Case study of an energy-efficient Habitat for Humanity house that uses 30% less energy than conventional residential construction. The project was part of the Jimmy Carter Work Project in rural Appalachia in 1997.

NREL PV Working With Industry is a quarterly newsletter devoted to the research, development, and deployment performed by NREL staff in concert with their industry and university partners. The Fourth Quarter, 1999 issue, titled ''Knowledge is PV Power'' focuses on the contribution of the university-based subcontractors to the PV Program. The editorialist is Robert Birkmire, Director of the Institute of Energy Conversion, which is affiliated with the University of Delaware.

This issue of Biofuels News contains two articles. The first focuses on the art and science of bioenergy project financing using the example of three companies planning biomass-to-ethanol plants. The second highlights the objectives and activities of the five Regional Biomass Energy Programs (RBEP) within the US DOE.

McStain Enterprises' new cottage-style homes built under the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program are designed to greatly reduce energy costs and improve indoor air quality for their customers in Longmont, Colorado. In addition, energy-efficient features in the homes provide owners with greater durability and value, allow some buyers to qualify for special energy-efficient mortgages, and can result in higher resale values. Features include improved building envelope and air distribution systems, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, improved indoor air quality, and Green Builder concepts from Colorado's Green Builder Program.

This brochure presents the capabilities that the Measurements and Characterization Division has in Electro-Optical Characterization, in which a variety of spectroscopy, ellipsometry, and capacitance techniques are used to probe the fundamental electrical and optical properties of solid-state materials.

Technology fact sheet on installing insulation and providing ventilation through ceilings and attics.

This brochure presents the capabilities that the Measurements and Characterization Division has for transferring secure characterization data to clients over the Web, and for collaborating in R and D via the Web over distances (i.e., working as a virtual lab).

A small brochure about solar electricity for the general public to be handed out on Earth Day 2000.

This ''annual report'' details the FY 2000 achievements of the U.S. Department of Energy PV Program in the categories of Research and Development, Technology Development, and Systems Engineering and Applications. Highlights include development of a record-breaking concentrator solar cell that is 32.4% efficient; fabrication of a record CIGS (copper indium gallium diselenide) cell at 18.8% efficiency; sharing an R and D 100 award with Siemens Solar Industries and the California Energy Commission for development and deployment of commercial CIS thin-film modules; and support for the efforts of the PV Industry Roadmap Workshop.

Just imagine living in Florida and your fantasies might turn to swaying palms, fresh orange juice and lots of air-conditioning. For most people, a summer spent in Florida's heat and humidity would be unbearable without it. So air-conditioning is a necessity. But it's also a big energy drain, accounting for about 35% of all electricity used in a typical Florida house. As the largest single source of energy consumption in Florida, a home's air-conditioning load represents the biggest energy challenge. The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) designed a project to answer this challenge. Two homes were built with the same floor plan on near-by lots. The difference was that one (the ''control home'') conformed to local residential building practices, and the other (the ''Zero Energy home'') was designed with energy efficiency in mind and solar technology systems on the roof. The homes were then monitored carefully for energy use. The project's designers were looking to answer two important questions: Could a home in a climate such as central Florida's be engineered and built so efficiently that a relatively small PV system would serve the majority of its cooling needs--and even some of its daytime electrical needs? And, would that home …

This booklet is designed to guide you through the process of buying a grid-tied solar electric system. A word of caution: This is not a technical guide for designing or installing your system.

Single-crystal neutron diffraction measures the elastic Bragg reflection intensities from crystals of a material, the structure of which is the subject of investigation. A single crystal is placed in a beam of neutrons produced at a nuclear reactor or at a proton accelerator-based spallation source. Single-crystal diffraction measurements are commonly made at thermal neutron beam energies, which correspond to neutron wavelengths in the neighborhood of 1 Angstrom. For high-resolution studies requiring shorter wavelengths (ca. 0.3-0.8 Angstroms), a pulsed spallation source or a high-temperature moderator (a ''hot source'') at a reactor may be used. When complex structures with large unit-cell repeats are under investigation, as is the case in structural biology, a cryogenic-temperature moderator (a ''cold source'') may be employed to obtain longer neutron wavelengths (ca. 4-10 Angstroms). A single-crystal neutron diffraction analysis will determine the crystal structure of the material, typically including its unit cell and space group, the positions of the atomic nuclei and their mean-square displacements, and relevant site occupancies. Because the neutron possesses a magnetic moment, the magnetic structure of the material can be determined as well, from the magnetic contribution to the Bragg intensities. This latter aspect falls beyond the scope of the present unit; for …

A description of Tiger Teams, sponsored by DOE and NREL to help implement the use of alternative fuels by constituents of DOE's Clean Cities coalitions.

