The earth is man's only physical abode yet the concept of being green does not seem to be acceptable to everyone.
Some consider it a waste of time to be green while others believe it to be a moral issue that must be sung on the roof tops for all to hear.
Another group sees it as a waste of money to buy green items when they do not see any long term benefit for being green.
The advocates of sustainability might argue that a 'green' product or service is only sustainable if it is accepted and used by all.
Recently, a news article published in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail reported on the insolvency of a Canadian solar company called Arise Technologies Corp in Germany.
The company was having problems meeting up with intense competition in the solar industry which had led to fallen prices and a weak market in Europe.
Unfortunately, this is a similar story to the solar company Solyndra LLC in the United States.
The recent cut in subsidies by governments round the world has not helped matters since the solar industry is heavily dependent on the government to be competitive and affordable to the consumer.
The future of solar energy might be in the balance but the industry is not down as growth is being reported globally.
It appears for the industry to be viable; more people need to embrace this source of energy.
The manufacturer needs to make more user-friendly equipment and sell it favorably with the concepts of affordability and sustainability in mind.
Consumers also need to buy more solar-powered equipment and electricity.
The manufacturing industry must be able to integrate solar products with the high-tech industry as this is the industry being embraced by most in the 21st century.
Products that are popular to the consumer such as smart phones, laptop computers etc could be powered by solar energy as an alternative source of energy instead of batteries only.
It appears that what the industry lacks is innovation and cost effectiveness.
A solar-powered smart phone might become attractive to the buyer if his or her phone can have a longer operating time before recharging needed especially in a remote area where there is no immediate source of power though this feature might sell more in places around the world were electricity is erratic than in most developed countries.
The irony of this argument is that the people who need it the most are the ones who can not afford it.
The questions are: what kind of solar-powered products or services do the developed countries need? Can solar-powered products be manufactured more cheaply to make them more affordable to all? The answers to these questions will definitely give the breakthrough the solar industry needs in the western world while still being competitive in the developing countries that truly need this source of energy.
In the developing countries, affordability and usability are the vital keys to the success of the solar industry while in the developed countries, innovation, integration with the high-tech industry and profitability are the vital keys.
The future of the solar industry is definitely in the hands of innovators who can find answers to the questions I raised earlier.
It is only a matter of time for solar power to be a household item no matter your location in the world.
Ultimately products that rely on solar energy will become more popular as demand for energy increases in the world even as we exceed 7 billion inhabitants on earth.
Demand for non-renewable fossil fuels will likely exceed supply thereby creating an urgent need for more affordable green products.