It is estimated that more than two billion people worldwide lack access to modern energy resources. Renewable energy has the potential to bring power to these many communities and individuals who function off the grid. This book describes the latest advances in distributed and off-grid renewable energy technologies and offers strategies and guidelines for planning and implementation of sustainable, decentralized energy supply. Coverage includes wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass systems planning and integration, economic assessment models and the role of legislative structures. -- Back Cover.

Distributed Renewable Energies for Off-Grid Communities: Empowering a Sustainable, Competitive, and Secure Twenty-First Century, Second Edition, is a fully revised reference on advances in achieving successful energy transition. Addressing the highly dynamic, complex and multidimensional process of a dominant socio-technical system transforming into another, this up-to-date reference addresses all stages of this complex process with data and figures to demonstrate how to tackle the process of changing a society's energy circumstance. This new edition provides an updated picture of renewables in communities and their use, covering energy concepts, strategies, prospects and combining all aspects to provide a roadmap to self-sustainable development. Addressing the influence of society on the development of renewable industry, this book provides guidelines with case studies, along with trends and innovative practices regarding renewable energy and their applications with a goal of successfully establishing smooth energy transitions in self-sustainable communities. Includes case studies that provide solutions for future decentralized energy supply problems Contains fully updated equations, data sections and figures for all energy technologies Shares a blueprint for the development of self-sustainable Integrated Renewable Communities

Energy is directly related to the most critical economic and social issues which affect sustainable development such as mobility, food production, environmental quality, regional and global security issues. Two-thirds of the new demand will come from developing nations, with China accounting for 30%. Without adequate attention to the critical importance of energy to all these aspects, the global, social, economic and environmental goals of sustainability cannot be achieved. Indeed the magnitude of change needed is immense, fundamental and directly related to the energy produced and consumed nationally and internationally. Today, it is estimated that more than two billion people worldwide lack access to modern energy resources. Distributed Renewable Energies for Off-Grid Communities provides various options and case studies related to the potential of renewable energies along with their environmental, economic and social dimensions. Case studies provide you with solutions to for future decentralized energy supply. Expanded coverage over previous work in the field to include coverage of rural and urban communities Provides new solutions for future decentralized energy supply.

The creation of a flexible, efficient, digitized, dependable and resilient power grid may well be the best route to increasing energy efficiency & security, as well as boosting the potential of renewable & distributed power sources. This book covers smart grids from A-Z, providing a complete treatment of the topic, covering both policy and technology, explaining the most recent innovations supporting its development, and clarifying how the smart grid can support the integration of renewable energy resources. Among the most important topics included are smart metering, renewable energy storage, plug-in hybrids, flexible demand response, strategies for offsetting intermittency issues, micro-grids for off-grid communities, and specific in-depth coverage of wind and solar power integration. The content draws lessons from an international panel of contributors, whose diverse experiences implementing smart grids will help to provide templates for success. Provides critical information on the technological, design and policy issues that must be taken into account to ensure that the smart grid is implemented successfully Demonstrates how smart grids can help utilities adhere to increased renewable portfolio standards Provides examples of successful microgrid/smart metering projects from around the world that can act as templates for developers, operators and investors embarking upon similar projects

This open access book addresses the issue of diffusing sustainable energy access in low- and middle-income contexts. Access to energy is one of the greatest challenges for many people living in low- income and developing contexts, as around 1.4 billion people lack access to electricity. Distributed Renewable Energy systems (DRE) are considered a promising approach to address this challenge and provide energy access to all. However, even if promising, the implementation of DRE systems is not always straightforward. The book analyses, discusses and classifies the promising Sustainable Product-Service System (S.PSS) business models to deliver Distributed Renewable Energy systems in an effective, efficient and sustainable way. Its message is supported with cases studies and examples, discussing the economic, environmental and socioethical benefits as well as its limitations and barriers to its implementation. An innovative design approach is proposed and a set of design tools are supplied, enabling readers to create and develop Sustainable Product-Service System (S.PSS) solutions to deliver Distributed Renewable Energy systems. Practical applications of the book’s design approach and tools by companies and practitioners are discussed and the book will be of interest to readers in design, industry, governmental institutions, NGOs as well as researchers.

This publication promotes the use of distributed renewable energy systems and presents lessons learned from the Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic Mini-Grid Project in Cobrador Island, Philippines. Affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all that meets environmental goals is central to global development and policy making. Access to electricity continues to improve in Asia and the Pacific, yet many rural areas lag behind due to challenges in the economic and financial viability of grid extensions. This publication discusses the advantages of distributed renewable energy systems as a solution. It also outlines techniques and tools to optimize renewable energy resources for off-grid electrification that can complement and supplement national energy plans and programs.