This book examines solar technologies, describes their properties, and evaluates the technological potential of each. It also reviews the logistics of deploying solar energy as a viable and sustainable way to solve urgent energy, environmental, and socio-economic problems. Topics discussed include solar power generation, today’s solar technologies, solar thermal, silicon PV, thin PV, 3-D solar cells, nano-PV, organic solar cells, solar successes and failures, solar power fields, finance and regulations, solar markets and solar energy and the environment.

This book of the NATO Science Series presents the state-of-the-art of Desalination Technologies driven by Renewable Energies, highlighting the results achieved in the research field and presenting the potentialities of such technologies. It provides an up-to-date point-of-reference on the topic, giving an extensive overview of the current status of solar desalination, both from the research and industrial point of view.

"Presentations of the 'Symposium on Photovoltaics for the 21st Century II' ... part of the 199th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society held in Washington, D.C. in March 2001"--Pref.

The papers included in this issue of ECS Transactions were originally presented in the symposium ¿Photovoltaics for the 21st Century 6 ¿, held during the 218th meeting of The Electrochemical Society, in Las Vegas, Nevada from October 10 to 15, 2010.

This book of the NATO Science Series presents the state-of-the-art of Desalination Technologies driven by Renewable Energies, highlighting the results achieved in the research field and presenting the potentialities of such technologies. It provides an up-to-date point-of-reference on the topic, giving an extensive overview of the current status of solar desalination, both from the research and industrial point of view.

This book takes a very close look at energy and energy security from a hands-on, technical point of view with an ultimate goal of sorting out and explaining the deep meaning of energy as well as the key factors and variables of our energy security. The book reviews the major energy sources—coal, crude oil, natural gas, the renewables, and other alternative fuels and technologies—according to the way they affect our energy security now and what consequences might be expected in the future. Topics include the different technical, logistics, regulatory, social, political, and financial aspects of modern energy products and technologies. The advantages and disadvantages of the different fuels, technologies, energy strategies, regulations, and policies are reviewed in detail, sorted, and clearly laid out as well as their effects on our present and future energy security in a way that is easy to understand by high school students, engineers, and professors alike. This book is a must-read for energy executives, environmental specialists, investors, bankers, lawyers, regulators, politicians, and anyone involved, or interested, in today’s energy production and use and their effects on our energy security.

Technological innovation and growth are critical to U.S. competitiveness in a global economy. One means of facilitating growth and improving competitiveness is to foster more robust innovation ecosystems through the development of public-private partnerships, industry consortia, and other regional and national economic development initiatives. Public-private partnerships, in particular, catalyze the commercialization of state and national investments in research and development. One of the major projects of the National Research Council's Board on Science Technology and Economic Policy (STEP) is to examine state and local investment programs designed to attract and grow knowledge-based industries. STEP analyzes state and regional innovation initiatives to gain a better understanding of the challenges associated with the transition of research into products, the practices associated with successful state and regional programs, and their interaction with federal programs and private initiatives. In April and July 2009, STEP convened two meeting to assess the future of the U.S. photovoltaic industry and the practical steps that the federal government and some state and regional governments are taking to develop the capacity to manufacture photovoltaics competitively. The Future of Photovoltaic Manufacturing in the United States captures the presentations and discussions of these meetings. This report explores the prospects for cooperative R&D efforts, standards, and roadmapping efforts that could accelerate innovation and growth of a U.S. photovoltaics industry. It includes both efforts to strengthen existing industries as well as specific new technology focus areas such as nanotechnology, stem cells, and energy in order to gain an improved understanding of program goals, challenges, and accomplishments.

This book of the NATO Science Series presents the state-of-the-art of Desalination Technologies driven by Renewable Energies, highlighting the results achieved in the research field and presenting the potentialities of such technologies. It provides an up-to-date point-of-reference on the topic, giving an extensive overview of the current status of solar desalination, both from the research and industrial point of view.

"Experience shows that renewable energy can advance dramatically worldwide if governments enact the right mix of policies." - summary.