One of the challenges regarding solar energy use has been the characteristic of intermittency. The solution is solar storage. In using photovoltaic panel systems as a major source of energy, homeowners have always had as a backup to cloudy days, their public utility grid. So, when the light from the sun isn't available, their panel system could switch to electricity as a major source of energy. Those of us who keep tract of our electric bills may have been surprised at the increase of costs of power to our homes and businesses. However, the good news for those of us who depend on photovoltaic panel systems is that solar power storage costs are decreasing and with that will be the increase use of batteries in the next few years.

The use of solar power storage is an example of an area of change regarding the home use of photovoltaic energy as the main source of electricity. This area of power is always changing for the better and as a result is attracting more consumers to this choice of energy. Utility companies are beginning to feel the growing population of people who are now using sunlight as their power alternative rather than fossil fuel based electricity. Solar power storage is cutting into the utility company dominance. This is especially true in Germany and other northern European countries where there are long periods of time when the sun isn't shining. This spurred the challenge of how to best keep the electricity flowing even when there is little sunlight.

There are two answers to that challenge especially in home use. Solar power storage with the use of better solar batteries along with smart grids is helping to deal with intermittency of sunlight on cloudy days. The challenge is solar power storage prices need to come down to make this form of energy competitive with fossil fuel and create more of a demand on the part of consumers. In Italy where energy costs are very high there are heavy power users who are creating and incorporating solar power storage into their energy plans. They are also selling the excess back to the utility companies at a profit. This is a big selling point to large businesses that use a lot of electricity and are looking for ways to cut costs. Both Italy and Germany are ripe for this kind of change. By the year 2020, the countries in the EU will be getting twenty percent of its energy from renewables with photovoltaic energy leading the list. If a country like Germany where there is much intermittent sunlight can make this commitment, the rest of the industrialized world should be able to do the same