Module 8 is focused on solar energy in a number of forms: passive and active solar thermal heating a well as photovoltaic and thermal generation of electricity. This lecture presents material from chapters 2 and 3 of 'Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future' 2/e, (2004) edited by Godfrey Boyle.
8: Solar energy 8.1: Introduction: types of solar energy 8.2: Nature & availability of solar energy 8.3: History of our use of solar energy 8.4: Low-temperature solar thermal energy 8.5: Active solar heating 8.6: Passive solar heating 8.7: Daylighting 8.8: Solar thermal engines & electricity 8.9: Silicon doping: basic principles of photovoltaic electricity 8.10: Types of PV 8.11: Off-grid (remote) vs. grid-tied PV 8.12: PV use, statistics & grid integration |
*Assignments:
> Final writing assigment: > Energy transition lessons learned > DUE Wed 4 Dec: 3 lessons learned |
Solar energy history and current statistics:
> Global solar atlas (World Bank Group)
> National solar radiation database data viewer (NREL)
> The history of solar (US DOE)
> New year same story: cost of wind and solar fall below cost of coal and gas (Geuss, ArsTechnica, 12 Nov 2018)
> Global solar atlas (World Bank Group)
> National solar radiation database data viewer (NREL)
> The history of solar (US DOE)
> New year same story: cost of wind and solar fall below cost of coal and gas (Geuss, ArsTechnica, 12 Nov 2018)
Active solar heating:
> VIDEO: Your hot water heater can become a high-power home battery (Deaton, Popular Science, 6 Apr 2016)
> Marstal district heating: 100% renewable district energy system and storage (Sorensen & Nordjylland, Planenergi, 5 Jun 2014)
> Is solar thermal is dead? (North, Energy Auditing Blog, 1 May 2012)
> VIDEO: How do evacuated tubes work? (Solar Dave, 2009)
> VIDEO: Your hot water heater can become a high-power home battery (Deaton, Popular Science, 6 Apr 2016)
> Marstal district heating: 100% renewable district energy system and storage (Sorensen & Nordjylland, Planenergi, 5 Jun 2014)
> Is solar thermal is dead? (North, Energy Auditing Blog, 1 May 2012)
> VIDEO: How do evacuated tubes work? (Solar Dave, 2009)
Passive solar:
> Does the ultra efficeint passive house point the way to carbon neutrality? (Picard, SevenDays, 7 Jan 2015)
> MOVIE: Superhouse [Available from Hartness Library via streaming video]
> Does the ultra efficeint passive house point the way to carbon neutrality? (Picard, SevenDays, 7 Jan 2015)
> MOVIE: Superhouse [Available from Hartness Library via streaming video]
Solar thermal electricity:
> One weird trick prevents bird deaths at solar towers (Kraemer, Cleantechnica, 16 Apr 2015)
> Solar chimneys can convert hot air to energy, but is funding a mirage (Grose, National Geographic, 16 Apr 2014)
> VIDEO: Solar tower energy (Djpole76, 2006)
> One weird trick prevents bird deaths at solar towers (Kraemer, Cleantechnica, 16 Apr 2015)
> Solar chimneys can convert hot air to energy, but is funding a mirage (Grose, National Geographic, 16 Apr 2014)
> VIDEO: Solar tower energy (Djpole76, 2006)
Solar photovoltaics (PV):
> Floating solar is more than panels on a platform - it's hydroelectric's symbiont (Guess, ArsTechnica, 3 Nov 2018)
> Rooftop concentrating photovoltaic wins big over silicon in outdoor testing (Science Daily, 17 Jun 2017)
> Hot solar cells: by converting heat to focused beams of light, a new solar device could create cheap and continuous power (Temple, MIT Technology Review, Mar/Apr 2017)
> VIDEO: Breakthrough tech could double the amount of energy generated by solar cells (Epstein, BGR.com, 25 May 2016)
> VIDEO: How do solar panels work? (Komp, TED Ed, 5 Jan 2016)
> Focusing light on silicon beads (Graham-Rowe, MIT Technology Review, 13 Nov 2007)
> Floating solar is more than panels on a platform - it's hydroelectric's symbiont (Guess, ArsTechnica, 3 Nov 2018)
> Rooftop concentrating photovoltaic wins big over silicon in outdoor testing (Science Daily, 17 Jun 2017)
> Hot solar cells: by converting heat to focused beams of light, a new solar device could create cheap and continuous power (Temple, MIT Technology Review, Mar/Apr 2017)
> VIDEO: Breakthrough tech could double the amount of energy generated by solar cells (Epstein, BGR.com, 25 May 2016)
> VIDEO: How do solar panels work? (Komp, TED Ed, 5 Jan 2016)
> Focusing light on silicon beads (Graham-Rowe, MIT Technology Review, 13 Nov 2007)
PV systems, use & integration:
> Northern lights: large scale solar is spreading across the US (Katz, Yale Environment 360, 23 May 2017)
> VIDEO: Rethinking the utility as solar power heats up (PBS Newshour, 6 Dec 2017) [VT story]
> A Vermonter's guide to residential solar (Chase and Mitchell, Vermont Public Service Department, Sep 2016)
> Advantages and disadvantages of a solar tracker system (Bushong, Solar Power World, 9 May 2016)
> For utility-scale solar industry, key questions about the future (Levitan, Yale Environment 360, 21 Nov 2013)
> A guide to community-scale solar: utility, private and non-profit development (US DOE, NREL, 2010)
> Stand-alone PV system (Alternative Energy Tutorials)
> Frequently asked questions (Renewable Energy Vermont)
> Northern lights: large scale solar is spreading across the US (Katz, Yale Environment 360, 23 May 2017)
> VIDEO: Rethinking the utility as solar power heats up (PBS Newshour, 6 Dec 2017) [VT story]
> A Vermonter's guide to residential solar (Chase and Mitchell, Vermont Public Service Department, Sep 2016)
> Advantages and disadvantages of a solar tracker system (Bushong, Solar Power World, 9 May 2016)
> For utility-scale solar industry, key questions about the future (Levitan, Yale Environment 360, 21 Nov 2013)
> A guide to community-scale solar: utility, private and non-profit development (US DOE, NREL, 2010)
> Stand-alone PV system (Alternative Energy Tutorials)
> Frequently asked questions (Renewable Energy Vermont)
Environmental consequences of solar power:
> Guide to farming friendly solar (Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission, 26 Jul 2017)
> How green are those solar panels, really? (Nunez, National Geographic, 11 Nov 2014)
> Recycling methods for used photovoltaic panels (Weadock, Watershed / University of Maryland, 1 Sep 2011)
> Solar energy films leave waste behind in China (Cha, The Washington Post, 9 Mar 2008)
> Guide to farming friendly solar (Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission, 26 Jul 2017)
> How green are those solar panels, really? (Nunez, National Geographic, 11 Nov 2014)
> Recycling methods for used photovoltaic panels (Weadock, Watershed / University of Maryland, 1 Sep 2011)
> Solar energy films leave waste behind in China (Cha, The Washington Post, 9 Mar 2008)
Artificial photosynthesis to solar fuels?
> The road to solar fuels hits a speed bump (Martin, MIT Technology Reviews, 16 Jun 2016)
> The road to solar fuels hits a speed bump (Martin, MIT Technology Reviews, 16 Jun 2016)