Response from: Anthony (Check me out!)

The feasability of solar power on a large scale depends on how you count it.
If you look solely at solar energy in terms of megawatt hours (MWhrs) of electricity that can be produced, we will have to look toward new technologies. What most think of as a solar panel has too many drawbacks: a leaf falling on it breaks the circuit (must keep surface clean); they must be large, thick, heavy, and expensive; and they must face the sun to be most effective (must create extra surface or use energy to steer them); for instance. And what about their environmental impact when covering other than rooftops?
Alan Alda has hosted a character on Scientific American's TV specials who invented a "panel" that looks like a roofing shingle which solves a number of those problems. Such a thing might be used on vehicles as well as stationary generators. Perhaps that is the type of new technology needed. If you're making electricity.
But Colorado and other humans might be better served by using the Sun to reduce energy consumption, not encourage it.
Solar panels for heating water have startup costs, but are efficient and effective. They must be a bit larger for forced-hot-water heating of air spaces.
Solar "walls" can heat large volumes of air. There is one advertised on this Web site. Its design type would be even better if it used convection instead of electricity to circulate air. And I have seen plans for do-it-yourselfers to make their own cheaply.
When solar walls are used to cool air, or at least provide circulation (the way plantation houses did, perhaps), we can make huge gashes in electricity bills.
One automaker has covered the flat roof of its factory with self sustaining plants. This cleans the air we breath, produces oxygen, and supports wildlife. A Banner Box can take a big bite out of combustion engine emissions. God only knows how much energy that type of effort will save us once we humans find out how much it's going to cost us to reverse the damage we have done to this planet.
Colorado has done well to require better energy production via regulations. Iowa has, I believe, gone one step further by creating incentives for better production (see ifenergy.com article "Iowa Upfront").
But the real power for us humans is in reducing our ennergy consumption. Both in needs and in wants.

Response from: michael (Check me out!)

more in the future on this... much to write about. the altenative uses you mentioned, i.e. solar walls that heat or cool depending on application... not a new application (as you mentioned) but not common knowledge thanks for reminding us...