Distributed renewable energies for off-grid communities : trategies and technology toward achieving sustainability in energy generation and supply

Energy is directly related to the most critical economic and social issues which affect sustainable development such as mobility, food production, environmental quality, regional and global security issues. Two-thirds of the new demand will come from developing nations, with China accounting for 30%. Without adequate attention to the critical importance of energy to all these aspects, the global, social, economic and environmental goals of sustainability cannot be achieved. Indeed the magnitude of change needed is immense, fundamental and directly related to the energy produced and consumed nationally and internationally. Today, it is estimated that more than two billion people worldwide lack access to modern energy resources. Distributed Renewable Energies for Off-Grid Communities provides various options and case studies related to the potential of renewable energies along with their environmental, economic and social dimensions.

Author Notes

Dr. El Bassam is Director, International Research Center for Renewable Energy in Germany in close cooperation with UN, EU and other national and international organizations. Its mission is the integration and application of renewable energy resources for electricity, water and food supply and development of renewable energy management strategies. Dr. El Bassam has won several awards for his work in this area including the World Pioneer in Renewable Energies award in 2003 from UNESCO and the Award in Science and Technology for Sustainable Rural Development of Energy and Water Supply from the Chinese Science Academy. He is currently the Editor of Springer's Journal "Sustainability Science" and American Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences (AJEAS).

Dr. Maegaard is Director of the Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy, an institute for the development and implementation of renewable energies located in Denmark. The center has, under his leadership, provided transfer of renewable energy technology to many countries. Dr. Maegaard was appointed the first president of the World Wind Energy Institute, first president of the World Wind Energy Association, and has served as a Renewable Energy Adviser to the President of Mali. For over three decades, Dr. Maegaard has been a director, organizer, and speaker at numerous international seminars, workshops and conferences. He has authored numerous reports, books, and articles in Danish, English, German and Japanese on renewables and sustainable development.

Ms. Schlichting is Editor for the International Research Centre for Renewable Energy. Ms. Schlichting has an Associate Degree in Applied Science, Water, and Wastewater Technology and has conducted laboratory research in the field of filtration and purification.

