Solar power is a non-polluting, renewable, completely free and abundantly available energy source, and for many years now experts have been putting their minds to the question of how to best and most efficiently make use of it. Here are some basic points about solar power and about how it is being used at present.

Solar power has a variety of different uses. It can be used as a direct means of heat, for example heating water. It can be converted to electricity via photo voltaic cells. Using the solar power directly is often termed 'passive solar' whereas converting it into electricity is known as 'active solar'. The weak form in which we receive solar energy can be a limiting factor. To make the best use possible of solar power we need to discover how to harness it and then make it concentrated.

In its passive state, solar power has been used for centuries. It has been used for lighting fires, heating water and drying wood. Today, solar water heaters are widely used in places where the sun is available all year round. Additionally, there are in existence solar power plants which harness the sun's energy and concentrate it enough to generate electricity. These power plants are very economical and useful in remote areas where conventional electricity plants are not feasible. It is even being used in satellites and space crafts.

Recently, much interested has been generated in the idea of using solar power as a means to run power motor vehicles. This is still very much at an experimental stage. The huge amount of power required by a car's engine would mean using very large solar panels. This is impractical due to the size and fragility of the panels. There is also the problem that when the sun is not shining, they wouldn't run for very long. In this instance, we are along way from using solar power to run our cars.

Solar power demand is on the up but right now the costs prevent it from being a widely used energy means. The technology is available but the cost of converting the solar power into energy is too high. Fuel costs are also rising however which means that solar power will be a viable alternative if this continues. Present day fuels also have an environmental impact and people are becoming more aware of this and want to find environmentally friendly alternatives using clean energy. Manufacturers will find it more feasible to produce solar powered devices because of this rising demand.