DAVID Norman got it wrong, and so did Terry Pratchett.?Of course the sun comes up at night, or is up already.?That is why the Arctic is known as The Land of the Midnight Sun. For other parts of the world where the sun is not so obliging, I suggest someone in authority bangs the heads of our scientists together until they come up with a scheme for free energy before the utility companies milk us all dry.

The scheme most likely to succeed is the one which will not depend upon transmission lines but will bring electricity directly to where it is required.?The only power source likely in the future to accomplish this is solar. Wind power also fits into that category but there is not always a wind blowing, But there is always a sun during the day.

David Norman is perfectly right when he says solar energy is insufficient now, however I disagree about his predictions for the future when he says it never will be. It is up to our scientists to make sure that it will, including corresponding storage facilities overnight. Then, that character in?Terry Pratchett's novel will be able to say the sun really is useful without having to come up at night.

– Anthony Reeve, Oak Way, Littledean.