Hi Crystal,
I have not worked in the solar energy business either, but I think it is very important that we try to increase our use of alternate energy sources like solar power and wind power.
Paulett made a very good point about many spacecraft being solar-powered. Scientists here at the University of Iowa are currently building instruments for the Juno mission to study Jupiter. The Juno mission will be the first solar-powered spacecraft to explore the outer planets. Past missions to Jupiter and the other outer planets have had to rely upon Radioisotope Thermal Generators
(RTGs) which use radioactive materials like plutonium to generate heat and electrical power for the spacecraft. Improvements to solar cell technology now make it possible to send a spacecraft to Jupiter without using RTGs.
Kris