Includes bibliographical references (p. [279]-281) and index.
Contents
Reduce, reuse and renew -- The almost-perfect day -- Problems with fossil fuels -- Renewable energy pros and cons -- The focus of renewable energy made easy -- The potential of solar power -- A history of solar energy -- Windows (not the operating system) -- Solar collectors -- Types of solar energy -- Passive solar -- Interseasonal storage -- Daylighting -- Low temperature alternatives -- Photovoltaic -- Powering Mr. Fusion: biomass as an energy source -- A history of biomass -- The conversion process and its pros and cons -- Methods for improving fuel efficiency -- Crops -- Oily seeds and biodiesel -- Biogas -- Costs -- Ethanol -- The biomass-powered engine that could -- Environmental issues -- Getting wet and wild with hydropower -- A history of hydropower -- Head -- Turbines -- How does a hydropower system work? -- Hydropower applications -- The Francis turbine -- Effects on ecosystems -- Environmental issues -- Wind power -- A history of wind power and windmills -- Wind turbines -- Appropriate wind speeds -- Estimating the power a turbine could produce -- Costs of wind power -- Siting ideal locations for wind turbines -- Offshore wind -- Strengths and weaknesses of wind power -- The potential of wave power -- A history of waves -- How wave energy works -- Types of waves -- Sea states -- Under the sea (state) -- Capturing a wave -- Integrating wave energy into our everyday lives -- The extreme economics of wave energy -- Limiting environmental impact -- Harvesting geothermal energy -- Prospective geothermal energy locations -- Geothermal plants -- Uses for geothermal energy -- Problems with geothermal energy -- High points of geothermal energy -- Case studies.
