Using Sun’s energy effectively to drive important, industriallyrelevant chemical reactions is currently an area of researchthat is attracting a large attention. This route circumventsour reliance on non-renewable sources of energy and moreimportantly prevents the release of hazardous pollutants as abyproduct. One such reaction that has a large industrial relevanceis the splitting of water to release hydrogen and oxygen.This is a thermodynamically energy intensive reaction, andthe most relevant aspect is that hydrogen gas is the productwhich is being touted as a fuel of the future. Its energy densityvalue is higher than other commercially relevant fuels,and its combustion only produces water as a byproduct withzero carbon footprint. Presented here are the current routesbeing considered for effective water splitting and the fundamentalprinciples that need to be considered when pursuingnew directions in this area.