How We Use Solar Energy Today

Solar energy technology is advancing in leaps and bounds as more money is put towards research. Given this evolution, let's take a look at how we use solar energy today.

It is rather ironic that some of the biggest advances in solar energy have come from the recent run ups in fossil fuel prices, particularly oil in 2007 and 2008. You see, we are like dieters as a society. On “New Year's Eve”, we all promise to get on a diet and lose weight. A few weeks in, we give up the ghost and go back to eating like we normally do. The rise in oil prices was our New Years event, but the subsequent economic crash has removed the panic. Still, it was enough of an event to result in millions being put into solar technology and some amazing advances.


The first method for using solar energy has been the traditional uses. These include solar panels for the home on a personal basis and solar panels on space structures from a governmental point of view. For our homes, we use solar panels to generate electricity and to heat water. With the space program, panels are used on the International Space Station, Hubble Telescope and various satellites to provide electricity.

One of the major advances we have seen is in alternative setups for homes. Solar panels may be traditional, but they aren't very efficient and are a bit of an eye sore. Solar roof shingles are one new solution. The basic idea is to create dark roof shingles that catch the sun similar to panels. They look exactly like regular roof panels. The downside is each panel doesn't produce a lot of energy, but the upside is the entire roof provides much more area so a lot of energy is produced. It is basically a trade off.

We now use solar energy on a personal level as well. We are a nation of gadgets. From laptops to iPhones to Kindles and more, we take our gadgets everywhere with us. The problem, of course, is they need power to function. Battery technology is no where near advanced enough at this point, so solar solutions are stepping in. You can now hookup a small flexible solar panel to your electronics and power them up as long as the sun reaches the panel.



There are other advancements that are going to change the energy game as we move forward. The most important is perhaps nano solar. The idea is to build tiny solar panels at the molecular stage. These panels would convert tiny bits of sunlight into even tinnier bits of electricity. So, why is this important? Well, you can fit a few billion nano panels in a paint job. Imagine the paint on your home or car being comprised of trillions of panels. The energy produced would be more than you could possible use.

How we use solar energy today is a bit of a humorous subject. Why? Because we've only begun to explore the possibilities and the state of solar technology in 20 years is simply going to be astounding.

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