Whenever I see a question like this, my first answer is always, “It depends.” What factors determine cost?
* How much power do you need?
* How much sun does your location receive in an average year?
* How much of the installation can you do yourself?
* Are you tying into the grid, or will you be completely self-contained?
The National Renewable Energy Labs has an online tool to help you calculate how much you might save by installing solar panels at your exact location. The program, entitled In My Backyard (IMBY) allows you to draw a solar array…
For the do-it-yourself crowd, there is a series of videos over at YouTube by a group called Green Power Science that you’ll be interested in seeing. The one below is a good example of the quality of their videos. It…
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new solar cell structure that cuts cell reflectivity to 3 percent, down from 33 percent in more traditional solar cells. This advance puts solar energy on a very good footing vis-a-vis fossil fuels, with their roller coaster price and huge ecological disadvantage.