kick start of the second Industrial Revolution in 1712. Such an energy transition requires “it takes a village” collective effort of mankind; the book is a small part of the collective endeavor.

Soft Computing in Green and Renewable Energy Systems provides a practical introduction to the application of soft computing techniques and hybrid intelligent systems for designing, modeling, characterizing, optimizing, forecasting, and performance prediction of green and renewable energy systems. Research is proceeding at jet speed on renewable energy (energy derived from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides, rain, geothermal heat, biomass, hydrogen, etc.) as policy makers, researchers, economists, and world agencies have joined forces in finding alternative sustainable energy solutions to current critical environmental, economic, and social issues. The innovative models, environmentally benign processes, data analytics, etc. employed in renewable energy systems are computationally-intensive, non-linear and complex as well as involve a high degree of uncertainty. Soft computing technologies, such as fuzzy sets and systems, neural science and systems, evolutionary algorithms and genetic programming, and machine learning, are ideal in handling the noise, imprecision, and uncertainty in the data, and yet achieve robust, low-cost solutions. As a result, intelligent and soft computing paradigms are finding increasing applications in the study of renewable energy systems. Researchers, practitioners, undergraduate and graduate students engaged in the study of renewable energy systems will find this book very useful.

This book provides a breadth and depth of innovative and impactful research led by women investigators in the field of renewable energy. This book showcases the diversity of renewable energy solutions being deployed commercially in the United States and internationally, including new research underway. The chapters collectively cover the entire spectrum of large, utility scale to small, distributed-scale renewable energy technologies, as well as new operating practices in buildings necessary to fully capture the value of renewable energy. The chapters also discuss technical and market considerations of renewable energy resources, plus customer attitudes and acceptance. These topics touch on many of the challenges facing the world today and these solutions by women researchers are valuable for their technical excellence and their non-traditional perspective.

Renewable Energy Integration for Bulk Power Systems: ERCOT and the Texas Interconnection looks at the practices and changes introduced in the Texas electric grid to facilitate renewable energy integration. It offers an informed perspective on solutions that have been successfully demonstrated, tested, and validated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to meet the key challenges which engineers face in integrating increased levels of renewable resources into existing electric grids while maintaining reliability. Coverage includes renewable forecasting, ancillary services, and grid and market operations. Proved methods and their particular use scenarios, including wind, solar, and other resources like batteries and demand response, are also covered. The book focuses on a real-world context that will help practicing engineers, utility providers, and researchers understand the practical considerations for developing renewable integration solutions and inspire the future development of more innovative strategies and theoretical underpinnings.

The depletion of fossil fuel reserves and concerns for environmental degradation due to the fossil fuel burning have led the scientific community to look for alternative renewable energy sources. Among the available renewable energy sources, bioenergy derived from biomass and waste resources have great potential to not only prevent environmental pollution but also be a carbon neutral energy source. In addition, adaptation of this technology could streamline new green products, alternative energy sources into real-world applications and promote a circular economy towards zero-waste approach.

Taking eleven countries in Europe, Canada, South Africa, America, Latin America and Australia, this book discusses recurring barriers to cluster development in the renewable energy sector. The authors look at the real-world dynamics and tensions between stakeholders on the ground, with a particular focus on the relationships between SMEs and other actors. This trans-regional study is unique in its scale and scope, drawing on a decade of field research to show how by learning from the successes and failures of other clusters, costs and risk can be reduced. The book fills a significant gap in the literature for policymakers, managers and economic developers in a key market.