This fact sheet provides an introduction to renewable energy technologies: hydropower, bioenergy, geothermal energy, solar energy, wind energy, hydrogen, and ocean energy.

This brochure presents the capabilities that the Measurements and Characterization Division has in Analytical Microscopy, in which a variety of sophisticated techniques are used to study a material's topographical, crystallographic, structural, chemical, and luminescence properties.

This brochure presents the capabilities that the Measurements and Characterization Division has in device performance, in which a variety of spectral responsivity and current-versus-voltage techniques are used to measure the spectral dependence of PV cells and module conversion efficiencies, and to measure the output performance of cells and modules under simulated and natural light.

In this overview, the goals that were met in FY 1998 are highlighted along with progress that was made toward long-term goals for research, technology development, and applications. The manufacture, sale, and use of photovoltaic (PV) devices to generate electricity directly from sunlight has become a billion-dollar industry worldwide. The production capacity for PV modules in the US had doubled between 1993 and 1997. While continuing research to improve technology, one must work with industry to move this technology from the laboratory to the marketplace.

This brochure presents the capabilities that the Measurements and Characterization Division has in Surface Analysis, in which a variety of spectrometry and spectroscopy techniques are used to determine the chemical, elemental, and molecular composition of material surfaces and interfaces.

The cover story in this issue of the Alternative Fuel News highlights the niche market principle; the places in which AFVs would best fit. This year's SEP funding is expected to be the springboard needed for the development of niche projects. The Clean Cities Program, by matching those needs and attributes in niches, can dramatically increase the attractiveness of AFVs and make an impact on those high-mileage, high-use fleets.

The U.S. Department of Energy is pursuing an aggressive goal to cut the cost of solar water-heating systems in half. Replacing metal and glass components with less expensive plastic ones is a key strategy for that goal. This is a short (2-page) fact sheet about new technologies for solar water heaters.

Single-crystal neutron diffraction measures the elastic Bragg reflection intensities from crystals of a material, the structure of which is the subject of investigation. A single crystal is placed in a beam of neutrons produced at a nuclear reactor or at a proton accelerator-based spallation source. Single-crystal diffraction measurements are commonly made at thermal neutron beam energies, which correspond to neutron wavelengths in the neighborhood of 1 Angstrom. For high-resolution studies requiring shorter wavelengths (ca. 0.3-0.8 Angstroms), a pulsed spallation source or a high-temperature moderator (a ''hot source'') at a reactor may be used. When complex structures with large unit-cell repeats are under investigation, as is the case in structural biology, a cryogenic-temperature moderator (a ''cold source'') may be employed to obtain longer neutron wavelengths (ca. 4-10 Angstroms). A single-crystal neutron diffraction analysis will determine the crystal structure of the material, typically including its unit cell and space group, the positions of the atomic nuclei and their mean-square displacements, and relevant site occupancies. Because the neutron possesses a magnetic moment, the magnetic structure of the material can be determined as well, from the magnetic contribution to the Bragg intensities. This latter aspect falls beyond the scope of the present unit; for …

In the quest to derive energy from renewable resources, NREL scientists pursue disciplines ranging from materials science to structural dynamics to condensed matter physics. Physics is at the core of making this transition to a renewable energy world. The role of light/matter interaction in physics will continue to dominate in the 21st century.

In a typical Florida house, air-conditioning accounts for about 35% of all the electricity the home uses. As the largest single source of energy consumption in Florida, a home's air-conditioning load represents the biggest energy challenge facing Florida residents. The Florida Solar Energy Center designed a project to meet this challenge. Two homes were built with the same floor plan on near-by lots. The difference was that one (the control home) conformed to local residential building practices, and the other (the Zero Energy home) was designed with energy efficiency in mind and a solar technology system on the roof. The homes were then monitored carefully for energy use. The projects designers were looked to answer two questions: (1) could a home in a climate such as central Florida be engineered and built so efficiently that a relatively small PV system would serve the majority of its cooling needs--and even some of its daytime electrical needs; and (2) would that home be as comfortable and appealing as the conventional model built alongside it? The answer was yes, even though it was conducted in the summer of 1998--one of the hottest summers on record in Florida.

The State Energy Program was created in 1996 by an act of Congress through the consolidation of the State Energy Conservation Program (SECP) and the Institutional Conservation Program (ICP). Formerly, SECP provided funding for a variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, and ICP assisted schools and hospitals with technical analysis and installation of energy conservation measures. Through these programs, more than 8,000 specific State conservation projects have been implemented since 1983 and more than 69,000 buildings have been made more energy efficient since 1979. The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy recognized the value of delivering programs through the States and created Special Projects in 1996. This report is an overview of State Energy Program operations, strategic focus, activities and accomplishments.