Books in Exploring Energy series

Many people associate geothermal energy with watching dramatic geyser eruptions or relaxing in a steaming natural hot spring. However, heat from within the Earth can also be used to generate electricity and heat buildings. Readers learn about the past, present, and future of geothermal power through this informative book. Topics covered include how geothermal heat is created and brought up to Earth's surface, the surface features, such as lava flows, hot springs, geysers, and fumaroles, that are signs of it, and how geothermal heat pumps and geothermal power plants work. The need for renewable energy sources such as geothermal energy is addressed, as is the need to manage geothermal resources sustainably.

Although the sun beams out more than enough energy to meet the needs of all of Earth's population, at the moment only a small percentage of the power we use is generated through the use of solar energy technologies. This volume examines the factors that have limited the role of solar power in the past and discusses some of the developments that promise to make it more significant in the future. Readers will learn about various methods for collecting solar power, such as concentrating collectors, flat-plate collectors, and photovoltaic cells. The opening chapter focuses on the sun itself, explaining the thermonuclear reactions that produce energy there.