Solar power is a technology that has matured over the years in many different ways and today provides a solution that allows both residential and commercial customers to harness the power of the sun to heat water and generate electricity. Some of this technology has been designed for the average home and can provide enough electricity from a small collection of solar panels to supply all of the home's needs for electricity. Other projects are huge in scale and are being installed to allow larger electrical utility companies to generate massive amounts of power from sunlight.

Solar technology is truly a worldwide event and there are major projects both planned and under way in countries all over the globe. This year alone there have been dozens of solar power farms installed in the United States, China, Germany, Portugal and other sites in Europe that are designed to provide large amounts of electricity to customers in those countries. Because of improvements in solar panel technology, these projects provide a viable alternative to coal and oil based generation plants and produce no harmful emissions as a result of their electrical generation.

Another solar technology that is starting to gain wider adoption in commercial installations is a solar thermal based system. Unlike conventional solar panels, these solar thermal systems use large parabolic mirrors to heat water that is being circulated through an elevated pipe. This water turns to steam and drives a generator to produce electricity. This is a very efficient system and can produce large amounts of power in a limited amount of space. The added advantage that this method of production provides over standard solar panel generation is that it can work day and night. The way it does this is by storing excess heat during the days in thermal holding tanks that are filled with molten salt. At night when the sun has set, this heat can still be used for the steam conversion needed to spin the turbine. This allows these systems to be very productive in all types of weather and also allows them to be consistent with the amount of power they generate.

Solar power is also being used around the world in other forms to help generate the energy needed for various transportation projects. There are several firms that have released a solar powered airplane for commercial use. These planes are not for carrying passengers, but are used instead for photographic surveys and surveillance and rescue applications. They completely rely on a solar panel and battery system for their power and can stay aloft for weeks if needed. Solar power is also being applied to boating with several large projects completed just this year. One solution being installed provides for a large sail assembly that has flexible solar panels installed on the fabric. These sails are computer controlled to maximize their alignment with the wind and can help ships lower their fuel costs by as much as 30%. The solar panels attached to the fabric can provide electricity for the ships and eliminate the need for an onboard generator.