ISBN: 978-0-9962283-2-9

Amazon.com Product Details:

File Size: 14957 KB. Publisher: SCV Inc (September 17, 2016). Publication Date: September 17, 2016. Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC. Language: English. ASIN: B01M14JVQY. Text-to-Speech: Enabled. X-Ray: Not Enabled. Word Wise: Not Enabled. Lending: Enabled.

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This morning some 2 billion people woke up without access to basic electric power. They are denied the modern privileges that we take for granted with such access. Generations of lost opportunity are too high a price to pay as we wait for governments to bring power to everyone, and nations are held hostage to energy shortages. At the same time, decades of research on small, rugged, efficient renewable power generators has been done for space missions, among other exotic purposes. These ideas languish with no market reach beyond the space agencies. This extensively researched book takes a hard look at what we can do today to bring energy independence through a grassroots approach, tying advanced technology to rural energy problems. The real difficulties are more about knowledge and integration than about money and technology. The book collects and presents the essentials to reach everyone whose help is needed in this most ambitious of endeavors. It looks beyond to a future with abundant and wisely used energy. This book is written for and by learners like you. Each chapter starts at a simple level, then build on concepts and research work. The book starts by presenting the overall problem and the solution avenue. It points to the need for hybrid systems integrating different technologies, rather than miracle machines. It explains essential nomenclature and numbers of the energy field, taking the learner on an experienced guided tour of thermodynamics. A chapter on Global Needs shows how to develop estimates for very large problems, as well as the needs of a simple home. The issues and opportunities in the debate over Climate Change are covered succinctly. A chapter combining System Design with Business Planning brings together two aspects so essential to successful projects, and so difficult to find together in curricula. The expected foray into technologies is then undertaken, with uncompromising depth and breadth achieved through an extensive reference base. Next, this knowledge is all used in considering the problems of energy independence. Finally, the authors consider an energy-abundant future, and what Humanity should do to plan well for that. The writing is at a simple level, but the unique depth and breadth of the 1035 references across a dizzying array of disciplines shows both the magnitude of the task undertaken by the authors, and their success in bringing it all together in one smooth and continuous story thread. That is the essential uniqueness of this book. It fills the timely role of a long-needed textbook, a simple introduction and an in-depth reference base for this neglected but utterly important field. The authors combine several decades of intense experience in aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, energy-related research and computer science, along with expertise in education and teaching, across levels, cultures and continents. Anyone with a high school education can understand this book. If you are a PhD specializing in energy science, engineering, economics or public policy, we trust that you will find the references in your field to be useful, and benefit from the simple explanations of the fields that you were too busy to explore. Enjoy!

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We'll let the Readers tell you what they saw in the book:

1. 5.0 out of 5 stars Wow ! Great book, I simply love this book. A comprehensive book on all aspects of energy generation at grass root level for all By Arun K Sharma on September 21, 2016 Format: Kindle Edition Wow ! Great book, I simply love this book. A comprehensive book on all aspects of energy generation at grass root level for all developing countries and not just Indian sub-continent. I find the book can be read and absorbed by person with high school education, with its firsthand data, analysis, conclusions and more than a thousand references, most of them themselves a treasure trove of information to use, copy, inspire to adjust to local needs and resources. Coming from a rural Indian village I have experienced firsthand the effect of huge energy deficiency at all levels from home, small shops, bazaar and local enterprise. Affordable yet practical energy independence is critical for village development, as well as necessary to sustain needs of town and city dwelling people. Not to mention it stymies national growth with hard currency going out to import foreign oil/energy. Carbon tax/credits are the next wave of reality and micro-renewable energy systems as taught in this book is a profitable opportunity that also addresses urgent rural development issues in developing countries. I have tried at my own level to crack this system level problem, and am very conversant with (practical hands-on) many of the technologies that Dr.Narayanan and Padma Komerath teach in this book. I have been in this field as a subject matter expert for many decades. Rightly said it’s a systems problem with multi-dimensional aspects of technology, business viability, finance, ROI and ends user profitability. Only a multi-disciplinary scientist can conceptualize and attack this difficult arena of human problem and need. While I used to take pride in my inter-disciplinary engineering talent and patents/innovation, I have to yield congratulations to Komeraths for taking on the challenge in solving needs of great majority humankind, in this most comprehensive book. I recommend buying and reading this book, even if you don't need micro-renewable energy now; as we are all tied to global energy dynamics that impact us all, so need it understand it sooner or later. -Arun K Sharma Cupertino, California, USA

