The most interesting contributions focused on field experiences and rural applications, which gave recent news from around the world on what is happening in the field, and as was demonstrated, there was much to be learnt by sharing the positive and negative lessons learnt. Amongst the topics covered were collector technology, solar water heating, solar thermal electricity, thermal and hybrid applications, fundamentals of solar thermal energy and rural applications. Studies ranged from academic experimental and computer based modelling, field trials of systems and industrial development and manufacture of solar thermal devices. Some papers showed a need to simulate solar thermal systems using locally acquired climatic data, and also the fact that standard conventions for the orientation of solar thermal systems may be inappropriate for local climatic conditions, building orientation and load patterns. Wind Energy Generation World wind power generation now contributes approximately 14,000 MW of electricity each year to the global market place.
Most capacity is currently in Europe, especially Germany and Spain.
In the USA there has been a new burst of activity in California and in Texas with many other states exploring the potential of wind energy. Interest is still growing with most countries, which have some wind resource, increasing the number of wind turbines installed and programmes and incentives to encourage more. Still huge potential exists in China, India and South America, and great offshore potential around Europe where the first offshore wind farms are already in operation. The low cost of wind power means that at some sites wind is already competing on cost with fossil power stations before any account is taken of the environmental cost of the greenhouse gasses produced. Biomass Most papers covered the technical advances in biomass conversion technologies such as wood gasification, pyrolysis, biodiesel, anaerobic digestors, landfill gas, biofuels, Stirling engines, fuel cells and combustion modelling.