Preface	p. xi
List of Figures	p. xiii
List of Tables	p. xxxi
1 Scope of the Book	p. 1
1.1 Distributed Energy Generation	p. 1
1.2 Distributed Energy Supply	p. 1
1.3 Community Power	p. 3
1.4 Off-Grid Systems	p. 3
References	p. 6
2 Restructuring Future Energy Generation and Supply	p. 7
2.1 Basic Challenges	p. 7
2.2 Current Energy Supplies	p. 8
2.3 Peak Oil	p. 9
2.4 Availability of Alternative Resources	p. 11
References	p. 13
3 Road Map of Distributed Renewable Energy Communities	p. 15
3.1 Energy and Sustainable Development	p. 15
3.2 Community Involvement	p. 16
3.3 Facing the Challenges	p. 17
3.4 The Concept of FAO, UN Integrated Energy Communities (IEC)	p. 18
3.5 Global Approach	p. 19
3.5.1 Basic Elements of Energy Demand	p. 23
3.6 Basic and Extended Needs	p. 25
3.7 Typical Electricity Demands	p. 26
3.8 Single and Multiple-Phase Island Grid	p. 27
3.8.1 Version 1: Single-Phase Island Grid	p. 28
3.8.2 Version 2: Three-Phase Island Grid	p. 28
3.8.3 Version 3: Three-Phase Island Grid and Parallel Operation of the Sunny Island Inverter	p. 28
3.8.4 The System Solution for Island Grids	p. 28
3.9 Regional Implementation	p. 32
References	p. 35
Further Reading	p. 35
4 Planning of Integrated Renewable Communities	p. 37
4.1 Scenario 1	p. 37
4.2 Scenario 2	p. 38
4.3 Case Study I: Implementation of IEF Under Climatic Conditions of Central Europe	p. 40
4.3.1 Specifications	p. 40
4.3.2 Distribution of the Farm Area	p. 41
4.3.3 Farm Production	p. 44
4.3.4 Energy Requirement	p. 44
4.4 Case Study II: Arid and Semi-arid Regions	p. 49
4.4.1 Specifications	p. 49
4.4.2 Farm Production	p. 49
4.4.3 Energy Requirement	p. 50
Reference	p. 54
5 Determination of Community Energy and Food Requirements	p. 55
5.1 Modeling Approaches	p. 55
5.1.1 Scenario 1 (Figure 5.1)	p. 55
5.1.2 Scenario 2 (Figure 5.2)	p. 56
5.2 Data Acquisition	p. 58
5.3 Determination of Energy and Food Requirements	p. 58
5.3.1 Agricultural Activities	p. 58
5.3.2 Households	p. 62
5.3.3 Food Requirement	p. 63
5.4 Energy Potential Analysis	p. 65
5.4.1 Solar Energy	p. 65
5.4.2 Exploitation of Solar Energy	p. 67
5.4.3 Solar Thermal System	p. 67
5.4.4 Solar Photovoltaic	p. 69
5.5 Data Collection and Processing for Energy Utilization	p. 70
5.5.1 Water and Space Heating	p. 71
5.5.2 Drying of Agricultural Produce	p. 71
5.6 Wind Energy	p. 72
5.7 Biomass	p. 73
5.7.1 Energetic Use of Biomass	p. 74
5.7.2 Biogas Production	p. 78
References	p. 83
6 Energy Basics, Resources, Global Contribution and Applications	p. 85
6.1 Basics of Energy	p. 85
6.1.1 Energy Rating	p. 85
6.1.2 Energy Consumption	p. 86
6.1.3 Energy Generation	p. 86
6.2 Global Contribution	p. 86
6.3 Resources and Applications	p. 88
References	p. 89
7 Solar Energy	p. 91
7.1 Photovoltaic	p. 91
7.1.2 Applications	p. 95
7.2 Concentrating Solar Thermal Power (CSP)	p. 95
7.3 Solar Thermal Collectors	p. 100
7.4 Solar Cookers and Solar Ovens	p. 107
References	p. 108
8 Wind Energy	p. 111
8.1 Global Market	p. 113
8.2 Types of Wind Turbines	p. 114
8.2.1 Horizontal-axis Wind Turbines	p. 114
8.2.2 Vertical-axis Design	p. 115
8.3 Small Wind Turbines	p. 116
8.4 Google Superhighway, USA	p. 118
References	p. 122
9 Biomass and Bioenergy	p. 125
9.1 Characteristics and Potentials	p. 125
9.2 Solid Biofuels	p. 127
9.3 Charcoal	p. 134
9.4 Briquettes	p. 136
9.5 Pellets	p. 136
9.6 Biogas	p. 138
9.7 Ethanol	p. 139
9.8 Bio-oils	p. 143
9.9 Conversion Systems to Heat, Power and Electricity	p. 148
9.10 Combined Heat and Power (CHP)	p. 148
9.10.1 Heat	p. 148
9.10.2 Electricity	p. 150
9.11 Steam Technology	p. 150
9.12 Gasification	p. 152
9.12.1 Biomass Stoves	p. 154
