Solar Energy, Public Utilities, and Economic Efficiency

There is general agreement that solar radiation will one day be an important source of energy. There is considerable disagreement as to when this energy source will be supplying a substantial percent of the world’s needs. The two principle areas where solar energy could become instrumental are in heating and in the production of electricity. In recent years significant advances have been made in heating, to the point where numerous firms are marketing solar heating systems. On the other hand, solar electricity is still years away from wide-spread use. The first solar-electric plant should be ready to generate around 1985.