In recent decades, a broad debate has developed on the large quantity of natural resources and ecological services that society depletes. Furthermore, the debate considered how society depletes these natural resources at a faster rate than the environment can replenish them. It also considers how society can mitigate these environmental problems in order to preserve our natural resources for the prosperity of future generations. Research suggests that the natural resources we currently use, such as coal and oil, could be completely depleted within the next 25 and 100 years respectively (Byrd, 2012). Given that society has a tendency to overconsume natural resources, many economists have suggested that the use of alternative energy could alleviate the effects of overconsumption and the environment's ability to replenish itself. Therefore, this study evaluates the potential of solar energy (SE) on society and the environment by evaluating a cost-benefit analysis between solar energy technology (SET) and conventional energy resources. Electricity and The Call for Solar Technology: Research on conventional energy resources has shown that the demand for electricity has increased dramatically in recent decades and will continue to increase in the future (Zweibel, 2010). Furthermore, evaluating business-as-usual models, where the annual growth rate of electricity demand ranges from 2% to 3.2%, the research suggested that annual global electricity demand will increase from around 20 trillion kWh (kilowatts ) in 2010 to 60 trillion. kWh in 2050 and 200 trillion kWh by 2100. Furthermore, the average growth rate of renewable resources has only increased by about 1.6% per year, compared to the 4% annual growth rate of conventional energy resources. (Lloyd & F...... middle of paper ....... Solar PV installation in California: Understanding the likelihood of adoption given incentives, electricity prices, and consumer characteristics. Duke University, USA. [Found using CRS, Wiser, R., Barbose, G., & Peterman, C.]Sarzynski, A., Larrieu, J., & Shrimali, G. (2012) The impact of state financial incentives on market implementation solar energy technology, 46 , 550-557.doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.04.032 [EL]Tsoutsos, T., Frantzeskaki, N., & Gekas, V. ( 2005).from solar energy technologies Energy Policy, 33, 289-296.doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0301-4215(03)00241-6 [Conceptual]Zweibel, K. (2010 ) PV will be implemented sooner due to long operational life at low and predictable costs?.2010.07.040