National solar optical materials program plan: an overview

A coordinated national program is being formulated to adapt and develop optical materials to support a goal of meeting 20% of our national energy needs with solar by the year 2000. The program contains elements covering absorber, reflector, and transmitter materials but no photovoltaic materials. These elements include research on glass and polymer materials for glazing and reflector components, environmental testing, and long-term reliability modeling. Program subelements that support R and D and encourage commercialization of new products are also discussed. An overview of the proposed funding levels is presented