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| economics of solar power: Solar Energy Muyiwa Adaramola, 2014-10-24 This title includes a number of Open Access chapters.Due to climate change, the rise in energy demand, and issues of energy security, more countries are being forced to reexamine their energy policies and consider more renewable sources of energy. Solar power is expected to play a significant role in the changing face of energy economies, due in a |
| economics of solar power: Solar Revolution Travis Bradford, 2008-09-26 An innovative analysis that shows how the shift to solar energy—in particular, the use of photovoltaic cells—is both economically advantageous and inevitable, and will rival the information and communication technologies revolution in its transformative effects. In Solar Revolution, fund manager and former corporate buyout specialist Travis Bradford argues—on the basis of standard business and economic forecasting models—that over the next two decades solar energy will increasingly become the best and cheapest choice for most electricity and energy applications. Solar Revolution outlines the path by which the transition to solar technology and sustainable energy practices will occur. Developments in the photovoltaic (PV) industry over the last ten years have made direct electricity generation from PV cells a cost-effective and feasible energy solution, despite the common view that PV technology appeals only to a premium niche market. Bradford shows that PV electricity today has become the choice of hundreds of thousands of mainstream homeowners and businesses in many markets worldwide, including Japan, Germany, and the American Southwest. Solar energy will eventually be the cheapest source of energy in nearly all markets and locations because PV can bypass the aging and fragile electricity grid and deliver its power directly to the end user, fundamentally changing the underlying economics of energy. As the scale of PV production increases and costs continue to decline at historic rates, demand for PV electricity will outpace supply of systems for years to come. Ultimately, the shift from fossil fuels to solar energy will take place not because solar energy is better for the environment or energy security, or because of future government subsidies or as yet undeveloped technology. The solar revolution is already occurring through decisions made by self-interested energy users. The shift to solar energy is inevitable and will be as transformative as the last century's revolutions in information and communication technologies. |
| economics of solar power: Large-Scale Solar Power Systems Peter Gevorkian, 2012-09-28 This book discusses large-scale solar power systems, including an analysis of critical issues related to their design, construction and financing. |
| economics of solar power: Solar Power Plants C.-J. Winter, Rudolf L. Sizmann, Lorin L. Vant-Hull, 2012-12-06 In the introductory and concluding chapters this book strive to satisfy the needs of the interested lay reader by addressing the potential, advantages, and costs of solar power plants. For the interested student, scientist, or technically oriented lay person the physical principles of insolation, its variability, concentration, and most efficient use are developed in some detail. Finally, experimental and theoretical developments in the recently created field of solar driven chemistry (via thermal, quantum, or electrical excitation) are described. The contributions in this book are written by leading solar scientists and engineering experts whose extensive background and experience in solar energy lend authenticity and completeness to the book. Design aspects of, and results from large experimental and demonstration plants are described by individuals who were directly involved in the design and testing of many of these plants. Consideration of the viability and future economics of large-scale solar power generation provides an outlook on the energy contributions which can be expected from an optional future supply of abundant and renewable energy, having little impact on the environment. This provides the rationale for the continued commitment to the development of solar power technologies by researchers, engineers, and industry. The eventual depletion of, or future political attacks on our energy supply will have less serious impact once this renewable option is in place. |
| economics of solar power: How Solar Energy Became Cheap Gregory F. Nemet, 2019-05-20 Solar energy is a substantial global industry, one that has generated trade disputes among superpowers, threatened the solvency of large energy companies, and prompted serious reconsideration of electric utility regulation rooted in the 1930s. One of the biggest payoffs from solar’s success is not the clean inexpensive electricity it can produce, but the lessons it provides for innovation in other technologies needed to address climate change. Despite the large literature on solar, including analyses of increasingly detailed datasets, the question as to how solar became inexpensive and why it took so long still remains unanswered. Drawing on developments in the US, Japan, Germany, Australia, and China, this book provides a truly comprehensive and international explanation for how solar has become inexpensive. Understanding the reasons for solar’s success enables us to take full advantage of solar’s potential. It can also teach us how to support other low-carbon technologies with analogous properties, including small modular nuclear reactors and direct air capture. However, the urgency of addressing climate change means that a key challenge in applying the solar model is in finding ways to speed up innovation. Offering suggestions and policy recommendations for accelerated innovation is another key contribution of this book. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of energy technology and innovation, climate change and energy analysis and policy, as well as practitioners and policymakers working in the existing and emerging energy industries. |
