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Solar energy does work, and it can be profitable. Thats no longer in question. The next focal point for the industry is going to be making solar power more cost effective, and/or more efficient. A handful of small, publicly-traded companies are working on technological advancements that will not only bring solar energys cost closer to gas or coal energy prices, but also make it feasible to integrate the technology into our current infrastructure.

These companies are best understood by breaking down each particular technological advance being attempted, whether it be the materials used, the manufacturing process, or where and how the hardware is installed.

Taking the Panel Out of Solar Panel

One of the key drawbacks of solar panels is not so much cost or effectiveness, but feasibility. There arent always a large number of flat spaces to mount solar panels, and even fewer that face the ideal direction. The solution? A solar panel that is actually applied like paint. It can be installed on any structure that has surface area, and is not limited by the shape of that structure.

As of right now, for-profit companies havent performed any of their own R&D of paint-on solar cells. But, as the idea becomes better proven, publicly-traded companies are apt to dive into the idea.

Flexible Thin Film Solar Panels

Formerly, solar cell panels were heavy and fragile, and therefore difficult to install ” one of their limiting factors. Recent advancements have flattened solar panels to paper-thin widths, without sacrificing efficiency. Best of all, these thin film panels arent rigid like previous ones. That flexibility makes thin-film panels considerably easier to mount without the risk of breaking.

One of the leaders of this technology is First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR). First Solar manufactures a cadmium telluride thin film that costs less than $1.00 per watt.

Bigger may not necessarily be better though. Smallcap company XsunX, Inc. (OTCBB: XSNX) believes that its ASI-120 (amorphous silicon) solar module can provide an even lower cost per watt while supplying electricity in a wider variety of geographical environments. The companys thin-film modules find a balance between the common silicon wafer modules, which are more costly, and lower rated power thin film modules, which are fairly ineffective.

Smallcap company Energy Conversion Devices (NASDAQ: ENER) subsidiary Uni-Solar Ovonic also builds a unique triple-junction thin-film amorphous silicon solar cell that could be disruptive to other companies within the industry.

Building Better Batteries

You dont need to be solar power physicist to figure out the sun doesnt shine 24 hours per day. After sunset, the industry needs to figure out a way to keep the electricity flowing. The obvious solution is storing the power created during the day for use at times when there is no sunlight. How? A battery.

The challenge in storing utility-levels of electricity is simply that current batteries cant do the job well enough. Most modern batteries are still made of solid components which degrade over time, take a long time to charge, and they dont last all that long. The solution may be a newly-developed, liquid-based battery.

Though the liquid battery to date is only being developed as part of a test at MIT, it shows a great deal of promise. And, once the technology shows real promise, we anticipate for-profit corporations becoming involved with their own versions.

Thats not to say investors have to wait for the liquid battery to become commercialized though. Several solid-component battery manufacturers are producing products that still meet current demands. One of them is Valence Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:VLNC), which has a great deal of the large-capacity battery market the kind that utility companies would be interested in. Advanced Battery Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ABAT) and EnerSys (NYSE: ENS) are also key players in the battery market, and could play a major role as the need for power storage is increased.

That said, there are at least a couple of dozen battery companies that could actually meet the needs created by the continued growth of solar power. Some are better than others, but thats not a function of size.

Bio-Backsheets

Its a little ironic that solar power was largely designed to be an alternative to the use of petroleum, yet petroleum is used to manufacture solar panels. Where? Not the solar collection cells themselves ” those are made of silicon. However, these cells are covered by a protective coating called a backsheet, most of which use petroleum in their design.

Of course, this means the cost to build backsheets can vary with the price of oil ” volatility that most technology companies just cant tolerate. To avoid that kind of price volatility in addition to improving the quality of backsheets, a small company called BioSolar Inc. (OTCBB: BSRC) has designed an effective solution. Rather than use petroleum in backsheets, use a plant material to make what are effectively bio-based backsheets.

BioSolar had been primarily focused on backsheet technology for the most common crystalline silicon (C-Si) photovoltaic solar cells the markets biggest seller as of right now. However, copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film panels are quickly becoming competitors of C-Si panels because of their similarly-low costs and impressive power production. So, BioSolar has recently begun work on bio-backsheets for CIGS and CdTe thin panels as well.

Windows Not Just For Looking Through Anymore

A lack of transparency clearly limits where and how photovoltaic panels can be used, since a window blocked by a solar panel isnt a window at all. However, not utilizing the surface area of windows ” particularly for large, glass-covered buildings ” is a waste of potential energy. The solution is a see-through solar panel.

New Energy Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: NENE) is working on the development of a technology that would adapt the glass used in home and office windows. The windows would essentially become panels capable of generating electricity from solar energy without losing significant transparency. How? Thin films of silicon nanoparticles would be joined with the glass, and when ultraviolet light is absorbed it could be converted into electrical current.

Advice to Investors

Given the ever-changing nature of solar power technology, it would be wise to stay abreast of the technology trends described above as much as it would be to continually monitor just the companies. Certainly the stocks mentioned here are among the current leaders in their respective categories, but these organizations really are only as good as their technology. And, that only matters if their products are profitable as well as competitive.

We feel smallcap stocks in particular can quickly surface ” often without warning - as worthy investments since their respective companies are nimble. Either way though, the industrys projected growth is undeniable, so one company or another is going to benefit from the dollars being poured into the efforts described above.

The paradigm shifts in solar powers technology are no small matter, but for serious investors who need details of their commercialization potential, keeping tabs can be tough. Thats why we strongly recommend subscribing to our free newsletter. Well inform you of the industrys advances, and the stocks that can let you tap into that progress.