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Solar technology is up to snuff, but the heat is on to increase financial incentives and community education about solar energy, according to a report issued by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' Community Solar Energy Initiative advisory council and work group.

Although Arizona has enough daily sunshine to power the United States, according to the report, more than 90 percent of the state's energy is fueled by coal.

The report, released last week, identifies three key areas that need to interweave in order to guarantee solar market success, along with an action plan for each area:

● Market growth: Extend the federal solar energy investment tax credits for homeowners

and businesses through 2016; encourage full implementation of the Renewable Energy Standard Tariff (REST), an Arizona Corporation Commission edict that says electric utilities must produce 15 percent of the total electricity they sell from renewable resources, including solar, by 2025; implement state incentives that attract new solar businesses to the state and help assure the economic success of existing businesses; and extend Federal investment tax credits for utilities.

● Research and development: Develop cost-effective and efficient solar energy generation; devise new — and improve existing — technologies for storage capacity; research new methods of energy transmission and establish bricks-and-mortar research center dedicated to solar.

● Education and outreach: Organize and coordinate educational resources on solar energy and

disseminate it through existing networks — environmental associations, school districts, library interconnections, science teacher organizations, neighborhood and homeowners associations, and faith-based communities; encourage partnerships between educators and businesses to create funding for professional development on solar education for teachers; promote federal funding to install solar in all public schools; collaborate with the Arizona Department of Education to include solar in state standards.