Where once solar power generation was restricted to the realm of big business, or at least moderately wealthy, that is no longer the case. All around the world, homeowners are getting involved with solar power generation, proving beyond doubt that the time has come for the emergence of solar power generation as a contender energy source for the reduction of dependence on more conventional fuels.

What is solar power?
Solar power generation itself is a bit of a misnomer. The light of the sun which reaches us is filled with heat, a primary method of dissipating energy in physics. So instead of creating power from sunlight, it is only necessary to translate that raw energy into a form that is more useful to human needs. This could be as simple as a water heating unit composed of black colored pipes and mounted over a reflective surface, as as complex as a whole house system which stores power in batteries for use during times when the sun is not available. Either way, it is a conversion that takes place, rather than being true solar power generation.

What is Solar Conversion Efficiency?
Many people point to the conversion efficiency of solar panels as an indication of the fruitlessness of the act, but that, too, is a common myth about solar power generation. While it is true that the maximum conversion was once around 30%, those numbers are based on old-style solar collectors, and today the actual efficiency is closer to 66%, and getting better as technology improves. And even at 66%, the efficiency of your solar power generation is equal or higher to that you'd expect from a gasoline engine. The difference is that solar energy doesn't emit toxic gases when it is not fully converted, the way a fossil fuel powered engine will do. Instead, unused energy is either absorbed as heat (which can be further converted), or reflected back into space. This means that solar power not only provides nearly equal efficiency, but it contributes nothing to global warming.

For Family - For the Planet
Many people, myself included, consider solar power generation as the only truly viable form of energy production. It makes uses of raw energy that is delivered entirely free of charge to our planet, and uses it in a way that is both beneficial to people and promotes a healthy environment. The only downside of solar power generation has always been the cost, but even that has come down dramatically in the last few years. Solar power generation has become more economical, and that gets it past the final hurdle which has prevented people from using it for so long.