Increasing energy demand combined with concern for the impact of fossil fuels on the environment has led to increased interest in alternative energy sources. The primary source of renewable energy resources as well as fossil fuel resources is solar radiation. The radiation from the sun powers the photosynthesis process that combines carbon dioxide and water to form oxygen and vegetation. This radiation also sustains the wind currents, ocean waves, hydroand geothermal systems, and life forms in the oceans and on land. The energy needs of modern society for electric power generation, automotive, commercial and residential use, and transportation is ~15 TW, less than 3% of the 510 TW solar radiation incident on Earth. Effi cient and economical harvesting of this renewable energy using solar cells, wind turbines, and geothermal power systems without infl uencing the wind, weather, and rainfall patterns across the world is the challenge we face as a society. The Global Innovations symposia on Materials and Technologies for Energy Harvesting, and Photovoltaics and Thermoelectrics were organized by the Materials Processing & Manufacturing Division at the TMS 2009 Annual Meeting in San Francisco to highlight energy resource assessments and key issues that need to be addressed in technologies for large-scale energy harvestGlobal Innovations in Materials and Technologies for Energy Harvesting