Solar energy has treated 2012 pretty well so far. Solar energy helped Germany break a record by producing as much electricity as 20 nuclear stations, will energize Apple’s latest data center, and provided Hurricane Sandy victims relief when the superstorm left nearly 5 million in the dark. When the hurricane devastated New York and New Jersey on October 29, Greenpeace dusted off its 10-year-old solar truck, Rolling Sunlight, and headed north. It landed in Rockaway Beach, New York providing power for a community center where people could grab a hot meal, charge their cell phones and get out of...