DOE Outlines Research Needed to Improve Solar Energy Technologies

To help achieve the Bush administration’s goal of increased use of solar and other renewable forms of energy, the Department of Energy’s Office of Science has released a report describing the basic research needed to produce "revolutionary progress in bringing solar energy to its full potential in the energy marketplace."

"This report demonstrates the important contribution the entire scientific community can make to the development of new sustainable energy resources," [Director of DOE's Office of Science Raymond] Orbach said. "Science and basic research can and must play a key role in addressing the energy security needs of our nation."

Every hour more energy from sunlight strikes the Earth than is consumed on the planet in a year. Yet today, solar electricity provides only approximately one thousandth of the total electricity supply. The report notes that a "huge gap between our present use of solar energy and its enormous undeveloped potential defines a grand challenge in energy research" and that "sunlight is a compelling solution to our need for clean, abundant sources of energy in the future."

The report notes that progress in the proposed research could lead to: artificial "molecular machines" that turn sunlight into chemical fuel; "smart materials"” based on nature’s ability to transfer captured solar energy with no energy loss; self-repairing solar conversion systems; devices that absorb all the colors in the solar spectrum for energy conversion, not just a fraction; far more efficient solar cells created using nanotechnologies; and new materials for high-capacity, slow-release thermal storage.

Click here to view the full report.

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