Photovoltaic panels convert sunlight into clean, renewable electricity. Considerations include:

• Photovoltaic panels (PV) capture freely available, dependable energy that would otherwise just heat up your roof and go to waste.
• Even in California, most of our electricity comes from fossil fuels that pollute the air and contribute to greenhouse warming. Solar panels are, ironically, generally manufactured with fossil-energy, but produce zero additional pollution over decades of operation, for a dramatic net benefit to the earth.
• The price of solar panels has been declining for decades, and substantial rebates are available to further reduce the cost.
• Solar electricity for residential use still costs more in the short term than energy from a utility company, but its price is fixed at the time of installation, while the price of other energy sources rises with inflation, policy, and long-term demand.
• The combination of tax breaks, accelerated depreciation, and rebates can make PV very cost effective for businesses.
• PV panels can provide most or all of the electricity needed for a home, often even in fairly foggy local microclimates.
• Solar electric panels are durable - many panels installed in the 1970's are still in use today - and panels shade your roof, helping to keep your building cooler in summer and extend the life of the roof itself.
• Excess electricity produced by a PV system can be fed back into the grid; utilities only bills for the net amount of power used each year.
• Numerous opportunities exist to finance a solar system at below-market rates, or increase lending limits for a given rate in consideration of lower energy costs.

Photovoltaic materials convert sunlight into useful, clean electricity. By adding PV to your home or office, you can generate renewable energy, reduce your own environmental impact, enjoy protection from rising utility costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Building integrated photovoltaic systems (BIPV) offer additional design options, allowing electricity to be generated by windows, shades and awnings, roofing shingles, and PV-laminated metal roofing, for example. BIPV options can be used in retrofits or new construction.

Electricity is only one of many uses for solar energy. The sun of course is essential to your garden, and it can heat water very cost-effectively, but the most fundamental use of solar energy is in overall design, not a specific material. Good design uses solar radiation to passively and/or actively heat your home, and to help keep it cool.