CSP systems use reflective materials that concentrate the sun's heat energy to drive a generator that produces electricity.

PV systems use semiconductor materials that convert sunlight directly to electricity.

Solar collectors absorb the sun's energy to provide low-temperature heat used directly for hot water or space heating for residential or commercial buildings.

Parabolic collectors focus sunlight into a fiber optic system to illuminate building interiors with sunlight.

Welcome to the Web site for the Solar Energy Technologies program, one of 11 programs within the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. We focus on developing solar energy technologies to power our world. We are motivated by a belief that science and technology, guided by purpose and vision, can deliver new energy resources that are clean, reliable, and secure.

The sun is the primary source for most forms of energy found on Earth. Solar energy is clean, abundant, widespread, and renewable. Various technologies capture this solar energy, concentrate it, store it, and convert it into other useful forms of energy:

• Low-grade thermal energy for heating our homes and businesses
• Medium-grade thermal energy for running some industrial processes
• High-grade thermal energy for driving turbines to generate electricity
• Electrical energy, converted directly from sunlight, to provide electricity for all of its myriad applications and even
• Chemical energy in hydrogen (via water splitting using photovoltaic or thermochemical processes to split water), for use in fuel cells and a broad range of electrical, heating, and transportation applications.

Solar energy technologies have great potential to benefit our nation. They can diversify our energy supply, reduce our dependence on imported fuels, improve the quality of the air we breathe, offset greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulate our economy by creating jobs in the manufacturing and installation of solar energy systems.