Solar Energy: from perennial

Solar energy is a promise for the future. It is a clean and sustainable source of energy that can provide a significant share of our energy needs. It is not only from an environmental point of view that solar energy has a future: from an economic perspective prospects abound. Large multinationals such as Shell, BP and Siemens are focusing their efforts in the field of sustainable energy, most particularly on photovoltaic solar energy. They are doing this primarily because they expect that solar energy will offer their companies good economic prospects, rather than through environmental concern.

However, solar energy appears to be developing into a perennial promise. The big breakthrough is long in coming. The predominant reason for this is price. Solar energy is much more expensive than conventional energy, and as long as this remains the case, solar energy will remain an unrealised promise.