The book helps beginners to understand the basic energy conversion processes involved in various renewable energy based equipment such as solar photovoltaics, solar water heaters, wind turbines, and biomass plants. Under each technology, several possi-ble system configurations and their usages are considered. Step-by-step procedures are given to design and cost estimate several renewable energy based systems, designed for the given requirements. Numerous chapter-end problems are given to reinforce concepts, and for getting used to system design and system costing procedures.
Besides students, this book will be immensely useful for individuals interested in learning and practising renewable energy technologies.
CHETAN SINGH SOLANKI, Ph.D., is Visiting Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Gandhinagar. Previously, he was with the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB). He is the recipient of Young Scientist Award from European Material Research Society (2003), Young Investigator Award from IIT Bombay (2009) and several other awards for paper presentations. He has also authored several books including Solar Photovoltaic Technology and Systems: A Manual for Technicians, Trainers and Engineers and Renewable Energy Technologies: A Practical Guides for Beginners, published by PHI Learning, New Delhi. The Hindi version of latter book received first prize from Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Govt. of India in 2011.
His research areas of interest include PV cells and systems, high efficiency c-Si cells, Si-nanostructures for PV applications, thin film c-Si solar cells and concentrated PV systems. Dr. Solanki is currently one of the principal investigators of National Center for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE) at IIT Bombay which is funded by MNRE. He is also running a project for providing solar lamps to millions of students in rural areas. Visit http://www.ese.iitb.ac.