Household Uses

• Residential uses include powering small electric loads such as lights or computers. The demands on a solar system quickly increase for higher loads required by large appliances, fans, power tools or whole house heating. Solar electricity may also be used for cooking, to heat water or as an emergency back-up source following an electrical outage. Some use solar electricity to power vacation homes located in semi-remote areas and off the electric grid.
  
  

Industrial Uses

• Industrial applications of solar electricity include large installations on the roof of an office building, factory or warehouse for generating power. It has been used to power equipment for monitoring corrosion systems for pipelines, bridges, wells and similar structures, and for large-scale desalination plants. It has also been used in schools, hospitals, community centers and other facilities located in remote areas but in need of electricity.
  
  

Recreational Uses

• Solar electricity powers boats and charges batteries for recreational vehicles. It can be used when camping for cooking and light. Specially equipped flashlights and other small devices can be charged using solar power.
  
  

Other Uses

• Navigation buoys, traffic signals, lighthouses and warning lights for airplanes can all be powered by solar electricity. Solar has also been used to pump water from remote water supplies and to power small generators.