Solar Energy and the Hydrogen Economy

Consider the total amounts possible for each in the light of the 14—20 TW of carbon-free power needed by 2050. Table 5 provides a summary 26 clearly the additional energy needed per year over the 12.8 TW fossil fuel energy base is simply not attainable from biomass, wind, nuclear and hydroelectric options. The answer to this supply dilemma must lie with solar energy. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the solar energy resource with particular emphasis on the solar spectrum. 

While there is tremendous potential for solar energy to contribute substantially to the future carbon-free power needs, none of the routes listed above are currently competitive with fossil fuels from cost, reliability, and performance perspectives. Photovoltaic solar cells have been around for decades and have been widely deployed in space vehicles. Terrestrially, their utilization thus far has been limited to niche applications or remote locales where less expensive electricity is not available. Costs for turnkey installations were 6-10 times more expensive in 1999 for solar 

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