| economics of solar power: The Economics and Policy of Concentrating Solar Power Generation Pere Mir-Artigues, Pablo del Río, Natàlia Caldés, 2019-05-31 This book provides an up-to-date analysis of state-of-the-art concentrating solar power (CSP) generation. It focuses on the economic analysis of CSP generation technologies as well as the policies that have been and are being used around the globe to support it. The book describes the industrial sectors whose products make up the solar field, including the traditional manufacturers of turbines and generators.The authors provide the main theoretical tools needed to comprehend the costs of CSP technologies compared to other competing technologies (both conventional and renewable) and discuss the conceptual rationale behind creating public support for these technologies and the costs of various promotional techniques. Further, the book examines the concepts from different disciplinary traditions in economics (including environmental, innovation, industrial and public), which are then combined and integrated for an analysis of the costs and policies of CSP electricity.Addressing the main findings and the challenges for future CSP, the book is a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners. It is also of use to industrial engineers, as it identifies the features of the sector’s supply chain value, rooted in and supported by an industrial economics approach. |
| economics of solar power: Solar Energy Ibrahim Moukhtar, Adel Z. El Dein, Adel A. Elbaset, Yasunori Mitani, 2020-11-13 This book opens with a brief introduction to renewable energy and the advantages of solar energy systems, an overview of concentrated solar power (CSP) system technologies and modeling, and the application of artificial neural network (ANN) technologies in various solar field systems. Later chapters cover data and operation methods of central tower receiver power plants (CTRPP), important models of ANN techniques used in solar energy fields, accurate methods for modeling CTRPP, the economics of solar energy systems, the CSP impacts on the penetration level of photovoltaic (PV) systems, and a look at the reliability of systems using case studies on PV systems and hybrid PV and CSP systems. Provides an introduction to renewable energy and the advantages of solar energy systems Outlines methods for modeling central tower receiver power plants Includes case studies on photovoltaic (PV) and hybrid PV and concentrated solar power systems |
| economics of solar power: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Energy Systems Trevor Letcher, Vasilis M. Fthenakis, 2018-05-17 A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Energy Systems: With Special Focus on Photovoltaic Systems, the most advanced and research focused text on all aspects of solar energy engineering, is a must have edition on the present state of solar technology, integration and worldwide distribution. In addition, the book provides a high-level assessment of the growth trends in photovoltaics and how investment, planning and economic infrastructure can support those innovations. Each chapter includes a research overview with a detailed analysis and new case studies that look at how recent research developments can be applied. Written by some of the most forward-thinking professionals, this book is an invaluable reference for engineers. - Contains analysis of the latest high-level research and explores real world application potential in relation to developments - Uses system international (SI) units and imperial units throughout to appeal to global engineers - Offers measurable data written by a world expert in the field on the latest developments in this fast moving and vital subject |
| economics of solar power: Large-Scale Solar Power Systems Peter Gevorkian, 2012-09-28 This book is a comprehensive discussion and economic analysis of large-scale solar power systems, specifically referencing critical issues related to design construction and financing. The book provides practical design, installation, and financing guidelines for large-scale commercial and industrial solar power projects. Engineering design and construction methodologies as well as economic analysis provide a step-by-step walk-through of all aspects of solar power systems. Design methodologies outline the specific requirements of solar and electrical design and construction documentation in meticulous detail, which can readily be applied to ground mount, roof mount, building integrated (BIPV), and carport-type solar power projects. In view of the importance of solar power systems as a viable present and future energy resource, the book includes a dedicated chapter on smart grid transmission and large-scale energy storage systems. |
| economics of solar power: Renewable Electricity Generation Benjamin Zycher, 2011-11-16 This volume examines the outlook for renewable energy in electricity generation-particularly wind and solar power-as a substitute for conventional fuels such as coal and natural gas. Economist Benjamin Zycher evaluates the central arguments in favor of policies that would make way for broader use of renewables and concludes that all are deeply problematic. Renewable energy sources are not superior in cost to conventional fuels; nor are they less taxing on the environment. The popular argument that increased use of renewables will create green jobs is likewise a fallacy-because wind and solar power are costly and inefficient, the net economic impact is a negative one. Zycher concludes that resource-use behaviors emerging from market competition are the best guides to effective, sustainable energy policies. |
