Solar Power Could Cost Half As Much 3 Years From Now

Solar power has been so expensive that only the rich and those who have taken advantage of government rebates and tax incentives have invested in the alternative power panels.

But technological advances could bring the price into a middle class range within three years. Some manufacturers say the cost will be half as much then as it is today, according to a story in today's USA Today. By 2014, sun will be no more expensive than burning coal -- the cheapest way to produce electricity today.

Alternatives that use substances other than silicon, or that harvest the heat from the sun -- rather than its light -- are among the promising solutions to the solar problem. These advances can't come soon enough. As a country, we have a burning imperative to invest in alternative sources of energy.

If every home could produce its own electricity, with the use of solar power in combination with other distributed sources, we would be well along our way to solving the twin problems of foreign oil dependence and global warming.

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