The annual joint dinner meeting of the IEEE and ASME will be held on February 5, 1998 on the campus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The optional dinner will be at the Higgins House and the presentation will be at Perreault Lecture Hall.

A social period will precede dinner at 6 p.m. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. and the speaker will begin at 8 p.m. For further information and reservations, call: Annette Aubertine (508) 831-5425.

The presentation this year will relate to the viability of electric generation from solar energy. The sun is regarded as the ultimate clean and renewable source of energy. So, why hasn't solar energy played a more significant role in replacing our more traditional, non-renewable energy sources such as coal and natural gas? Dr. Beckman will discuss the basic technology for transforming solar energy into useful forms. The technology of heating and cooling with solar energy is conceptually simple and real breakthroughs are not expected. On the other hand, electricity production from solar energy is a high technology endeavor. The promising technologies are either direct conversion with photovoltaic devices, or solar-thermal with heat operated power plants. The question to be addressed is "Can Solar Energy be Competitive in a Deregulated Energy Market?"