Solar energy is our future. There's no denying it. Many people already live in environmentally sensitive areas and need an alternative, and with solar energy they will get it. In fact, “Every hour the sun radiates more than enough energy to the Earth to meet global energy needs for an entire year” (“Solar Energy,” n.d.). Furthermore, this energy is becoming increasingly cheaper, produces huge quantities of energy while being efficient and of great quality, and is very clean and environmentally friendly. Cheap is the name of the game with big energy companies, and solar power is most definitely that. Surprisingly, “experts predict that the cost of solar energy will fall below retail electricity rates in many parts of the country between 2013 and 2018” (“Solar Energy,” No. 2, n.d.). Additionally, solar panels have become much cheaper to install due to improved technology. “Thin-film solar systems,” according to writer James M. Higgins, “are cheaper to produce than flat panel systems, require fewer scarce materials, are much easier to install, and require less vertical physical space per installation because they are flat. Thin-film solar materials can offer virtually the same efficiency as most flat panel systems, but at about 20% of the cost.” One company, Nanosolar, has achieved a 14% conversion efficiency rate in its products now on the market” (Van Coppenolle, para. 21, n.d.). Furthermore, the cost to transport solar energy from the source to the place where it is captured is absolutely zero. Since the source (the Sun) produces solar energy for free and transports it to Earth through light freely, so the transportation cost is zero and the speed of getting here is very fast, only eight minutes! In conclusion, the... half of the article... published March 26, 2014, from the National Geographic website: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/solar-power-profile/Energy solar**. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2014, from the Natural Resources Defense Council website: http://www.nrdc.org/energy/renewables/solar.aspVan Coppenolle, L. (n.d.). Facts about solar energy you should know. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from the Texas Solar Energy Society website: http://www.txses.org/solar/content/solar-energy-facts-you-should-knowWright, S. (2013, July 27). Five advantages of solar energy. Retrieved April 20, 2014, from The Energy Collective website: http://theenergycollective.com/whirlwindsteel/247416/how-solar-power-benefits-society* The first title of Solar Energy is quoted in the text** The second title of Solar Energy in-text citation with #2*** The third in-text citation of the Solar Energy title with #3