During the past several years, the President of the United States has made the utilization of solar energy a national goal. The National Science Foundation was given the task to coordinate Federal activities in solar energy research and technology. One of the general objectives of this program is "to provide the research and technology base required for the economic terrestrial application of solar energy; and, to foster "the implementation of practical systems to the state required for commercial utilization." The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in cooperation with the National Science Foundation, held a Solar Energy Workshop on November 29-30, 1973. The objective of the workshop was to identify the requirements of the solar energy community by means of discussions among specialists in solar radiation technology. A first draft of its recommendations to Working Group 1 appears in Attachment #1.

Solar Energy Engineering is a 21-chapter text that provides ample information concerning all forms and topics of solar energy. Chapter 1 deals with the scope and advantages of solar energy and serves as an introduction to the rest of the chapters. Chapters 2 to 5 explain the nature of the sun, the solar radiation spectrum, the estimation of total, direct, and diffuse radiation, and the heat transfer fundamentals for solar energy application. Chapters 6 to 8 outline the fundamentals, fabrication, and uses of various water and air heaters. Chapters 9 and 11 cover optics, concentrating collectors, and solar furnaces, while Chapters 10 and 12 to 20 discuss the various applications of solar energy, namely, solar pond, solar distillation, photovoltaic conversion of solar energy, solar refrigeration, solar hydrogen production, space applications, and solar measuring equipment. Lastly, Chapter 21 focuses on the cost of solar appliances. Engineers, designers, and researchers in their field of solar energy will find this book invaluable.