| economics of solar power: Political Economies of Energy Transition Kathryn Hochstetler, 2020-11-26 Shows that economic concerns about jobs, costs, and consumption, rather than climate change, are likely to drive energy transition in developing countries. |
| economics of solar power: Solar Power Finance Without The Jargon Jenny Chase, 2019-07-04 Solar power has become big business, with $131 billion invested in 2018, up from just $11.2 billion in 2004 but down from $171 billion in 2017 as unit costs fell. New installed capacity grew from 1.1GW in 2004 to about 107GW in 2018, a steady rise as solar begins to compete with fossil fuels on cost and to be built in nearly every country.This is a book for the solar workers of the future, a business book for those without a business or economics background and those simply curious about major shifts happening in the world energy economy. Key financial, economic and technical concepts are interspersed with the history of the first decade of cheap solar power, and the author's experience of being part of a successful startup in the clean energy sector. |
| economics of solar power: Electricity from Renewable Resources National Research Council, National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Sciences, America's Energy Future Panel on Electricity from Renewable Resources, 2010-04-05 A component in the America's Energy Future study, Electricity from Renewable Resources examines the technical potential for electric power generation with alternative sources such as wind, solar-photovoltaic, geothermal, solar-thermal, hydroelectric, and other renewable sources. The book focuses on those renewable sources that show the most promise for initial commercial deployment within 10 years and will lead to a substantial impact on the U.S. energy system. A quantitative characterization of technologies, this book lays out expectations of costs, performance, and impacts, as well as barriers and research and development needs. In addition to a principal focus on renewable energy technologies for power generation, the book addresses the challenges of incorporating such technologies into the power grid, as well as potential improvements in the national electricity grid that could enable better and more extensive utilization of wind, solar-thermal, solar photovoltaics, and other renewable technologies. |
| economics of solar power: On the Economics of Solar Energy Stephen L. Feldman, Robert M. Wirtshafter, 1980 |
| economics of solar power: Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Power Generation Peter Gevorkian, 2017-03-21 Covering both technical and financial aspects, this professional reference work provides an overview of solar power technology. |
| economics of solar power: Solar Electricity Wolfgang Palz, 1978 |
| economics of solar power: Solar Energy Robert Foster, Majid Ghassemi, Alma Cota, 2009-08-18 Drawing on the authors' extensive research and project implementation around the globe, Solar Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment covers solar energy resources, thermal and photovoltaic systems, and the economics involved in using solar energy. It provides background theory on solar energy as well as useful technical information for implem |
| economics of solar power: Renewable Energy Martin Kaltschmitt, Wolfgang Streicher, Andreas Wiese, 2007-06-03 The utilisation of renewable energies is not at all new; in the history of mankind renewable energies have for a long time been the primary possibility of generating energy. This only changed with industrial revolution when lignite and hard coal became increasingly more important. Later on, also crude oil gained importance. Offering the advantages of easy transportation and processing also as a raw material, crude oil has become one of the prime energy carriers applied today. Moreover, natural gas used for space heating and power provision as well as a transportation fuel has become increasingly important, as it is abundantly available and only requires low investments in terms of energy conversion facilities. As fossil energy carriers were increasingly used for energy generation, at least by the industrialised countries, the application of renewable energies decreased in absolute and relative terms; besides a few exceptions, renewable energies are of secondary importance with regard to overall energy generation. |
| economics of solar power: Future of solar photovoltaic International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA, 2019-11-01 This study presents options to fully unlock the world’s vast solar PV potential over the period until 2050. It builds on IRENA’s global roadmap to scale up renewables and meet climate goals. |
| economics of solar power: The Solar Economy Hermann Scheer, 2013-06-17 The global economy and our way of life are based on the exploitation of fossil fuels, which not only threaten massive environmental and social disruption through global warming but, at present rates of consumption, will run out within decades, causing huge industrial dislocation and economic collapse. Even before then, the conflicts it causes in the Middle East and elsewhere will be frighteningly exacerbated. The alternative exists: renewable energy from renewable sources - above all, solar. Substituting renewable for fossil resources will take a new industrial revolution to avert the worst of the damage and establish a new international order. It can be done, and it can be done in time. The Solar Economy, by one of the world's most effective analysts and advocates, lays out the blueprints, showing how the political, economic and technological challenges can be met using indigenous, renewable and universally available resources, and the enormous opportunities and benefits that will flow from doing so. |
