In its recently published 2015 Quadrennial Technology Review (QTR), the the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) takes stock of developments in the energy sector over the past four years. It examines the status of science and technology as well as the research, development, demonstration and deployment (RDD&D) opportunities that have advanced them. The report is aimed at supporting efforts by the U.S. government to develop the right strategy for the nation's energy future. To that end, it examines the current state of the country's energy sector and how technologies have developed over recent years. The QTR focuses primarily on technologies with commercialization potential in the midterm and beyond. It looks at the various trade-offs that all energy technologies have to balance in terms of cost, security and reliability of supply, diversity, environmental impacts, land use and materials use. It provides data and analysis on RDD&D pathways to assist decision makers set priorities within budget constraints and develop more secure, affordable and sustainable energy services. Among the QTR's findings: Solar ...Den vollständigen Artikel lesen ...