It’s a truism that, as long as established methods are easy to maintain, they’ll always be the preferred mode of operation, even in the face of better alternatives.

Case in point: Because oil has been so abundant and relatively cheap, the West has given short shrift to other energy sources. If things are going well with the gas pump, why monkey around with other fuels?

As usual, change doesn’t come about until circumstances demands it. That might be the reason behind a sudden reignited interest in solar cell development:

As oil prices have gone up and other energy sources remain limited, nations are increasingly searching for safe, reliable long-term sources of power. Solar energy is long-lasting, going years without cells needing replenishment. Moreover, existing solar cell manufacturers have been slow to ramp up supply. Demand, meanwhile, has soared — fueled by government subsidies to support the non-polluting technology.

Market forces force a search for other options.

It also helps that the production costs associated with solar cells, which were always relatively high, have been reduced by Silicon Valley companies Nanosolar and Miasole, which in turn has attracted venture capital dollars. It’s a happy combination all around.