Solar energy education - a viable pathway for sustainable development

The growing consumption of limited reserves of fossil fuels and their impact to the environment have raised global interest in harnessing solar energy. Proper knowledge of solar energy is lacking in many levels of society. Recently, the Energy Research Institute (ERI) of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) have conducted a survey on the availability of solar energy education program around the world. It has been observed that a considerable amount of work has been done for developing solar energy technologies but relatively little attention has been paid on the role of solar energy education. This paper gives an overview of the current status of solar education program available around the globe and it also highlights the importance of the energy information network for solar education program.