On Monday June 9, 2014 solar panels in Germany produced 23.1 GW of electricity– or a little over half of the electricity Germany consumed that day. Though this surge in solar panel power only lasted for one day, it is an indicator that solar technology is beginning to make par for supplying base load power– a hurdle solar panels have yet to overcome on a large scale. While other countries are building massive solar farms in an attempt to supply base load power to residents, Germany’s approach is quite different and might be one other countries should consider adopting after the June 9^th feat.
90% of solar panels in Germany reside on the roofs of houses. Even though this doesn’t provide the same sizable punch from a singular source like a solar farm does, there are some advantages to this approach. Over the past 5 months solar power production in Germany is up 34%. Adoption of solar is easier on an individual level because roof installs can be done in a matter of hours, not the years it takes to put up a solar farm.
Changing climates can be advantageous instead of catastrophic. If bad weather falls over a solar farm then no energy can be produced. But if solar panels are dispersed through an entire countryside poor weather in on neighborhood won’t spell doom for the solar power production of the rest of the country.
It might take a few more years for solar to start supplying all the energy we consume, it is instances like the one in Germany on June 9^th that gives us hope for a 100% renewable future.
Read more about:

• Open source energy re–designing the power grid
• New solar panels that are more environmentally sustainable
• The bright future of wind power