Renewable Energy Technologies

Preface xvii Chapter 1. Photovoltaic Electricity Production 1 Jean-Claude MULLER 1.1. Introduction 2 1.2. Photovoltaic conversion 3 1.3. Cells with a crystalline silicon base 5 1.4. Cells in thin films 10 1.5. Photovoltaic market 17 1.6. Prospects for photovoltaic electricity development 22 1.7. Bibliography 23 Chapter 2. Photovoltaic Systems Connected to the Grid 25 Seddik BACHA and Daniel CHATROUX 2.1. Problems of photovoltaic power generation connected to the grid 25 2.2. General remarks on connection 28 2.3. Physical architectures 30 2.4. Constraints related to supplying energy to the utility grid 34 2.5. Algorithmic architectures 38 2.6. Conclusion 42 2.7. Bibliography 43 Chapter 3. Solar Heating 45 Christophe MARVILLET 3.1. Introduction 45 3.2. Available energy from the sun 49 3.3. Flat solar panels 53 3.4. Solar heating systems 58 3.5. Bibliography 62 Chapter 4. Solar Thermodynamic Power Stations 63 Alain FERRIÈRE Introduction 63 4.1. Concentrating solar power technologies 65 4.2. The state of the art 84 4.3. Prospects 94 4.4. Bibliography 102 Chapter 5. Wind Systems Technology 103 Régine BELHOMME, Daniel ROYE and Nicolas LAVERDURE 5.1. Introduction: wind power today 103 5.2. Description of a wind generator 104 5.3. Operation of a wind turbine 106 5.4. Bibliography 136 Chapter 6. Integration of Wind Turbine Generators into the Grid 143 Régine BELHOMME, Daniel ROYE and Nicolas LAVERDURE 6.1. Connection to the grid 143 6.2. Comparison of technologies and conclusion 169 6.3. Bibliography 171 6.4. Appendix: symbol table 177 Chapter 7. Marine Energy Resources Conversion Systems 181 Bernard MULTON, Alain CLÉMENT, Marie RUELLAN, Julien SEIGNEURBIEUX and Hamid BEN AHMED 7.1. Introduction 181 7.2. Electricity productivity from marine resources 183 7.3. Ocean wave generator systems (WEC: wave energy converters) 188 7.4. Tidal energy converters (TEC) 202 7.5. Other conversion systems 214 7.6. Conclusion 221 7.7. Bibliography 223 Chapter 8. Small Hydropower 227 Raymond CHENAL, Aline CHOULOT, Vincent DENIS and Norbert TISSOT 8.1. Introduction 227 8.2. What is small hydropower? 229 8.3. Hydraulic energy 231 8.4. The exploitation of hydraulic force 233 8.5. Potential 244 8.6. Research & Development in small hydropower 245 8.7. Environmental aspects of small hydropower 249 8.8. Policies favoring small hydropower 254 8.9. Conclusions 257 8.10. Bibliography 258 Chapter 9. Geothermal Energy Production 261 Florence JAUDIN and Laurent LE BEL 9.1. Introduction 261 9.2. Geothermal energy: why, for whom and how? 262 9.3. Geothermal heat pump systems 269 9.4. Direct production of heat 286 9.5. Electricity production.301 9.6. Glossary 320 9.7. Bibliography 325 Chapter 10. Biofuels 329 Frédéric MONOT, Jean-Luc DUPLAN, Nathalie ALAZARD-TOUX and Stéphane HIS 10.1. The place of biofuels in the energy environment 329 10.2. Current systems 345 10.3. Future systems: use of lignocellulose 358 10.4. Economic and environmental balance of biofuel production systems 380 10.5. Bibliography 394 Chapter 11. Biogas 397 Pierre LABEYRIE 11.1. Introduction: biogas, “the renewable natural gas” 397 11.2. Naturally occurring biogas 397 11.3. Production organized by humans 398 11.4. History of anaerobic digestion 399 11.5. Anaerobic digestion 400 11.6. Anaerobic digestion installations or biogas units 405 11.7. Uses of biogas 419 11.8. Conclusion: renewable natural gas and its challenges 424 11.9. Bibliography 425 Chapter 12. Energy Production from Wood 427 Frédéric DOUARD 12.1. Introduction: what is wood energy? 427 12.2. Overview of wood fuels 429 12.3. Principles of conversion of wood into energy 442 12.4. Generators of thermal energy from wood 450 12.5. Conclusion 470 12.6. Bibliography 471 List of Authors 473 Index 475