| economics of solar power: Nuclear Power Plants Nasser Awwad, 2021-02-24 This book will shed light on some hot topics related to nuclear power plants starting from uranium ore processing to fabrication through enrichment and finally to nuclear fuel at nuclear reactors. This book will hopefully encourage researchers and scientists to look further into the advantages of nuclear power plants in the production of cheap electricity with low fuel cost. |
| economics of solar power: The Revolution in Energy Technology Xue Han, Jorge Niosi, 2018-11-30 The solar photovoltaic sector is moving forward very fast, both in terms of its own technological advancement and its standing among global renewable energy technologies. Rapid increases in solar cell efficiencies, fast technical change in solar batteries and solar glass, and economies of scale in production fuel its rapid adoption, and it is becoming clear that existing forecasts about its adoption need to be updated extensively. This timely and distinctive examination of the economic side of the field takes into account solar PV’s recent and growing lead among renewable energies competing to replace fossil fuels. |
| economics of solar power: Taming the Sun Varun Sivaram, 2019-02-26 How solar could spark a clean-energy transition through transformative innovation—creative financing, revolutionary technologies, and flexible energy systems. Solar energy, once a niche application for a limited market, has become the cheapest and fastest-growing power source on earth. What's more, its potential is nearly limitless—every hour the sun beams down more energy than the world uses in a year. But in Taming the Sun, energy expert Varun Sivaram warns that the world is not yet equipped to harness erratic sunshine to meet most of its energy needs. And if solar's current surge peters out, prospects for replacing fossil fuels and averting catastrophic climate change will dim. Innovation can brighten those prospects, Sivaram explains, drawing on firsthand experience and original research spanning science, business, and government. Financial innovation is already enticing deep-pocketed investors to fund solar projects around the world, from the sunniest deserts to the poorest villages. Technological innovation could replace today's solar panels with coatings as cheap as paint and employ artificial photosynthesis to store intermittent sunshine as convenient fuels. And systemic innovation could add flexibility to the world's power grids and other energy systems so they can dependably channel the sun's unreliable energy. Unleashing all this innovation will require visionary public policy: funding researchers developing next-generation solar technologies, refashioning energy systems and economic markets, and putting together a diverse clean energy portfolio. Although solar can't power the planet by itself, it can be the centerpiece of a global clean energy revolution. A Council on Foreign Relations Book |
| economics of solar power: Solar Energy Conversion Systems Jeffrey R. S. Brownson, 2013-11-09 Solar energy conversion requires a different mind-set from traditional energy engineering in order to assess distribution, scales of use, systems design, predictive economic models for fluctuating solar resources, and planning to address transient cycles and social adoption. Solar Energy Conversion Systems examines solar energy conversion as an integrative design process, applying systems thinking methods to a solid knowledge base for creators of solar energy systems. This approach permits different levels of access for the emerging broad audience of scientists, engineers, architects, planners, and economists. Traditional texts in solar energy engineering have often emerged from mechanical or chemical engineering fields. Instead, Solar Energy Conversion Systems approaches solar energy conversion from the perspectives of integrative design, environmental technology, sustainability science, and materials science in the wake of amazing new thin films, polymers, and glasses developed by the optoelectronics and semiconductor industries. This is a new solar text for the new generation of green job designers and developers. It's highlighted with vignettes that break down solar conversion into useful stories and provides common points of reference, as well as techniques, for effective estimation of evolving technologies. - Contextualizes solar conversion for systems design and implementation in practical applications - Provides a complete understanding of solar power, from underlying science to essential economic outcomes - Analytical approach emphasizes systems simulations from measured irradiance and weather data rather than estimations from rules of thumb - Emphasizes integrative design and solar utility, where trans-disciplinary teams can develop sustainable solar solutions that increase client well-being and ecosystems services for a given locale |
