MacVeigh - Sun Power: an introd. to the applications of solar energy

The past six years have seen many new developments in the applications of solar energy and the completion of projects which were in their early stages when the first edition of Sun Power was published. Among these could be listed the three hundredfold increase in the maximum size of the photovoltaic array, the hundredfold increase in the maximum size of the solar power tower and the fiftyfold increase in the power output from a solar pond. My original aim was to provide a general introduction to the very wide range of these solar applications. The support I have received from many friends and colleagues throughout the world has encouraged me to follow the same pattern in this extensively revised edition.

), comparatively few Western Institutes can afford a further journal subscription for a small minority of research workers. This is unfortunate as some of the Soviet work, especially in passive heating techniques applied to greenhouses, could have important applications in other countries.

In preparing this edition I have had helpful discussions with many people, especially Raymond Tomkins (Imperial College) who corrected an error in my original economic analysis, Royston Summers and Doug Kelbaugh who discussed their solar houses and provided illustrations (5.2 and 5.4 respectively), Bernard McNelis who also provided illustrations 6.5 and 8.2, the community at Twind who provided illustration 9.2, Dr Raja Hajjar (University of Beirut) who provided information from the Arab Countries, Judith Stammers, executive director of the Solar Trade Association (UK) who also gave permission to include an extract from their Code of Practice, June Morton, administrator of UK-ISES, Dr Leslie Jesch (University of Birmingham), Owen Lewis (University College Dublin), Simos Yannas (Architectural Association Graduate School) and Colonel Omer Sharfi and Carlo Maselkowski (formerly post-graduate students at Brighton Polytechnic). In the final stages Laura Mangan provided valuable typing and editorial assistance and it was a pleasure to work again with Jim Gilgunn-Jones and his colleagues of Pergamon Press.

I would like to thank Ewbank and Partners of Brighton for their encouragement and support for my solar energy activities and I acknowledge the continued support from the Director and Council of the Brighton Polytechnic.

There are still many problems awaiting solutions. At the Solar World Forum held in Brighton during August 1981 Professor Jack Duffy identified several, including the storage of energy in the temperature range above 100C in liquid systems and looking more deeply into aspects of control in the simulation and modelling of solar systems. In parallel with technical solutions we must also find ways of bringing solar education within reach of everyone at the appropriate level. Perhaps the most important lesson which those of us who were privileged to be present at Brighton in 1981 learnt was that solar energy is a force for peace.

Cleland McVeigh, Brighton, Sussex

November, 1982