With the abundant energy of our Sun beating down on the Earth on any given day, solar energy has long been a top contender for bringing the world closer to clean, reliable, and renewable energy. Over recent years, huge advancements in solar panel technology have taken place, making it steadily more efficient and accessible, while also gradually reducing the cost.

However, when it comes to many homeowners, installing and maintaining a fancy solar panel setup, is still a little out of their reach. Hopefully this won’t be the case for long, but in the meantime, there also a number of alternatives to explore.

1. Solar Lights

If you can’t afford to connect your home to a fancy new solar system, you can start with replacing your outdoor lights. Solar lights, each having their own tiny solar panel and a rechargeable battery, are a great way to save on energy costs while lighting up your patio and garden, and making your outdoor areas look amazing.

2. Sun Tunnels

For indoor lighting, the sun tunnel is an innovative, and ultimately cost effective, way of utilising solar energy to provide light, as well as warmth, to the home. Though it may be somewhat costly to set up initially, and will likely require modifications to the roof of your home, in the long run though, sun tunnels require very little expense or maintenance.

3. Solar Roof Tiles

Solar roof tiles, or solar shingles, as they are otherwise known, are perhaps an even better option for home-use than just straight solar panels. They are generally smaller, very robust, and made to fit in modular fashion over most roof-types. They can therefore be purchased and installed in sections over time, and according to finances.

4. The Solar Oven

Another new invention that is gaining popularity and attention, though perhaps not enough considering its genius design, is the solar oven. Made of light-weight inexpensive materials, it requires no battery or form of energy input other than that provided by the sun. Using the sun, it can cook food at 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit, around 180-200 degrees Celsius, the perfect oven temperature.

5. Solar Air Conditioning & Geysers

Another practical alternative form of solar energy is the use of solar-powered air conditioning, and solar-heated geysers. The latter, using a pipe system rather than photovoltaic cells, is particularly useful in areas and regions where solar panels still aren’t readily available.

Waiting For Better Batteries

One of the biggest setbacks to solar, as well as other green technologies over time, has been an issue with batteries. Particularly in terms of their quality, life-span, and various difficulties in producing and recycling them.

In general, batteries need to greatly improve to support solar technology, as well as the ever-growing number of devices used for everything from communicating to playing at a live casino online. Fortunately, recent advancements in battery technology have come at just the right time. Hopefully soon, solar energy will be helping to lead the world towards a brighter, and cleaner, future.