Fundamentals and Source Characteristics of Renewable Energy Systems (Hardcover)

This textbook is intended for an audience with little or no power engineering or renewable energy background. The book covers electric energy from alternative energy sources, including solar, wind, water, hydropower, geothermal, and ocean energy. Core issues discussed include wind and solar resource estimates and analysis, solar thermal systems, solar collectors, photovoltaics, wind turbines, geothermal energy, energy small hydropower, wave, tide and ocean energy, and characteristics of energy conversion, control, and electrical aspects. This is one of the most comprehensive textbooks for students, engineers, and professionals who study renewable energy. There are several questions and problems, presented with increasing difficulty, most of which focus on practical applications. The materials and problems are drawn from the author’s extensive experience in renewable energy analysis, assessment, design, control, and the power electronics of wind and solar energy conversion systems. Each section of the book contains several solved examples, as well as practical and advanced discussions, that instill critical thinking and apply to industrial applications. The book is divided into eight chapters and covers the most important aspects of renewable energy sources and technologies.

Radian Belu, PhD, is an associate professor in the Electrical Engineering Department at Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He has a PhD in power engineering and a PhD in physics. Before joining Southern University, Dr. Belu held faculty and research positions at universities and research institutes in Romania, Canada, and United States. He also worked for several years in industry as project manager, senior engineer, and consultant. His research focuses on energy conversion, renewable energy, microgrids, power electronics, climate, and extreme event impacts on power systems. He taught and developed courses in power engineering, renewable energy, smart grids, control, electric machines and environmental physics. His research interests include power systems, renewable energy systems, smart microgrids, power electronics and electric machines, energy management and engineering education. Dr. Belu has published 1 book, 15 book chapters, and over 200 papers in referred journals and in conference proceedings. He has been PI or Co-PI for various research projects in the United States and abroad.