Solar for the Home

There is much talk about different sources of energy these days and what we can do to reduce our "carbon footprint." One of the most talked about sources of power is the solar cell. They've been around for a long time but have been known to be expensive and complicated to integrate into a household system. Falling prices are starting to make home solar power more attractive but the initial outlay for such a system is still more than the average homeowner can afford. Solar cells produce power by using silicone to capture the photons put out by the sun's rays. The photons excite electrons in the silicone and in the process of electron movement we get voltage and current. Ever changing technology has given us little advancements in the efficiency of solar cells to date but the percentage keeps getting higher as time goes by. Solar is still the most expensive of alternative power systems. However it is being used throughout the world to produce power and will have a place in the coming home hybrid system.