Solar technologies for the 21st century

Content: Solar Energy  Solar power generation basics  Sunlight basics and key concepts  Solar energy availability and use  Solar cells and modules  Today\'s Solar Technologies  Solar thermal and thermoelectric power Today\'s PV technologies  Silicon based solar materials, cells and modules  Polysilicon Solar cells  c-Si PV modules  Thin film technologies  The major thin film technologies Concentrating PV technology  Hybrid technologies  New and developing solar technologies Most Promising Solar Technologies Solar thermal technologies  Photovoltaic technologies  Silicon PV technologies  Thin film PV technologies  Promising technologies  CPV and HCPV technologies  Achievements of PV technologies  Most promising materials  Hydrogen generation  Energy Storage Exotic Solar Technologies  CPV technologies  Excitonic PV technology  Hybrid solar cells  Nano-PV technology  Quantum particles PV technology  Plasmonic PV technology  Organic technology  Hybrid solar technologies  New PV materials  New PV technologies Solar Successes and Failures  The U.S. solar energy (r)evolution  Great business successes Successful solar companies  Successful solar projects  Other energy projects  Successful initiatives  Failed renewable energy companies, 2007-2012  Failed renewable energy projects, 2007-2012  Failed thin film solar companies  Performance characteristics  Safety issues  Field operation issues  Field test results  Case study  Updates Solar Power Fields  Solar thermal technologies  PV technologies  PV modules certification  Lab tests of PV modules  c-Si modules detailed failure analysis  CPV and HCPV technologies  Test results  Inverters  Equipment and process standardization  PV installations, setup and performance  Large-scale solar power fields  The planning phase  The design phase  The installation phase  Operation and maintenance phase  Operational considerations, tasks & issues  Power field performance  Solar power fields in the 21st century Solar\'s Importance, Finance, and Regulations  Financial considerations  Economic evaluation of renewable  energy technologies  Practical examples  Operational risks  Performance insurance  Long-term field tests  Solar industry standardization  External impact and cost Lifetime energy balance  Investment and finance  The U.S. investment and finance  World investment and finance  Political considerations  Regulatory procedures  The Solar Markets in the 21st century  Renewable energy in the U.S.  the U.S. solar market, 2010-2011  The state (solar country) of California  The U.S. PV industry  U.S. PV markets  Addressing trade issues  Political evolution  LCOE or not LCOE?  The world  Technologies of the 21st century  PV manufacturers\' future  Niche and specialty energy markets in the 21st century  The 21st century direction Conclusions Energy Generation and the Environment In the 21st Century Environmental considerations A brief overview of U.S. environmental legislation  Present-day environmental status report  Energy generation and the environment  Conventional energy generators  Renewable, green and safe?  Environmental impact of solar installations  Environmental challenges  Problems  Solution(s)