| Not very many years ago solar power was only for | | | | alternative storage methods - time will tell how fruitful |
| the eccentric millionaire or for the geek who spouted | | | | all this effort will be. |
| facts and formulas like a college professor. Solar | | | | The result of all this input into solar power has been |
| panels were a rare sight on rooftops, chiefly because | | | | most beneficial; a well planned solar powered home |
| of cost. Oil was cheap and electricity was cheap, so | | | | can exist off-grid without compromising lifestyle or |
| who would spend big bucks on a solar panel that only | | | | living comfort and as a result the solar power industry |
| worked during the day while cheap electricity was | | | | is fast becoming much more than a fringe player in the |
| available from the grid day and night? Things started | | | | energy stakes. Cost is still a sensitive issue; despite |
| to change when oil prices went up a little but as prices | | | | cost reductions previously mentioned, a typical solar |
| went up even more, an increasing number of | | | | powered home costs substantially more than a |
| homeowners began to look to solar power for a | | | | conventional home. A rough rule of thumb is that if one |
| solution to high energy costs. | | | | ignores future electricity price increases, solar power |
| Predictably, as demand for solar panels rose, prices | | | | will become financially viable only in ten or perhaps |
| fell, due to more competitors entering the solar cell | | | | twenty years time, depending on the location of the |
| manufacturing industry and the improved economies of | | | | home. A home in a northerly location will require a |
| scale that resulted from longer production runs and | | | | larger and more costly solar installation than a home on |
| bulk purchasing of raw materials and other | | | | the Florida Keys, for example. In effect, with a solar |
| components. Hand in hand with increased production | | | | home, you're paying for your next ten years power |
| and lower prices came many new installation | | | | today. On the face of it that sounds like a pretty dumb |
| businesses, all keen to grab a share of this new solar | | | | thing to do but fortunately for homeowners wanting to |
| power pie. As with any new industry there were good | | | | go solar, there are tax credits and other breaks |
| and bad operators in the market but the good guys | | | | available to homeowners in most states - not all states |
| triumphed and today the solar power industry is thriving | | | | yet - that reduces the payback time considerably. |
| and set to become a major factor in meeting our | | | | Check with your local city hall for details in your city. |
| energy needs. | | | | But let's not forget the diy guy - today's more efficient |
| Advances in technology have led to improved | | | | and cheaper solar cells can be very easily acquired, |
| efficiencies of solar cells, and to the other equipment | | | | even Amazon stock them. It's a fairly simple job to turn |
| that goes into a typical solar installation. Power | | | | fifty or sixty cells into a solar panel by a |
| monitoring devices are computerized while other | | | | do-it-yourselfer who is keen enough to spend a few |
| components are high efficiency solid state electronics; | | | | bucks on a how-to instruction book and a few basic |
| storage batteries too have improved even if not to the | | | | tools. |
| same extent - a wet-cell battery is still a battery and | | | | And once your panel is up on the roof and producing |
| subject to the efficiency limitations of battery | | | | free electricity you'll feel like you just saved a million |
| technology. However, much research is being directed | | | | dollars! |
| at improving battery efficiency and in searching for | | | | |