Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes

by John A.;Beckman Duffie

Many of the newest developments in solar energy science and technology are covered in this Second Edition. There is a thorough up-to-date review of solar energy principles and the functioning, design and economics of solar thermal processes. Convection and radiation, properties of materials, components, systems and applications to active space and water heating are discussed. Includes examples and problems of tabulated radiation data and conversion factors.

Genres: Nonfiction

782 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Aron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, this is a textbook. It also happens to be the only textbook I've ever actually read the entirety of, so I thought I'd at least give it the dignity of a rating. I took this course at the University of Wisconsin, which is where the author is from, but he no longer taught it. Aside from everything you'd expect to see (solar radiation, collectors, energy storage, water heating, etc.), there's also a very useful chapter on economics and life-cycle cost/benefits. The book also very briefly touches on wind energy (~20 pages). It's interesting to note that there's only one chapter on photovoltaic panel design. So many people think solar energy and PV panels are synonymous, but that's far from the truth. If all you're interested in is photovoltaics, which is a mistake in my opinion, then you'll need to look elsewhere.

It's a great reference, and definitely one of the few textbooks I own that I have no intention of ever selling.