9.13 Pyrolysis	p. 155
9.14 Methanol	p. 156
9.15 Synthetic Oil	p. 157
9.16 Fuel Cells	p. 157
9.17 The Stirling Engine	p. 159
9.18 Algae	p. 159
9.18.1 Algae Bioreactors	p. 759
9.19 Hydrogen	p. 152
References	p. 163
Further Reading	p. 164
10 Hydropower	p. 167
10.1 Hydroelectricity	p. 157
10.2 Microhydropower Systems	p. 157
10.2.1 System Components	p. 169
10.3 Turbine Types	p. 171
10.4 Potential for Rural Development	p. 172
References	p. 173
11 Marine Energy	p. 175
11.1 Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion	p. 175
11.2 Technologies	p. 176
11.2.1 Closed-cycle	p. 175
11.2.2 Open-cycle	p. 177
11.2.3 Hybrid	p. 177
11.2.4 Advantages and Benefits of OTEC Technology	p. 177
11.3 Ocean Tidal Power	p. 178
11.4 Ocean Wave Power	p. 180
11.4.1 Offshore Systems	p. 182
11.4.2 Onshore Systems	p. 182
11.5 Environmental and Economic Challenges	p. 182
References	p. 183
12 Geothermal Energy	p. 185
12.1 Origin of Geothermal Heat	p. 185
12.2 Geothermal Electricity	p. 187
12.3 Types of Geothermal Power Plants	p. 188
References	p. 191
13 Energy Storage, Smart Grids and Electric Vehicles	p. 193
13.1 Energy Storage	p. 193
13.1.1 Storage Methods	p. 194
13.1.2 Technologies for Up-and Down-Regulation	p. 200
13.2 Smart Grids	p. 202
13.2.1 Definition and Importance	p. 202
13.2.2 U.S. Strategy	p. 203
13.2.3 European Strategy	p. 205
13.2.4 Korean Version	p. 207
13.3 Electric Vehicles	p. 207
13.3.1 Current Developments	p. 207
13.3.2 Future Developments	p. 210
References	p. 212
14 Current Distributed Renewable Energy Rural and Urban Communities	p. 215
14.1 Rural Community Jühnde	p. 215
14.1.1 The Energy Production Process	p. 215
14.2 Wildpoldsried, the 100% Emissions Free Town	p. 217
14.3 Roadmap to Renewable Energy in Remote Communities in Australia	p. 218
14.4 "Iraq Dream" Homes	p. 222
14.5 Danish Distributed Integrated Energy Systems for Communities	p. 224
14.5.1 The Consequences of Fluctuating Power Supply	p. 228
14.5.2 Hot Water Storage	p. 234
14.5.3 Wind Energy and Its Role in Power Production	p. 236
14.5.4 The Wind Energy Development in Denmark	p. 237
14.5.5 The Ownership Model behind Two Decades of Success	p. 240
14.5.6 CHP and Its General Application	p. 241
14.5.7 Cogeneration Technology	p. 245
14.6 Renewables in Africa	p. 258
14.6.1 Hydropower	p. 259
14.6.2 Biomass	p. 261
14.6.3 Geothermal	p. 261
14.6.4 Wind Power	p. 262
14.6.5 Solar Power	p. 262
14.6.6 Biofuels	p. 263
14.6.7 Energy Efficiency	p. 264
14.7 Renewables in India	p. 264
14.8 Distributed Renewable Energy and Solar Oases for Deserts and Arid Regions: DESERTEC Concept	p. 266
14.8.1 Scientific Background of the Concept	p. 267
14.8.2 Solar Oases	p. 276
14.9 The Vatican City	p. 278
References	p. 281
Further Reading	p. 282
15 Ownership, Citizens Participation and Economic Trends	p. 285
15.1 Community Ownership	p. 285
15.2 The Danish Ownership Model	p. 285
15.2.1 Integration of the Energy Supply by Public Ownership	p. 288
15.3 Economic Trends	p. 289
References	p. 292
Appendix 1 Glossary	p. 295
Appendix 2 Abbreviations and Acronyms	p. 309
Appendix 3 Conversion Factors	p. 313
Appendix 4 Inventory of PV Systems for Sustainable Rural Development	p. 317
Appendix 5 Project "SOLARTECH SUD," Solar Eco-Village Zarzis - Djerba Tunisia	p. 321
Appendix 6 Solar Park Vechelde (Kraftfeld Vechelde GmbH & Co. KG)	p. 325
Appendix 7 Solar Laundry, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, India	p. 327
Appendix 8 Manual and/or Solar Powered Water Treatment System	p. 331
References	p. 333
Index	p. 343

Available:*

On Order

Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Table of Contents