2. Hits the Sweet Spot Between the Timing, Necessity, Environmental & Decentralisation Paradigms By Jai Menon on September 26, 2016 Format: Kindle Edition I've just read this book and frankly, the first thought that hit me was "timing"! This book has come at the absolute right time for this, when the energy world is in a state of flux, if not turmoil, where geo-politics and grand bargains involving oil and gas are putting the average Joe and Jane Blogg out of financial kilter. The authors are coming from a place of knowledge, and empathy, on the one hand as well as a big picture view on the other. Rare combination. It is from a deep understanding of the Indian scenario of poverty, easily translatable into similar situation on all other inhabited continents, that this book springs, and it suggests really workable solutions for the everywoman, so to speak. Written in a simple and lucid style, with the lightest dash of humour on occasion, it is a highly accessible book "for readers from all backgrounds" - as the authors gently put it. It covers the range of technologies on offer, but before that, do read Chapter 3, "Thermodynamics Survey", a gem of clarity and simplicity even if it is read in isolation. What the book proposes, without necessarily being an advocate of anything, is the distribution or decentralisation of power (quite literally, in this case), by enabling each unit, whether it is a family, or a village to become energy independent using micro-renewables. If the vision of a world where micro-renewables proliferate comes to light, then the above-mentioned geopolitical dynamics are in for a radical shake-up. One wonders, while going through the book, whether the authors are themselves subtly inserting this possibility into all the geopolitics and grand bargains. In any case, this book is an absolute must read for everyone thinking about energy, and its use - from futurists, thinkers looking for new solutions to old problems, non-governmental organisations, governmental organisations, and the private sector. I sincerely hope it gets the vast readership it deserves.

3. I remember being left amazed by the depth of his research across wide ranging ... By Amazon Customer on October 12, 2016 Format: Kindle Edition I had the fortune of attending a course delivered by Prof Komerath at IIT Madras on the same topic, during which he was compiling and writing this book. I remember being left amazed by the depth of his research across wide ranging technologies and auxiliary issues and simplicity of his writing. My few thoughts after on this book and the course - a) Are you a PhD in hydrogen fuel cells? Are you a R&D engineer with 20 years of experience in solar PV industry? Are you a government official looking for how to make India self-sustainable? Are you a student who is just interested in understanding the demand supply gap in energy and ways to deal with it? This book is for all of you! As unbelievable as it may sound, this book exemplifies Prof Komerath's dexterity in depth as well as breadth in the field. b) This book does not just show what problems are existing. It also does not simply stop at throwing at you different technologies. This book lays a grand vision of achieving energy sustainability. It goes even further and teaches system design principles in order to realistically achieve that mission in a staged manner by using multiple sources and technologies. c) This book is one of the first attempts at approaching the problem of energy scarcity from a bottom up approach called distributed energy generation. He says - the opportunity cost of people waking up without electricity is too high to keep waiting for the government to "electrify" villages. India is blessed with lot of resources which can be tapped into by community and household level designs. ** I just wrote and deleted a long paragraph explaining the book's stand on above topic, but I will leave it on the Maestro to explain it the best.

4. A Powerful Proposal for the Powerless By Leigh-Ann Heuseron October 26, 2016 Format: Kindle Edition This book provides a comprehensive and compelling proposal to provide power to the millions of people who still have no access to electricity. Written with a strong emphasis on the engineering principles and design of home-based power generation sources, it also introduces the many social challenges and barriers to each potential solution. And while the subject may seem a little dry, the authors' humor and compassion come through in an inspiring way. The book has been written with a variety of readers in mind. For those without an engineering background, a couple of chapters on basic thermodynamic principles have been provided. But experienced engineers or those who have no desire to expand into the field can easily skip those chapters and pick up the debate without missing anything.