Book excerpt: Recent Advances in Renewable Energy Technologies is a comprehensive reference covering critical research, laboratory and industry developments on renewable energy technological, production, conversion, storage, and management, including solar energy systems (thermal and photovoltaic), wind energy, hydropower, geothermal energy, bioenergy and hydrogen production, and large-scale development of renewable energy technologies and their impact on the global economy and power capacity. Technological advancements include resources assessment and deployment, materials performance improvement, system optimization and sizing, instrumentation and control, modeling and simulation, regulations, and policies.Each modular chapter examines recent advances in specific renewable energy systems, providing theoretical and applied aspects of system optimization, control and management and supports them with global case studies demonstrating practical applications and economical and environmental aspects through life cycle analysis. The book is of interest to engineering graduates, researchers, professors and industry professionals involved in the renewable energy sector and advanced engineering courses dealing with renewable energy, sources, thermal and electrical energy production and sustainability. - Focuses on the progress and research trends in solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower and geothermal energy production and conversion - Includes advanced techniques for the distribution, management, optimization, and storage of heat and energy using case studies