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.