E-Book Overview
This final volume in a series that has surveyed advances in solar energy research since the oil shock of the early 1970s provides a broad overview of the U.S. solar thermal program. It summarizes the conclusions of each of the nine technical volumes in the series and offers lessons drawn from the program for future governmental efforts to foster specific technologies.Reading this history, it becomes clear that what was unique about the federal solar program was its attempt to create research guidelines that included commercialization as part of the expected outcome. The three contributors, all active participants in the solar project, are quite candid about what worked and what did not (and why). The result is a tale of bureaucracy and politics worth pondering as we debate the proper relationship between government and science.
E-Book Content
History and Overview of Solar Heat Technologies
Solar Heat Technologies: Fundamentals and Applications
Charles A. Bankston, editor-in-chief
1.
History and Overview of Solar Heat Technologies
Donald A. Beattie, editor
2.
Solar Resources
Roland L. Hulstrom, editor
3.
Economic Analysis of Solar Thermal Energy Systems
Ronald E. West and Frank Kreith, editors
4.
Fundamentals of Building Energy Dynamics
Bruce D. Hunn, editor
5.
Solar Collectors, Energy Storage, and Materials
Francis de Winter, editor
6.
Active Solar Systems
George Lof, editor
7.
Passive Solar Buildings
J. Douglas Balcomb, editor
8.
Passive Cooling
Jeffrey Cook, editor
9.
Solar Building Architecture
Bruce Anderson, editor
10.
Implementation of Solar Thermal Technology
Ronal Larson and Ronald E. West, editors
History and Overview of Solar Heat Technologies
edited by Donald A. Beattie
The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts London, England
© 1997 Massachusetts Institute of Technology All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the publisher. This book was set in Times Roman by Asco Trade Typesetting Ltd., Hong Kong and was printed and bound in the United States of America. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data History and overview of solar heat technologies I edited by Donald A. Beattie. p. em. - (Solar heat technologies; I) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-262-02415-2 (alk. paper) 1. Solar energy. 2. Solar energy-History. 3. Solar heating. 4. Solar heating-History. I. Beattie, Donald A. II. Series. TJ809.95.S68 1988 vol. I [IJ810] 697'.78s-dc20 96-34297 [621.47] CIP
Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments
vii
Donald A. Beattie, Frederick H. Morse Series Acknowledgments
Xl
Charles A. Bankston List of Acronyms
1
About this Volume
xiii
1
Charles A. Bankston and Donald A. Beattie
2
About this Series
15
Charles A. Bankston
3
The Early Years of Federal Solar Energy Programs
23
Donald A. Beattie
4
The Buildup Years: 1974-1977
45
Donald A. Beattie
5
The Growth Years: 1977-1980
109
Frederick H. Morse
6
The Contraction and Redirection Years: 1981-1988 (and Beyond)
139
Frederick H. Morse
7
Significant Results of the Federal Solar R&D Programs
181
Charles A. Bankston
8
Observations and Lessons Le