Solar



Solar hot water Passive Solar Photovoltaics

=Solar Energy = The amount of energy that humans use each year can be supplied by the sun in just one hour, and can be captured by passive or active means for a variety of applications. However, due to the low energy density (the amount of energy per unit of area or volume) of solar power, directly harnessing sunlight as an energy source remains a challenge. Passive solar heating is a simple method by utilizing specific building materials and appropriate building siting. Active systems, while currently only providing a small percentage of the world's energy needs, collect the Sun's energy with panels through which air or water is circulated to transfer heat to a storage or utilization device. Various technologies to utilize solar energy have been developed and are in use, including solar lighting and heating, concentrated solar power, and photovoltaics. The advantages of solar power include its abundance and little operational maintenance. However, while efficiency rates continue to improve and prices drop, solar energy still does not compare to fossil fuels and, subsequently, remain key limiting factors in expanding its use. The technologies often require a large initial investment, they can take up a large area of land, and material production shortages including that of precious metals can raise the costs further. Despite the many challenges that remain, solar power continues to be heavily researched, and the technologies updated, in order to achieve more cost-effective and reliable solar power systems in the future.   U.S. Department of Energy: Solar Energy Technologies Program

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's program website on solar energy discusses the various types of technology, the history of the technology, and a list of solar power information resource links to animations, publications, and photographs.  American Solar Energy Society (ASES)

ASES is a national membership organization working towards the development and use of solar and other renewable energy resources. The society published a report, entitled Tackling Climate Change, illustrating how energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies can reduce emissions in order to address global warming.  Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Solar Technologies Program

The current research focus of the lab is on hybrid solar lighting (HSL) and their website describes the basics of the technology, including applications and benefits.

DATA & MAPS
 Energy Information Administration (EIA): Renewable and Alternative Fuels

The EIA compiles official U.S. government energy statistics. This site includes a variety of maps on renewable and alternative fuels, including solar thermal and solar photovoltaic technologies. []