A number of significant changes have occurred in Advances in Solar Energy since Volume 1 appeared in 1982. The delays in publication of the second volume are the result of reorganization of the American Solar Energy Society, and the negotiation of a new publishing arrangement. Beginning with this volume, Advances is now published jointly by the Society and Plenum Press. The Editorial Board has been enlarged to be more representative of the different fields of solar energy conversion. Production of Advances is being expedited through the use of modern word processing equipment and the 'lEX...