Solar Economy: Are we just scratching the surface?

The best of solar power is yet to come

"If you have ever blistered your bare feet on a hot road you know how asphalt absorbs the sun's rays. Now, a Dutch company is siphoning the heat from roads and parking lots to heat homes and offices." (more)

Sure, the venture by Ooms Avenhorn Holding BV isn't very cost-effective, but in places like the Netherlands, such a system could reduce accidents caused by ice on roads, for example. The point is, when considering technologies like solar power, a much more holistic approach can greatly increase potential.

The world is barely tapping the potential of solar power. In one hour the sun hits the earth with enough energy to power the world for a year.

Photovoltaics have only been around for a little more than 50 years, and the biggest gains in solar technology have only come in the last 10 years. Cost-effectiveness isn't that far into the future, and when pollution and wars are considered, solar power might really be a bargain in the long run.