Wind and Water (Energy and the Environment)

There are enormous reserves of energy in the winds and the tides and in the temperature difference between the upper and lower regions of the oceans. If the energy produced from wind and water were converted into electrical energy, it would satisfy the electricity demands of the entire world many times over. However, this kind of conversion isn't possible - not now or in the future. "Wind and Water" describes conventional hydropower, or wind power, and some of the newer technologies (with less certain futures) that are being introduced to harness the power of ocean currents, ocean waves, and the temperature difference between the upper and lower layers of the ocean. The strengths and limitations of each technology are discussed as well as mathematical models that describe the maximum amount of energy that can be harnessed by such devices. This comprehensive new volume also examines how these power producers benefit from government support and the economics of operating these types of generating stations. An interview with Dr. Stan Bull, former Associate Director for Science and Technology at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is included in which he shares his views about how scientific research is - and should be - managed, nurtured, and evaluated.