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Nanogrids are small energy grids, powered by various generators often including photovoltaics. For example, a nanogrid might supply a village in a rural area and allow that village to trade its surplus energy. A picogrid is a still smaller energy grid. IRENA defines nanogrids as systems handling up to 5 kW of power while picogrids handle up to 1 kW.

When Consumers Power’s plan to build a nuclear power plant in Midland, Michigan, was announced in 1967, it promised to free Michigan residents from expensive, dirty, coal-fired electricity and to keep Dow Chemical operating in the state. But before the plan could be completed, the facility was called an engineering nightmare, a financial disaster, a construction boondoggle, a political headache, and a regulatory muddle. Most locals had welcomed nuclear power eagerly. Why, after almost twenty years and billions of dollars, did this promise of a high-tech, coal-free, prosperous future fail? And what lessons does its failure offer today as Americans try to develop a clean energy  economy based on renewable power? To answer these questions, energy consultant and author LeRoy Smith carefully traces the design and construction decisions made by Consumers Power, including its choice of reactor and its hiring of the Bechtel Corporation to manage the project. He also details the rapidly changing regulatory requirements and growing public concern about the environmental risks of nuclear power generation. An examination of both the challenges and importance of renewable energy, this book will be of value to anyone interested in grappling with the complexities of our ongoing efforts to eliminate fossil fuels in favor of clean renewable energy.

This title is the first of four 'new-look' books in the Power and Energy series that are aimed at industry professionals rather than academics. Nuclear Power explains in detail how nuclear power works, its costs, its benefits as part of the electricity supply system, and also examines its record.

This book describes the three major power system transients and dynamics simulation tools based on a circuit-theory approach that are widely used all over the world (EMTP-ATP, EMTP-RV and EMTDC/PSCAD), together with other powerful simulation tools such as XTAP.

Most solar cells currently in commercial use are p-type solar cells, due to their historically lower cost and ease of manufacture compared to n-type solar cells. However, due to improved manufacturing technology and falling cost in general, the cost difference between the two types has shrunk, making n-type solar cells an attractive option for future commercial high-efficiency solar cells.