| economics of solar power: Solar Power Plants C.-J. Winter, Rudolf L. Sizmann, Lorin L. Vant-Hull, 1991-09-05 In the introductory and concluding chapters this book strive to satisfy the needs of the interested lay reader by addressing the potential, advantages, and costs of solar power plants. For the interested student, scientist, or technically oriented lay person the physical principles of insolation, its variability, concentration, and most efficient use are developed in some detail. Finally, experimental and theoretical developments in the recently created field of solar driven chemistry (via thermal, quantum, or electrical excitation) are described. The contributions in this book are written by leading solar scientists and engineering experts whose extensive background and experience in solar energy lend authenticity and completeness to the book. Design aspects of, and results from large experimental and demonstration plants are described by individuals who were directly involved in the design and testing of many of these plants. Consideration of the viability and future economics of large-scale solar power generation provides an outlook on the energy contributions which can be expected from an optional future supply of abundant and renewable energy, having little impact on the environment. This provides the rationale for the continued commitment to the development of solar power technologies by researchers, engineers, and industry. The eventual depletion of, or future political attacks on our energy supply will have less serious impact once this renewable option is in place. |
| economics of solar power: The Economics of Renewable Energy in the Gulf Hisham M. Akhonbay, 2018-09-27 The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) has been at the epicenter of global energy markets because of its substantial endowment of hydrocarbons. Yet countries in the region have also stated their intent to be global leaders in renewable energy. This collection explores the drivers for the widespread adoption of renewable energy around the GCC, the need for renewable energy and the policy-economic factors that can create success. All six countries within the GCC have plans to include renewable energy power generation in their energy mix for various reasons including: a growing demand for electricity because of increasing populations, an increasing government fiscal deficit due to inefficient subsidies, the need to diversify the economy and global pressure to meet climate change requirements. However, the decision of when and by how much to introduce renewable energy is fraught with complications. In this book, a stellar cast of regional policy and academic experts explore the reasons behind these renewable energy plans and the potential impediments to success, whether it be the declining cost of producing energy from hydrocarbons, an infrastructure which needs to be updated, social acceptance, lack of financing and even harsh weather. Weighing up all these factors, the book considers the route forward for renewable energy in the Gulf region. The Economics of Renewable Energy in the Gulf offers an excellent examination of the adoption of renewable energy in the area. It will be of great interest to academic researchers and policy makers alike, particularly those working in the areas of energy economics, public policy and international relations. |
| economics of solar power: Economics of Solar Energy and Conservation Systems Frank Kreith, Ronald E. West, 1980 V.1.General Krinciples - v.2. Solar applications and cost. v.3- Energy management and conservation. |
| economics of solar power: Rooftop Revolution Danny Kennedy, 2012-09-03 Here is the truth that the powerful Dirty Energy public relations machine doesn't want you to know: the ascent of solar energy is upon us. Solar-generated electricity has risen exponentially in the last few years and employment in the solar industry has doubled since 2009. Meanwhile, electricity from coal has declined to pre-World War II levels as the fossil fuel industry continues to shed jobs. Danny Kennedy systematically refutes the lies spread by solar's opponents—that it is expensive, inefficient, and unreliable; that it is kept alive only by subsidies; that it can't be scaled; and many other untruths. He shows that we need a rooftop revolution to break the entrenched power of the coal, oil, nuclear, and gas industries Solar energy can create more jobs, return our nation to prosperity, and ensure the sustainability and safety of our planet. Now is the time to move away from the dangerous energy sources of the past and unleash the amazing potential of the sun. |
| economics of solar power: Economics of Electricity Anna Cretì, Fulvio Fontini, 2019-05-30 Explains the economics of electricity at each step of the supply chain: production, transportation and distribution, and retail. |
| economics of solar power: The Economics of Renewable Energy Roger Fouquet, 2018 This major reference work brings together for the first time key articles on the economics of renewable energy. From a modest role as a backstop technology in the 1970s to a central role in low carbon transitions today, this collection reveals the emergence and growing importance of this sub-field of economics. Topics covered in this timely volume include the costs of renewable power (taking account of issues related to technological development, intermittency and interconnection), policies that promote renewable energy development, its public and private demand, and its impact on the environment and the economy. This indispensable collection is complemented by a comprehensive introduction that will serve as an essential source of reference for students and researchers. |
