Introduction to Bioenergy

This book covers numerous sources of energy, including solar energy (the original source), bioenergy (collected and converted energy from the sun), and the biomass resource (plants, crops, and forests). Different conversion processes are described for converting biomass to heat, power/electricity, and biofuels. The measurement (instrumentation) energy parameters, analysis of data, and prediction of energy production are also discussed as well as the economics of bioenergy. Institutional issues from local to national are discussed, along with environmental concerns, regulations, and incentives.

Vaughn Nelson has been involved with renewable energy, primarily wind energy, since the early 1970s. Currently, he is retired from West Texas A&M University (WTAMU). He has earned the following degrees: PhD in physics, University of Kansas, EdM, Harvard University, and BSE, Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia. He is the author of three books and four CDs, and has published over 50 articles and reports. In the series Energy and the Environment, Dr. Nelson is the author of Wind Energy (2009, 2^nd ed. 2013) and Introduction to Renewable Energy (2011) as well as the 2nd ed. (2015) from CRC Press.

Kenneth Starcher began his college career and involvement with renewables in the same semester at West Texas State University in 1976. It led to a BS in physics/computer science in 1980. He received an MS in engineering technology at West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) in 1995. Ken has been the educational funnel for on-site training and public information for students and public workshops for AEI and has been a field worker for projects at the company since 1980. He has served as a consultant for wind companies in the United States and produced wind resources maps for various areas worldwide.