The GW Solar Institute held its 3rd Annual Symposium on solar energy, discussing it as a critical component for meeting clean energy challenges. Key barriers to greater solar energy adoption are its higher upfront costs compared to conventional electricity and variability of output. However, solar energy is becoming relatively more attractive given issues with other energy sources like instability in the Middle East, the Gulf oil spill, Japan's nuclear crisis, climate change concerns, and environmental damage from activities like fracking and coal extraction. Avoiding these external costs of other energy sources helps offset solar's initial cost difference.

1. The GW Solar Institute 3rd Annual Symposium
Solar Energy: A Critical Component of Meeting the Clean Energy Challenge

2. Key Barriers
• Cost remains higher than
conventional electricity
and is location dependent
(local sunlight)
• Variability of output is a
challenge for meeting
demand

3. Context
• Middle East instability and oil supply
• Gulf oil spill
• Japanese nuclear crisis
• Oil trade imbalance
• Dangers of coal extraction and use
• Climate change
• Fracking damage and fugitive methane
• Avoiding these externalities pays for the
cost difference of solar PV
– Need electric cars for oil issues

4. Thanks
zweibel@gwu.edu
solar.gwu.edu
thesolarreview.org