| economics of solar power: Solar Energy Arno Smets, Klaus Jäger, Olindo Isabella, René van Swaaij, Miro Zeman, 2016-01-28 This book provides a broad overview on the different aspects of solar energy, with a focus on photovoltaics, which is the technology that allows light energy to be converted into electric energy. Renewable energy sources have become increasingly popular in recent years, and solar is one of the most adaptable and attractive types – from solar farms to support the National Grid to roof panels/tiles used for solar thermal heating systems, and small solar garden lights. Written by Delft University researchers, Solar Energy uniquely covers both the physics of photovoltaic (PV) cells and the design of PV systems for real-life applications, from a concise history of solar cells components and location issues of current systems. The book is designed to make this complicated subject accessible to all, and is packed with fascinating graphs and charts, as well as useful exercises to cement the topics covered in each chapter. Solar Energy outlines the fundamental principles of semiconductor solar cells, as well as PV technology: crystalline silicon solar cells, thin-film cells, PV modules, and third-generation concepts. There is also background on PV systems, from simple stand-alone to complex systems connected to the grid. This is an invaluable reference for physics students, researchers, industrial engineers and designers working in solar energy generation, as well those with a general interest in renewable energy. |
| economics of solar power: Solar Power Dustin Mulvaney, 2019-03-05 In this important new primer, Dustin Mulvaney makes a passionate case for the significance of solar power energy and offers a vision for a more sustainable and just solar industry for the future. The solar energy industry has grown immensely over the past several years and now provides up to a fifth of California’s power. But despite its deservedly green reputation, solar development and deployment have potential social and environmental consequences, from poor factory labor standards to landscape impacts on wildlife. Using a wide variety of case studies and examples to trace the life cycle of photovoltaics, Mulvaney expertly outlines the state of the solar industry, exploring the ongoing conflicts between ecological concerns and climate mitigation strategies, as well as current trade disputes and the fate of toxins in solar waste products. This exceptional overview will outline the industry’s current challenges and possible future for students in environmental studies, energy policy, environmental sociology, and other aligned fields. |
| economics of solar power: Concentrating Solar Power Technology Keith Lovegrove, Wes Stein, 2012-10-19 Concentrating solar power (CSP) technology is poised to take its place as one of the major contributors to the future clean energy mix. Using straightforward manufacturing processes, CSP technology capitalises on conventional power generation cycles, whilst cost effectively matching supply and demand though the integration of thermal energy storage. Concentrating solar power technology provides a comprehensive review of this exciting technology, from the fundamental science to systems design, development and applications.Part one introduces fundamental principles of concentrating solar power systems. Site selection and feasibility analysis are discussed, alongside socio-economic and environmental assessments. Part two focuses on technologies including linear Fresnel reflector technology, parabolic-trough, central tower and parabolic dish concentrating solar power systems, and concentrating photovoltaic systems. Thermal energy storage, hybridization with fossil fuel power plants and the long-term market potential of CSP technology are explored. Part three goes on to discuss optimisation, improvements and applications. Topics discussed include absorber materials for solar thermal receivers, design optimisation through integrated techno-economic modelling, heliostat size optimisation, heat flux and temperature measurement technologies, concentrating solar heating and cooling for industrial processes, and solar fuels and industrial solar chemistry.With its distinguished editors and international team of expert contributors, Concentrating solar power technology is an essential guide for all those involved or interested in the design, production, development, optimisation and application of CSP technology, including renewable energy engineers and consultants, environmental governmental departments, solar thermal equipment manufacturers, researchers and academics. - Provides a comprehensive review of concentrating solar power (CSP) technology, from the fundamental science to systems design, development and applications - Reviews fundamental principles of concentrating solar power systems, including site selection and feasibility analysis and socio-economic and environmental assessments - Provides an overview of technologies such as linear Fresnel reflector technology, parabolic-trough, central tower and parabolic dish concentrating solar power systems, and concentrating photovoltaic systems |
| economics of solar power: Solar Energy Perspectives Cédric Philibert, 2011 In 90 minutes, enough sunlight strikes the earth to provide the entire planet's energy needs for one year. While solar energy is abundant, it represents a tiny fraction of the world's current energy mix. But this is changing rapidly and is being driven by global action to improve energy access and supply security, and to mitigate climate change. Around the world, countries and companies are investing in solar generation capacity on an unprecedented scale, and, as a consequence, costs continue to fall and technologies improve. This publication gives an authoritative view of these technologies and market trends, in both advanced and developing economies, while providing examples of the best and most advanced practices. It also provides a unique guide for policy makers, industry representatives and concerned stakeholders on how best to use, combine and successfully promote the major categories of solar energy: solar heating and cooling, photovoltaic and solar thermal electricity, as well as solar fuels. Finally, in analysing the likely evolution of electricity and energy-consuming sectors - buildings, industry and transport - it explores the leading role solar energy could play in the long-term future of our energy system. |
