People around the world are concerned about affordable energy. It is needed to power the global economy. Petroleum-based transportation and coal-fired power plants are economic prime movers fueling the global economy, but coal and gasoline are also the leading sources of air pollution. Both of these sources produce greenhouse gases and toxins. Worry over the environment and the health of humans is growing. Could the world switch to solar power today and sustain the global economy? Not a chance. In 2008, solar accounted for only 0.048 percent (four one-hundredths of one percent) of the U.S. generating capacity (including concentrating solar). But that is not necessarily the right question to ask. Here is a more appropriate one: Can solar power "contribute" to a cleaner environment and a healthy economy? The answer is yes, with conditions. In this article, the author talks about photovoltaic solar power and explores how this kind of solar power can make a contribution. The author argues that photovoltaic solar can make a meaningful contribution "if" there are enough incentives for its implementation on a larger scale. (Contains 4 figures.)