The integration of photovoltaics (PV) into buildings goes beyond energy saving by providing a clean and elegant way of actually generating electricity. There are already numerous successful examples and rapid technological improvements promise expansion of PVs present niche market to that of a major energy provider of the 21st century.This handbook is the outcome of a five year programme which took place under the auspices of the International Energy Agency. Architects and solar experts from 13 countries addressed the wide range of engineering and architectural issues involved in the successful integration of PV into buildings.It demonstrates how to maximise the overall solar contribution to the building; integrate PV effectively with the building structure; clarify the relationship of PV with other elements of the buildings energy system; optimise the system economics.It forms a thorough design guide that covers all aspects if the subject and will enable all building designers; engineers and property owners to make the integration of PV into buildings an architecturally appealing and energetically effective option.
#490276 in eBooks 2014-01-10 2013-12-27File Name: B00HSYO1AG
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Highly recommended!By FredThis book was the first book I ever read by Philip Ball; and its a part of my permanent keeper collection. I have no recollection as to why I read it in the first place; but as I did so I realized I was listening to a master storyteller of things that I didnt know about. Thats a real treat for me - to read an interesting well-written book that clearly outlines something I dont know much about. The main subject; Chartres Cathedral; is well known - PB tells us about why and how it was built; about its split architecture; the people who built it; and; really; the reasoning that went into it. And the Moorish sources of its design and how it impacted European thinking. And how Chartres influenced other cathedrals in France; and why the influences were different from Germanic cathedrals built around the same time; and the Norman buildings were different; too!The author ties all these disparate elements together into a seamless; interesting; and very readable book.FEU1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Thoughtful history of the Chartres CathedralBy J. ReberThis is a serious scholarly study which describes the history; philosophy and architectural aspects of this magnificent cathedral. It probably has more detail concerning individuals who influenced or participated in the decisions; design and its building than is necessary for the average reader; and though interesting; gets laborious. Larger diagrams and better pictures would raise my rating. I enjoyed the book because the author writes well and it is very authoritative. Its descriptions of changing religious and philosophical influences; as well as emphasis on education on the continent; their combined influence on gothic architecture; combine to make this an interesting book.15 of 15 people found the following review helpful. Better Than A Trip To ChartresBy Augustine J. FredrichIve taught an interdisciplinary course entitled "Cathedrals and Other Great Churches of Medieval Europe" a dozen times (twice in England); had Malcolm Miller as a guest lecturer (and tour guide at Chartres in one of my three visits there) and Peter Gibson of the York Minster Stained Glass Workshop as a guest lecturer (and tour guide at York Minster twice); visited more than a hundred medieval and renaissance great churches; and read at least parts of more than half of the books and articles listed in the seven-page bibliography of this book; and; in my judgment; no other book comes close to this one in providing real insight into understanding the great medieval churches. For my course; I used a reader I developed comprising excerpts from dozens of different books to give my students the breadth of ideas; opinions and knowledge needed to understand these great churches. Like many other compilations it suffered from wide variations in the "voices" of the various authors and from unevenness in coverage of the diverse subjects that students needed to grasp the significance of these monuments. I dreamed that some day I would have the time and energy to assemble a coherent anthology -- maybe one with a title like: "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Medieval Churches . . ." but; alas; retirement reared its ugly head and the motivation to do so disappeared. Now; however; Philip Ball has fulfilled my dream; and although he has done so in the context of a single great church; much of what he has written is applicable to most of them. His book makes me wish I hadnt retired so I could use it as a text. Not every reader will understand all of the nuances of the many subjects Ball covers in this book; but every reader with any interest in medieval churches will find this wonderfully well-written book to be not only a fascinating read but also a great addition to his or her library.
