What support technologies are important to the development of solar energy? What is this smart grid?

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The sun doesn't shine at night. This can't be changed overnight. While it is possible to design systems that can handle variations in solar (or wind) energy without batteries or other forms of energy storage, in order to simplify systems and even out this supply, it would be beneficial to be able to store energy cheaply. Several weeks ago, we talked about duck curves. These curves describe the variations in load throughout the day. Check out this article from the Motley Fool about different supporting technologies that can help with energy storage, such as Li-ion batteries, hydrogen, liquid air, and flow batteries!

Other technologies that you might not think about are the technologies associated with the smart grid. The term "smart grid" refers to technologies that are used to automate and allow for the remote control of power distribution systems. This should allow energy from renewable sources to be re-routed in ways that allow the energy to be more efficiently used, quickly responding to changes in energy supply and demand. Most solar (and wind) plants are located far from urban centers where most electricity is used.

Other related technologies depend on type of solar cell and the process used to make them. Just as the drive for lower-power, smaller, and cheaper microprocessors necessitated advances in photolithography, vacuum science, and materials deposition technologies, advances in solar technologies, which, themselves piggybacked off microprocessor manufacture, will likely drive further innovation and the advancement of different processing technologies.