Elon Musk's recent moves with SolarCity come at a potential turning point for the burgeoning industry
Electric cars, the hyperloop, space travel: Tesla's Elon Musk, master of futuristic technologies, always has a plan. But speculation about the company's recent $2.8 billion purchase of SolarCity, the green energy behemoth building a massive solar panel factory in Buffalo, New York, suggest that while Musk has compelling visions for the future, even he may not have a handle on a technology seen as a key part of the future of sustainable energy.
A midcentury creation, modern solar power has repeatedly been championed as a solution to our energy woes. But especially in the United States, the technology has never lived up to the hype.  Musk?s plan for expanding solar energy generation, especially the much-hyped idea of selling a solar roof or solar shingles, and creating an "end-to-end clean energy, sounds exciting. The timing seemingly couldn't be better, since many predict the market to grow: Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts U.S. homes will add 2.6 gigawatts of solar panels this year, double the amount in 2014, and by 2020, that number should rise to 3.6 GW a year.
But rosy predictions aside, it?s the fundamentals of the market?awareness and cost?that will drive wider adoption. 
We?ve been in boom times
Solar power has just witnessed more than a decade of record-breaking growth in the United States. Better technology, and easier inst...