Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes

by John A. Duffie, William A. Beckman, William A Beckman

The updated, cornerstone engineering resource of solar energy theory and applications. Solar technologies already provide energy for heat, light, hot water, electricity, and cooling for homes, businesses, and industry. Because solar energy only accounts for one-tenth of a percent of primary energy demand, relatively small increases in market penetration can lead to very rapid growth rates in the industry???which is exactly what has been projected for coming years as the world moves away from carbon-based energy production. Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes, Third Edition provides the latest thinking and practices for engineering solar technologies and using them in various markets.This Third Edition of the acknowledged leading book on solar engineering Complete coverage of basic theory, systems design, and applications Updated material on such cutting-edge topics as photovoltaics and wind power systems New homework problems and exercises

Genres: Nonfiction

928 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Aron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, this is a textbook. It also happens to be the only textbook I've ever actually read the entirety of, so I thought I'd at least give it the dignity of a rating. I took this course at the University of Wisconsin, which is where the author is from, but he no longer taught it. Aside from everything you'd expect to see (solar radiation, collectors, energy storage, water heating, etc.), there's also a very useful chapter on economics and life-cycle cost/benefits. The book also very briefly touches on wind energy (~20 pages). It's interesting to note that there's only one chapter on photovoltaic panel design. So many people think solar energy and PV panels are synonymous, but that's far from the truth. If all you're interested in is photovoltaics, which is a mistake in my opinion, then you'll need to look elsewhere.

It's a great reference, and definitely one of the few textbooks I own that I have no intention of ever selling.