World consumption of coal, oil and natural gas in 2016 stood at 85 billion barrels of oil equivalent (Bboe), with oil taking the largest share at 41%. Driven by population growth and increasing energy use per capita, world consumption of fossil fuels can be expected to rise above 100 Bboe by 2040, with a corresponding increase in emissions of greenhouse gas and pollutants under a “business-as-usual” case. These global trends have heightened the urgency to scale up the utilization of energy from renewable sources. There is cause for optimism. The cost of electricity generation from solar PV and wind turbines have achieved grid parity in several parts of the world. However, capturing solar and wind energy is just one part of the overall energy solution. The biggest impediment to widespread introduction of renewable energy is the lack of efficient massively scalable energy storage and distribution systems. In this regard, energy carriers in the form of stable liquids under ambient conditions offer efficient solutions. Sunshine in a Barrel is a metaphor that describes the concept of turning sunshine and CO2 from the environment into high energy density green liquid fuels, such as alcohols, that are storable and distributable. These “barrels” of green liquid fuels can use existing liquid fuel infrastructure to deliver energy from renewable energy-rich areas to global energy markets. CO2 released on using such green liquid fuels would be recycled back into the environment, maintaining an ecologically-balanced cycle.