Hydrogen is one of the most promising fuel options for the future and it is considered as a green energy carrier. Nowadays, hydrogen can be produced from several energy resources, including those that are renewable and non-renewable. In this context, solar energy has a significant and unique potential in renewable based hydrogen production methods. The utilization of solar energy for hydrogen production promises to be one of the most viable options to replace fossil-based hydrogen production. In this paper, various solar-based hydrogen production methods are discussed and compared in terms of their pros and cons. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.