Publications
Review U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Program publications, including newsletters, annual reports, fact sheets, and technical papers. Publications about the Solar America Initiative, a DOE-led effort to make solar electricity from photovoltaics (PV) cost competitive with conventional forms of electricity from the utility grid, are also available. In addition, other solar publications are accessible through publication databases.
- U.S. Department of Energy Publications
- Solar Program Publications
- Annual Reports
- Brochures
- Fact Sheets
- Newsletters
- Program Overview and Highlights
- Strategic Plans
- Technical Papers
- Publication Databases
Some of the following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.
U.S. Department of Energy Publications
Renewable Energy Data Book (PDF 11 MB)
The book contains important information concerning some of the following: installed nameplate capacity, generation, and cost of energy prices. The myriad graphs and charts make it easier to identify growth trends during the last several years in both the United States and the world. One of the many useful features includes state rankings in a variety of categories.
Solar Program Publications
Annual Reports
These reports chronicle the research and development (R&D) results of the Solar Program for the fiscal year. In particular, the report describes R&D performed by the Program's national laboratories and its university and industry partners within PV R&D, Solar Thermal R&D, which encompasses solar water heating and concentrating solar power (CSP), and other subprograms.
- Fiscal Year 2007 Annual Report (PDF 3.2 MB)
- Fiscal Year 2006 Annual Report (PDF 6.9 MB)
Brochures
- The Promise of Solar Energy Is Boundless. A Smarter Electric Grid Delivers on That Promise. (PDF 620 KB)
Fact Sheets
These fact sheets provide summaries of the Solar Program, its specific activities, and issues related to solar technologies.
- Photovoltaics (PDF 395 KB)
- Concentrating Solar Power (PDF 361 KB)
- Grid Integration (PDF 339 KB)
- Market Transformation (PDF 264 KB)
- Furthering Energy Security Fact Sheet (PDF 640 KB)
- Solar America Initiative Fact Sheets
- Improving Air Quality with Solar Energy (PDF 287 KB)
Newsletters
This quarterly newsletter is intended for participants and stakeholders in the DOE Solar Program and the Solar America Initiative. The content includes features on technology development, market transformation, and policy analysis for solar. Highlights include solar industry updates, DOE funding opportunity announcements and awards, national laboratory technology developments, and a solar events calendar.
- October 2008 (PDF 1.9 MB)
- July 2008 (PDF 1.4 MB)
- April 2008 (PDF 1.1 MB)
- February 2008 (PDF 2.5 MB)
- October 2007 (PDF 856 KB)
- July 2007 (PDF 706 KB)
Program Overview and Highlights
This document highlights the R&D advances made in the various key technologies areas of the Solar Energy Technologies Program, including activities in PV and solar thermal technologies, at DOE, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. (PDF 5 MB)
Strategic Plans
- Technology Roadmaps
Ten photovoltaic (PV) technology roadmaps were developed in 2007 by staff at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Sandia National Laboratories, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and experts from universities and private industry. This work was done, in part, to support activities within the Solar America Initiative.
- Wafer-Silicon PV (PDF 341 KB)
- Film-Silicon PV (PDF 363 KB)
- Concentrator PV (PDF 304 KB)
- CdTe PV (PDF 286 KB)
- CIGS PV (PDF 327 KB)
- Organic PV (PDF 260 KB)
- Sensitized Solar Cells (PDF 297 KB)
- Intermediate-Band PV (PDF 287 KB)
- Multiple-Exciton-Generation PV (PDF 292 KB)
- Nano-Architecture PV (PDF 265 KB)
- Multi-Year Program Plan 2008-2012
This plan delineates what the Solar Energy Technologies Program is attempting to accomplish over the next five years, the activities it is pursuing to meet the goals, and how it will track progress. (PDF 3.2 MB)
- Solar America Initiative Posture Plan
This plan summarizes key elements of the Solar America Initiative. (PDF 2.1 MB)
Technical Papers
These papers describe the objectives and scope of specific industry-led projects within the Solar Energy Technologies Program.
- Renewable System Interconnection Study
- Critical Renewable Energy Storage Technology (CREST) study plan (PDF 96 KB)
- Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems concept paper (PDF 432 KB)
- Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems – Energy Storage concept paper (PDF 822 KB)
Publications Databases
Office of Science and Technical Information (OSTI)
This subject portal contains full-text scientific and technical reports, links to journal literature, and other information sources on a variety of renewable energy technologies.
National Laboratory Publications
These DOE national laboratories have searchable databases to access research reports, journal articles, and other publications on solar technologies.
- Brookhaven National Laboratory publications
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory publications
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory publications
- Sandia National Laboratories publications