Site-Adapted Transformation Technologies in the Global South

The foundation of a fulfilling life with access to light, information, education and machinery is a reliable supply of electrical energy, preferably generated from renewable sources. The main natural energy resources that can be activated with little effort are wind and sun, which can be harnessed with simple energy converters on both a small and large scale. The course describes the physical phenomena of solar radiation and wind generation and basic technical concepts for converting solar energy into electricity and heat and wind energy into electrical energy. Technical concepts such as photovoltaic panels, vertical axis wind generators and horizontal axis wind turbines are explained and calculated in terms of loads, performance and total yield.