Solar Energy Needs Major Push

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Sunlight could provide a clean, abundant source of energy in the future, but a major research effort is needed to close the huge gap between the current use of solar energy and its enormous undeveloped potential, government scientists say in a new report.

World demand for energy is projected to more than double by 2050 and to more than triple by the end of the century, notes the study by the Department of Energy. It says incremental improvements in existing energy networks will not be adequate to supply this demand in a sustainable way. "Finding sufficient supplies of clean energy for the future is one of society's most daunting challenges," notes the report, which outlines the basic research needed to increase the use of solar and other renewable forms of energy.

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

Orbach says tax credits in the energy bill passed by Congress last month will greatly expand the use of renewable energy. "This research will help improve a critical component of renewable energy--solar technology--in the future," he says. "Increasing the use of renewable energy is a clear way to help meet our growing energy needs."

According to the report, 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; more efficient solar cells created using nanotechnologies; and new materials for high-capacity, slow-release thermal storage. The report is available at www.doe.gov.