Solar energy: research program alternatives

The MITRE Corporation is formulating a five-year solar energy research program as a recommendation to the National Science Foundation Applied Research Directorate Office of Systems Integration and Analysis. This document provides two alternative research plans for each of eight program elements: 1. heating and cooling of buildings; 2. Process heat; 3.Solar-thermal-electric energy conversion; 4. Photovoltaic energy conversion; 5. Ocean thermal systems; 6. Wind energy conversion; 7. Utilization of organic materials; 8. Common applications. The two alternatives are: a set of research tasks considered to be the minimum necessary to bring about the widespead utilization of solar energy [and] an accelerated plan to achieve more rapid utilization, with a higher degree of confidence and reduced technical risk.