Humanity is facing a steadily diminishing supply of fossil fuels, causing researchers, policy makers, and the population as a whole to turn increasingly to alternative and especially renewable sources of energy to make up this deficit. Gathering over 80 peer-reviewed entries from the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technologies, Renewable Energy Systems provides an authoritative introduction to a wide variety of renewable energy sources. State-of-the-art coverage includes geothermal power stations, ocean energy, renewable energy from biomass, waste to energy, and wind power. This comprehensive, two-volume work provides an excellent introduction for those entering these fields, as well as new insights for advanced researchers, industry experts, and decision makers.

• Part I: Geothermal Power Stations.- Engineered Geothermal Systems, Development and Sustainability of.- Geothermal Energy Utilization.- Geothermal Energy, Nature, Use, and Expectations.- Geothermal Energy, Geology and Hydrology of.- Geothermal Field and Reservoir Monitoring.- Geothermal Power Capacity, Sustainability and Renewability of.- Geothermal Power Conversion Technology.- Geothermal Power Economics.- Geothermal Power Stations, Introduction to.- Geothermal Resources Worldwide, Direct Heat Utilization of.- Geothermal Resources, Drilling for.- Geothermal Resources, Environmental Aspects of.- Hydrothermal Systems, Geochemistry of.- Reservoir Engineering in Geothermal Fields.- Part II: Ocean Energy.- Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Environmental Challenges.- Ocean Energy, Introduction.- Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion.- Offshore Wind Energy Technology Trends, Challenges, and Risks.- Tidal Energy.- Part III: Renewable Energy from Biomass.- Algae, a New Biomass Resource.- Biodiesel.-Bioethanol from Celluloses.- Bioethanol from Starch.- Bioethanol from Sugar: the Brazilian Experience.- Biofuels: A Technical, Economic and Environmental Comparison.- Biofuels: Upgraded New Solids.- Biogas for Electricity Generation, Hi-tech Applications.- Biogas Production and Energy crops.- Biogas Production Developing Countries.- Biogas Substrates from Municipalities and Industries.- Biomass as Renewable Source of Energy, Possible Conversion Routes.- Biomass Combustion for Electricity Generation.- Biomass Energy Heat Provision for Cooking and Heating in Developing Countries.- Biomass Energy Heat Provision in Modern Large-Scale Systems.- Biomass Energy Heat Provision in Modern Small-Scale Systems.- Biomass Energy Small-Scale Combined Heat and Power Systems.- Biomass Gasification for Electricity and Fuels, Large Scale.- Biomass Gasification for Rural Electrification, Small Scale.- Biomass Production.- Biomass Provision and Use, Sustainability Aspects.- Biomass Pyrolysis.- Biomass Resources, Worldwide.- Biomass to Liquid (BtL), Concepts and Their Assessment.- Biomass Use on a Global Scale.- Biomethane from Anaerobic Processes.- Biosynthetic Natural Gas.- Co-combustion of wood in Coal-Fired Large-Scale Power Plants.- Hydrogen from Biomass.- Lignocellulosic Energy Crops, Production and Provision.- Plant Oil Fuels Combined Heat and Power (CHP).- Renewable Energy from Biomass, Introduction.- Solid Biofuels, Fuels and Their Characteristics.- Part IV: Waste to Energy.- Gasification and Liquefaction Alternatives to Incineration in Japan.- Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction by Waste-to-Energy.- Hitachi Zosen Inova Technology.- Incinerator Grate Combustion Phenomena.- Life Cycle Comparison of Waste-to-Energy to Sanitary Landfill.- Martin Waste-to-Energy Technology.- Plasma-Assisted Waste-to-Energy Processes.- Thermal Treatment of Waste: Key Element for Sustainable Waste Management.- Waste Management for Sustainable Society.- Waste-to Energy: Decreasing the Entropy of Solid Wastes and Increasing Metal Recovery.- Waste-to-Energy Ash Management in Europe.- Waste-to-Energy Ash Management in the United States.- Waste-to-Energy Facilities as Power Plants.- Waste-to-Energy for District Heating.- Waste-to-Energy Using Refuse-Derived Fuel.- Waste-to-Energy, Introduction.- Waste-to-Energy: Energy Resource in Solid Wastes.- Waste-to-Energy: Fluidized Bed Technology.- Part V: Wind Power.- Electricity Generation with Small Wind Turbines.- Global Wind Power Installations.- Meterology and Wind Power.- Offshore Wind Power.- Wind Power Balancing.- Wind Power Generator Systems and Local Power System Interconnection.- Wind Power Grid Integration: Transmission Planning.- Wind Power, Aerodynamics and Blade Technology.- Wind Power, Introduction.- Wind Power: Basic Challenge Concerning Social Acceptance.- Wind Power: Economy, Market, Subsidies, Payment Mechanisms, and Capacity Credit.- Wind Turbine Noise Emissions.