Clean, silent, renewable and climate-friendly ... solar power is the holy grail of energy. And there's no shortage of sunlight out there: enough falls on the surface of the planet each day to power human society many thousands of times over.Edited by a leading solar expert, The Solar Century provides a groundbreaking vision of a sun-powered world. The first definitive book on the subject, it covers everything from how ancient societies viewed the sun through to present-day panels thin enough to be delivered 'by the roll'.Presented in stunning full-colour throughout, The Solar Century showcases solar applications from the household scale through to great public architecture; from solar as a force for good in developing countries through to giant solar power stations planned for the world's deserts. The book also debunks many myths about solar - such as the idea that it and other renewable energies will always need fossil-fuel stations on standby.Essential reading for anyone interested in science, energy and the future of our planet.
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From the Back Cover
Clean, silent, renewable and climate-friendly: solar is the ultimate source of energy. Enough sunlight falls on the earth each day to power human activity many thousands of times over, yet society has so far been slow to harness its almost limitless potential.THE SOLAR CENTURY provides a groundbreaking vision of a sun-powered world, explaining why we need a solar revolution and how it could come about. The book covers everything from the inner workings of the sun through to futuristic solar panels thin enough to be produced 'by the roll'; from cutting-edge green homes through to giant solar power stations planned for the world's deserts. Fascinating and authoritative, THE SOLAR CENTURY is essential reading for anyone interested in energy, architecture or the future of the planet.
About the Author
Jeremy Leggett is founder and chairman of Solarcentury, a solar solutions company currently the UK's fastest growing private energy company. An author and advocate for renewables in the international media, including as a CNN Principal Voice, he has been described by the Observer as "Britain's most respected green energy boss."
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a remarkable book, which explains why we need a renewable-energy revolution and then explains the key role that solar energy can play. The book starts off with the basics, explaining what the sun is and how its energy is created. It then explains the various ways that we can capture that energy: from giant mirror-based solar thermal power stations in the desert through to cutting-edge thin-film photovoltaic panels that can be produced "by the roll".
The book covers peak oil and climate change, too, and covers the economics of solar: how the price is coming down much faster than most commentators realise, meaning that "grid parity" (when solar is a cheap as conventional electricity) is only a couple of years away.
Most inspiring is the "Visions" chapter, which looks forward to a world where solar energy is contributing to everything from air quality and education in the developing world through to a smart grid where electric cars store excess solar energy in their batteries to get around the intermittence of sunlight.
Fascinating stuff for anyone interested in energy, environment, architecture or science.
The book covers peak oil and climate change, too, and covers the economics of solar: how the price is coming down much faster than most commentators realise, meaning that "grid parity" (when solar is a cheap as conventional electricity) is only a couple of years away.
Most inspiring is the "Visions" chapter, which looks forward to a world where solar energy is contributing to everything from air quality and education in the developing world through to a smart grid where electric cars store excess solar energy in their batteries to get around the intermittence of sunlight.
Fascinating stuff for anyone interested in energy, environment, architecture or science.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I you have an interest in solar power this is the book for you. If you know someone who is interested buy them this book as a present.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars
2 reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly Recommended
25 Aug 2009
By PH
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
This book serves as an introduction to all things solar. It discusses not only the current flavors of solar technology and companies out there but also presents views from the social, economic impact and potential of the solar energy generation in saving the world from climate change. With well taken pictures, charts and interesting statistics and examples, this book is an enjoyable and relatively light read on a potentially heavy subject.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best book I've ever read about the "solar energy" topic
25 Aug 2009
By Stefano Picker
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
This very-well-written book quickly won my heart from the preface, thanks to its very positive attitude: a clean world is possible, solar solutions are becoming economically sustainable and will improve our life... Then it conquered me for good across its interesting chapters, which include many figures and estimations I had been looking for. Possible future scenarios are described through a list of "visions". Fairly focused on solar energy, the book also touches wider topics like the need for a smart distribution grid and the model originally envisioned by Thomas Edison. A real must-have if you're interested in solar energy!
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