| economics of solar power: Geo-Economics: The Interplay between Geopolitics, Economics, and Investments Joachim Klement, 2021-04-28 Today’s investors need to understand geopolitical trends as a main driving force of markets. This book provides just that: an understanding of the interplay between geopolitics and economics, and of the impact of that dynamic on financial markets. To me, geo-economics is the study of how geopolitics and economics interact in international relations. Plenty of books on geopolitics have been written by eminent experts in politics and international affairs. This book is not one of them. First, I am neither a political scientist nor an expert in international affairs. I am an economist and an investment strategist who has been fascinated by geopolitics for many years. And this fascination has led me to the realization that almost all books and articles written on geopolitics are useless for investors. Political scientists are not trained to think like investors, and they are not typically trained in quantitative methods. Instead, they engage in developing narratives for geopolitical events and processes that pose risks and opportunities for investors. My main problem with these narratives is that they usually do not pass the “so what?” test. Geopolitical risks are important, but how am I to assess which risks are important for my portfolio and which ones are simply noise? Because geopolitics experts focus on politics, they do not provide an answer to this crucial question for investors. What could be important for a geopolitics expert and for global politics could be totally irrelevant for investors. For example, the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been going on for almost two decades now and have been an important influence on the political discussion in the United States. But for investors, the war in Afghanistan was a total nonevent, and the war in Iraq had only a fleeting influence, when it started in 2003. Geopolitics experts cannot answer the question of which geopolitical events matter for investors and which do not. Unfortunately, some experts thus claim that all geopolitical risks matter and that these risks cannot be quantified but only assessed qualitatively. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the chapters that follow, I discuss geopolitical and geo-economic events from the viewpoint of an investor and show that they can be quantified and introduced as part of a traditional risk management process. I do this in two parts. The first part of this book focuses on geopolitics that matters to investors. It reviews the literature on a range of geopolitical events and shows which events have a material economic effect and which do not. The second part of this book puts the insights from those first chapters into practice by applying them to current geopolitical trends. In this second part, I stick my head out and examine the impact the geopolitical trends have on the economy and financial markets today and their likely development in the coming years. —Joachim Klement, CFA |
| economics of solar power: The Economics and Policy of Concentrating Solar Power Generation Mir Artigues, Pere, Pablo del Río, Natalia Caldés, 2019 This book provides an up-to-date analysis of state-of-the-art concentrating solar power (CSP) generation. It focuses on the economic analysis of CSP generation technologies as well as the policies that have been and are being used around the globe to support it. The book describes the industrial sectors whose products make up the solar field, including the traditional manufacturers of turbines and generators. The authors provide the main theoretical tools needed to comprehend the costs of CSP technologies compared to other competing technologies (both conventional and renewable) and discuss the conceptual rationale behind creating public support for these technologies and the costs of various promotional techniques. Further, the book examines the concepts from different disciplinary traditions in economics (including environmental, innovation, industrial and public), which are then combined and integrated for an analysis of the costs and policies of CSP electricity. Addressing the main findings and the challenges for future CSP, the book is a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners. It is also of use to industrial engineers, as it identifies the features of the sectors supply chain value, rooted in and supported by an industrial economics approach. |
| economics of solar power: Principles of Solar Engineering, Second Edition D. Yogi Goswami, Frank Kreith, Jan F. Kreider, 2000-01-01 This second edition of Principles of Solar Engineering covers the latest developments in a broad range of topics of interest to students and professionals interested in solar energy applications. With the scientific fundamentals included, the book covers important areas such as heating and cooling, passive solar applications, detoxification and biomass energy conversion. This comprehensive textbook provides examples of methods of solar engineering from around the world and includes examples, solutions and data applicable to international solar energy issues. A solutions manual is available to qualified instructors. |
