Solar Energy Technology - Continues To March Forward

All one has to do to see how far solar energy technology has come is take a look at the dozens of portable devices available that are now powered by the sun. From radios and watches to alarm clocks and cook stoves, solar power is being "taken on the road" in a very big way.

As the prevalence of smaller, sun-driven gadgets increases, some wonder what the status is on using this power source to actually augment or replace fossil fuel dependent systems. There's good news on this front and it does keep getting better. Although only a fraction of the world's power actually comes from the sun at the moment, research is well underway to change this. At present, solar power technology is used in a number of applications that are helping reduce the drain on electrical systems including:

• Remote power use - Freestanding solar energy systems are used in remote locations all over the world to power things such as instruments, lights and more.
• Electric grid offsets - There are instances where solar dishes are being used to augment power provided to actual electrical grids. This particular technology is hoped to become more cost effective and efficient with research.
• Improved solar panels - Thin-film, non-silicon based solar panels are being created that would provide a cheaper alternative. Although work is still needed to perfect this technology, it is considered quite promising.

While it's true that solar power technology is not quite poised to replace electricity, work is being done to make this possible. The challenges developers still need to overcome include:

• Viable silicon replacements - Solar panel research often focuses on the replacement of silicon in panels. This material is commonly used and is effective, but it is rather costly. Breakthroughs in this field could make the use of solar energy in homes and businesses more economically feasible.
• Better efficiency - Solar power is presently used to help home and business owners offset their use of electricity. In most cases, however, it is not cost effective to install systems large enough to power entire homes or buildings. Work into solar panel technology is hoped to change this.

Solar energy technology is receiving a lot of attention as of late. As research continues in this field, it is hoped the sun's power will be able to further offset fossil fuel use down the road.