Solar Photovoltaics - Installations Growing Rapidly

From MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science:

"Solar photovoltaic power generators, also known as solar cells, convert sunlight directly into electricity. The installation of solar cells is growing rapidly (30% per year) and solar cells are projected to become an increasingly significant source of energy for our society. Because of the vast quantity of energy available from the sun, solar energy has the potential to scale to meet our entire energy demands." Solar photovoltaics

The graph above enlarged here charts:

-- Installed Solar
-- World Electricity Capacity
-- Primary Energy Consumption

The above link found while Googling "microenergy" - 22,700,000 results - haven't navigated all those links o.c. - wondering if this level of Google results might be any cause for optimism on the energy front.

~=~

Need Big Science for Batteries Solar Biofuels Coal

"Steve" Chu, the new Energy Secretary, said Nobel-prize level scientific breakthroughs are needed in multiple areas, including ways to deliver some form of "clean coal" since coal-rich nations besides the US will want to use the coal they have.

He's also looking for big pushes in electric batteris, solar and biofuels. Story on Feb 2009 interview in this NY Times article.