| economics of solar power: Bifacial Photovoltaics Joris Libal, Radovan Kopecek, 2018-10-19 Bifacial photovoltaic (PV) modules are able to utilize light from both sides and can therefore significantly increase the electric yield of PV power plants, thus reducing the cost and improving profitability. Bifacial PV technology has a huge potential to reach a major market share, in particular when considering utility scale PV plants. Accordingly, bifacial PV is currently attracting increasing attention from involved engineers, scientists and investors. |
| economics of solar power: Solar Revolution Travis Bradford, 2006 Energy technology & engineering. |
| economics of solar power: Solarnomics David Wright, 2022-04-05 Solar power has come of age. Not only has it become one of the key alternatives to fossil fuels, it can now be deployed in a way that makes a viable business with a financial profit. This book shows industry professionals and students how to do just that. Solarnomics describes the economics of building and operating a solar power plant today and provides a window into a future in which several technologies collaborate, and in which all participants in the electricity grid become smarter at scheduling both the supply and demand for electric power to give humanity a future that is sustainable, both environmentally and economically. The book shows how to estimate costs and revenues, how to tweak the design of a project to improve profitability, how to calculate return on investment, how to assess and deal with risk, how to raise capital, how to combine solar with batteries to make a hybrid microgrid, and how to be prepared for future developments in the evolving smart electricity grid. Solarnomics will enable professionals in the solar industry to assess the potential profitability of a proposed solar project, and it will enable students to add an extra dimension to their understanding of sustainability. |
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In economics, a transfer is a payment of money without any goods or services being exchanged in return. Governments make transfers in the form of welfare benefits but individuals make …
What is Economics? - American Economic Association
Economics is a broad discipline that helps us understand historical trends, interpret today’s headlines, and make predictions about the coming years. Economics ranges from the very small …
What is Economics? Definition of Economics, Economics …
Economics Economics is the study of scarcity and how it affects the use of resources, the production of goods and services, the growth of production and well-being over time, and many …
What is Economics? - Northwestern University
Economics is the study of how we make choices in the face of scarcity and how those choices motivate behavior. THE FIELD OF ECONOMICS. As individuals, families, and nations, we confront …
What Is Economics? - Econlib
Economics is the study of given ends and scarce means. Lionel Robbins, biography, from the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics: Robbins’ most famous book was An Essay on the Nature …
What is Economics - Definition, Methods, Types - Research Method
Mar 26, 2024 · Economics. Economics is a social science that analyzes how people make decisions to satisfy their wants and needs, given limited resources. It explores the processes behind …
What is Economics - Definitions, Criticisms. Modern Economic …
Instead, economics was merely used to analyze the action of individuals, using stylized mathematical models. Modern Definition of Economics The modern definition, attributed to the …
Economics - Wikipedia
Economics (/ ˌ ɛ k ə ˈ n ɒ m ɪ k s, ˌ iː k ə-/) [1] [2] is a behavioral science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. [3] [4]Economics focuses on …
Economics Defined With Types, Indicators, and Systems
Jun 28, 2024 · Economics is a branch of the social sciences focused on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Microeconomics is a type of economics …
Economics | Definition, History, Examples, Types, & Facts
May 12, 2025 · economics, social science that seeks to analyze and describe the production, distribution, and consumption of wealth. In the 19th century economics was the hobby of …
The A to Z of economics | The Economist
In economics, a transfer is a payment of money without any goods or services being exchanged in return. Governments make transfers in the form of welfare benefits but individuals make …
What is Economics? - American Economic Association
Economics is a broad discipline that helps us understand historical trends, interpret today’s headlines, and make predictions about the coming years. Economics ranges from the very …
What is Economics? Definition of Economics, Economics …
Economics Economics is the study of scarcity and how it affects the use of resources, the production of goods and services, the growth of production and well-being over time, and …
What is Economics? - Northwestern University
Economics is the study of how we make choices in the face of scarcity and how those choices motivate behavior. THE FIELD OF ECONOMICS. As individuals, families, and nations, we …
What Is Economics? - Econlib
Economics is the study of given ends and scarce means. Lionel Robbins, biography, from the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics: Robbins’ most famous book was An Essay on the …
What is Economics - Definition, Methods, Types - Research Method
Mar 26, 2024 · Economics. Economics is a social science that analyzes how people make decisions to satisfy their wants and needs, given limited resources. It explores the processes …
What is Economics - Definitions, Criticisms. Modern Economic …
Instead, economics was merely used to analyze the action of individuals, using stylized mathematical models. Modern Definition of Economics The modern definition, attributed to the …
