Solar Energy Concentrators: Essentials and Applications

This book is centered on contemporary fundamental techniques for collecting solar radiation and the prospective applications that show how solar energy concentrators (SEC) can be used in a variety of systems and may provide significant economic and environmental benefits.

Around the globe, there is a tremendous drive to investigate the viability of utilizing solar energy, particularly in regions with temperate zones. The usage of solar energy in many sectors has grown over the years. The ongoing quest for an alternate energy source in response to the apparent depletion of fossil resources is the driving factor behind this transition. Fossil fuels are far more widely used now than ever before despite their rising price. Although all forms of renewable energy are accessible, solar radiation is the most prevalent and easily accessible. Using solar energy for higher processing temperatures is difficult despite being the most common clean and affordable renewable energy source on the planet. For this, solar energy concentrators (SEC) are a promising technology that could be used to harness both heat and electricity for diversified industrial operations. SECs are devices that harvest solar radiation and direct it to a single point of concentration.

This book presents the most up-to-date fundamental strategies for the collection of the sun's radiation. Moreover, SEC technical summaries are also evaluated concerning ongoing international assignments. Prominent applications are also featured to show the reader the scope of the SEC's applicability. The potential implementations demonstrate that CSE can be employed in a wide range of systems and may offer considerable economic and environmental advantages.

By the end of this book, one will learn more about the significance of solar energy concentrators, the technologies that are related to them, and their plethora of applications.

Inamuddin, PhD, is an assistant professor at the Department of Applied Chemistry, Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India. He has extensive research experience in multidisciplinary fields of analytical chemistry, materials chemistry, electrochemistry, renewable energy, and environmental science. He has worked on different research projects funded by various government agencies and universities and is the recipient of awards, including the Department of Science and Technology, India, Fast-Track Young Scientist Award and Young Researcher of the Year Award 2020 from Aligarh Muslim University. He has published about 210 research articles in various international scientific journals, 18 book chapters, and 170 edited books with multiple well-known publishers. His current research interests include ion exchange materials, a sensor for heavy metal ions, biofuel cells, supercapacitors, and bending actuators.

Tariq Altalhi, PhD, is working as an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at Taif University, Saudi Arabia, where he has served as the head of the chemistry department and vice dean of the science college. He has co-edited various scientific books and established key contacts in major industries in Saudi Arabia. His group is involved in fundamental multidisciplinary research in nanomaterial synthesis and engineering, characterization, and application in molecular separation, desalination, membrane systems, drug delivery, and biosensing.

Mohammad Luqman, PhD, has over 12 years of post-PhD experience in teaching, research, and administration. He is an assistant professor of chemical engineering at Taibah University, Saudi Arabia. He has served as an editor to three books, as well as numerous high-quality papers and book chapters. He has been granted a few important research grants from industry and academia. His research interests include but are not limited to the development of ionomer, polyelectrolyte, and non-ionic polymer nanocomposites and blends for smart, industrial, and engineering applications.