Published by Australian Academy of Science
Useful sites | Harnessing direct solar energy – a progress report

Your Home (Australian Government)

• Solar hot water
  Provides technical details about domestic solar hot water systems.
  http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs65.html
• Photovoltaic systems
  Provides technical details about domestic photovoltaic systems.
  http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs67.html

Concentrating Solar Thermal Systems (Solar Thermal Group, Australian National University)

Provides technical descriptions of some solar thermal collecting systems.
http://engnet.anu.edu.au/DEresearch/solarthermal/high_temp/concentrators/basics.php

Tapping into the sun (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA)

An article on photovoltaic cells with case studies.
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/old/16631.pdf

How Stuff Works, USA

• How solar cells work
  Examines how solar cells convert the sun's energy into electricity.
  http://www.howstuffworks.com/solar-cell.htm

• How power grids work
  Looks at the equipment that brings electricity to your home.
  http://science.howstuffworks.com/power.htm/printable

Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

• Solar thermal
  Lists technologies that use energy from the sun to produce electricity or heat.
  http://www.environment.gov.au/archive/settlements/renewable/recp/solar/index.html

• Solar cities: A vision of the future
  Outlines the Government’s Solar Cities project, in which seven Australian cities will participate.
  http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/solarcities/index.html

Map of operating renewable energy generators in Australia (Geoscience Australia)

Provides maps of proposed and operational renewable energy generators across Australia.
http://www.ga.gov.au/renewable/

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

• Solar thermal electricity (Science Show, 3 October 2009)
  Presents an update on solar thermal electricity in Australia.
  http://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/stories/2009/2703531.htm#transcript

• Solar cells achieve new energy record (News in Science, 26 August 2009)
  Reports on solar cells with record breaking efficiency at converting sunlight into electricity.
  http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/08/26/2667509.htm

• Martin Green (In Conversation, 6 November 2008)
  A transcript of an interview discussing photovoltaic research in Australia.
  http://www.abc.net.au/rn/inconversation/stories/2008/2406033.htm

• Prospects for photovoltaics (Science Show, 18 October 2008)
  Provides an update on solar voltaic technology in Australia.
  http://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/stories/2008/2394293.htm

• Solar future (Catalyst, 27 July 2006)
  Looks at a number of promising solar technologies being developed.
  http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1698520.htm

• Dye solar cell (Catalyst,18 November 2004)
  Describes the development of a new type of solar cell that does not use silicon.
  http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1241478.htm

• Sunrise or sunset? (transcript from Earthbeat, 24 April 2004)
  Discusses the current status in Australia of research into three types of solar energy: photovoltaics, solar thermal energy and solar hot water.
  http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/earth/stories/s1093111.htm