What’s not to love about solar power? The sun is what allows life to exist on this planet. Since man invented the light-bulb, we’ve been trying to harness and illuminate the inside of our world the way the sun does outside. To date, the power to light our world and operate our equipment comes primarily from combustion. We ignite fuel (primarily petroleum-based), and use the energy produced to spin turbines and generate the electricity we need to live in this modern world. The sun is the quintessential combustion engine; its heat and energy creating and sustaining a constant cycle of more heat and energy. So why then, has it taken until now to begin harnessing this power for our own needs? The answer, like most business decisions, is cost.

Until now, it has been cheaper to create a combustion reaction here on earth and then to harness it from the sun. The ability to convert solar rays into usable energy has been around since the late 1800s. Initially it was solar-thermal power, where the rays heated steam and propelled a small engine. Eventually, the solar cell was developed, using certain elements that reacted electrically when exposed to solar rays. Using either of these actions on a scale great enough to power an electric society is an immense undertaking. Only recently, with the scarcity of oil, have we seen a shift to an affordable solar apparatus.

Given the current focus on renewable energy, the supply side of the solar business is becoming more affordable. In addition, there are government and private programs available for people who wish to generate solar power. Unlike the current power grid, a solar generation occurs primarily on a site by site basis. While there are large scale solar farms, any flat area with sun exposure is a candidate for solar panels. This puts the power in the hands of the people who need it most. And in this authors opinion, it will not be long before every rooftop has a solar panel on it.

Unfortunately, in a regulated utility market, you cannot just plug in a panel and start playing video games again. This means you are still a part of the national electric grid, for better or worse. Better, because you can still have power at night or on cloudy days. Worse, because you still have to deal with the electric company.