PROBLEMS OF SOLAR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN THE USSR.

This paper looks at the present state and future prospects for the use of solar energy in the USSR. According to actinometric data, regions which have favorable climatic conditions for the use of solar energy include Central Asia, Kazakhstan, the Caucasus, southern RSFSR and the Ukraine, the Transbaikal region and individual areas of the Far East and even Siberia. Of these possible trends for the use of solar energy, the one that is most ready from a technological point of view is that of supplying heat. Experience of operating experimental plants has shown that with hot water supplies, depending on the location, solar energy can replace between 40 and 60% of annual fuel consumption, between 20 and 50% in systems of solar space heating and hot water supplies, and for seasonal plants.