The options for solar power include not only a choice of technology, but also a variety of approaches to installing, financing and benefiting from a solar power system. Both technology and service companies are proliferating, riding the current tide of subsidies, incentives and market potential.
 
Solar Energy 101
 
Solar cells, also called photovoltaic or PV cells, were first developed for satellites in the 1950s, but they are hardly rocket science. Solar installations collect energy through PV cells, which are made of very pure silicon. The cells are wired together within panels and the panels ...