Solar Power Homes

Green.  Go green, think green, be green, act green.  You've heard the hype.  The entire world is going green.  Why?  If you are not an avid follower of the alternative energy movement that is a valid question.  What does "Going Green" mean?  First, think back to the Summer of 2008.  The entire industrial world was brought to its knees as the price of a barrel of oil galloped towards two hundred dollars a barrel.  Oil powers the world and it is getting more and more expensive.  In addition, it is a finite source.  One day we will run out of it.  Finally, whether you believe in Global Warming or not, spending a day in a city like Los Angeles or Beijing has to convince you that we would better off if we stopped pouring so much "stuff" into our atmosphere.

Of all the potential alternative energy sources -- geothermal, bio-diesel, synthetic fuels, or wind -- none has the universal appeal of solar.  The sun powers life on earth as we know it and it is always there.  So why can't we harness its power to meet our ever expanding thirst for energy.  Actually, we can but unfortunately it's expensive.  Silicon wafers and photvoltaic cells built into solar collector panels have been around for awhile but the mainstream viewed them as existing only for environmentalists and new age kooks. 

For quite some time it has been possible to think of "solar power homes."  It has never been and is still not possible to supply all your home's energy needs with solar power, but you can reduce your traditional energy useage by implementing some of the systems available for solar power homes.

First, there are a variety of solar power collection technologies that will allow you to partially heat your home.  In a solar power home, water can be heated not only by natural gas, but by the sun as well.  A swimming pool in a solar power home can be completely heated using the sun.  Outdoor accent and utility lighting powered by the sun is available and getting cheaper every day.

Second, free market forces are getting into the alternative energy game.  Once upon a time the movers and shakers of the world's free markets just didn't see enough demand to invest any resources into increasing the supply of solar power.  But times have changed.  There is a market for solar power homes and it is growing every day.  Spain and Germany are leading the world in providing tax incentives to homeowners to move towards solar power homes. 

Once a potentially lucrative market is identified the pace of technological innovation begins to increase rapidly as companies begin to compete with each other to meet the needs of that market.  That's what is happening right now with solar power home technology.  One of the latest advances is thin film collectors.  With this advance, the photovoltaic collectors are built into existing building materials, like roofing tile and shingles, instead of into dedicated, bulky, and ugly, solar collector panels.  And stay tuned because there's more to come as we approach a one hundred percent solar power home!