Solar electricity is the energy source for the new millennium, and engineers now have it down to a science. Someday soon, every home in America could be powered from this clean, renewable resource (with substantial help from other renewable energy sources).

Solar electricity is based on a natural phenomenon known as the photoelectric effect. Photoelectricity is simply the emission of electrons from a substance due to its interaction with light. The art of corralling those electrons into an electric current is called photovoltaics (PV). It is this process that drives the basic solar electric system. (more…)

Popularity: 3% [?]

Despite its ultimately lucrative nature, solar electricity is a costly investment. Up-front costs are the biggest obstacle to solar power for most homeowners, and it’s difficult in a general medium as this to give a truly accurate system cost estimate. Set federal tax incentives make it a little easier, but too many variables (state, utility, solar radiance, energy usage, energy costs, etc.) affect the initial and end costs of the system.

The grand solution to the problem? The solar electricity cost calculator. These interactive tools have been spreading like sunlight across the Web since solar power began its ascent into our national consciousness. Now, nearly every major solar retailer and installer (SunPower, etc.) have a cost calculator built into their site. So finding a calculator is no longer the problem. (more…)

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There are a million ambiguous benchmarks for “solar” states. A million ways to point out how this state ranks higher than that state, how this state is “solarized” or that state “fossilized.” Well, CalFinder Solar has put together a list for you that actually makes sense: The Top U.S. States for Solar Installers. See how your state compares in solar advancement by checking how many solar installers actually work within each state. The more a state and its citizens embrace solar power, the more solar companies will crop up to service that growing demand.

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Popularity: 2% [?]