There is great progress being made in Solar Voltaics. Saw an interview of a couple who are manufacturing great quantities of solar generating material which, while not as efficient as silicon solar cells, are amorphous, i.e. in the real world they can take a lot of punishment and still put out voltage. They can manufacture it in great long strips of stuff, and it is effective out of direct sunlight.

In addition, there is the 'big concept' version of solar power, putting satellites in space to accumulate raw sunlight and convert it to microwaves and beam it back to earth. This is perfect for generating huge government subsidies in the near future.

Nice topic