Our sun, the giant ball of hydrogen that it is, has been around for several billion years. Since its birth, it's been supplying our small corner of the universe with solar energy--energy that enabled photosynthetic bacteria, the rise of plants, and finally animals that feasted on those plants. There's no doubt about it: without the sun, we wouldn't be here.
So it may seem odd that it's taken humans so long to see the potential in our planet's star for other kinds of energy production, mainly electrical energy that can be used to power the myriad of devices that we just can't live without.
While it's true that the sun has long inspired technology both practical (magnifying glasses) and hard-to-believe (bronze plates used in the 2nd century BC to reflect light and set fire to wooden ships), the cost of solar energy today is still greater than conventional energy sources like gas or coal.
Those looking to supplement their own energy needs by installing a residential solar setup have traditionally needed deep pockets: a 3 kW system might run over $16,000. The sun doesn't always shine, and the average American home uses 11,000 kWh per year, so such a system might not even be enough to cover a home's thirst for power. It's been estimated that a 6kW system with a perfect location would be sufficient for the average home's energy needs.
But what if you don't have an extra $15,000 lying around? A Seattle-based start-up might have a solution: a single solar panel, and everything you need to hook it into your house, for $800. It's pretty cool: you just plug it into an electrical outlet, plug in the monitor to another outlet, put up the solar panel, and you're golden. It even has Wifi so you can check your power usage stats whenever you want.
From burning ships to powering laptops, we've come a long way in figuring out how to use the sun. Now we just have to keep working on making it affordable.
--Brandon
Photo taken from this photostream and used with permission of a Creative Commons license.
Wow Brandon
That is sooooo coooool'
Is it available now?????
If not, When???
Hugs Rosalyn
Yo!
These plug-in units are still in development, but there are more "traditional" solar systems that you can get that cost less once you get rebates: here's a good place to start!
--Brandon
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