Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy: Fundamentals and Applications

The Sun, our star, has inspired the research of many scientists and  engineers and brings hope to many of us for a paradigm shift in energy.  Indeed, the applications of solar energy are manifold, primarily because  it concerns both light and heat. Photovoltaic (PV) conversion is the  most well-known among these, but other modes of conversion include  photochemical, photobiological, photoelectrochemical, thermal and  thermochemical.

This book covers the entire chain of conversion  from the Sun to the targeted energy vector (heat, electricity, gaseous  or liquid fuels). Beginning with the state of the art, subsequent  chapters address solar resources, concentration and capture  technologies, the science of flows and transfers in solar receivers,  materials with controlled optical properties, thermal storage, hybrid  systems (PV-thermal) and synthetic fuels (hydrogen and synthetic gas).

Written  by a number of experts in the field, Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy  provides an insightful overview of the current landscape of the  knowledge regarding the most recent applications of concentrating  technologies.