Solar Goes Mainstream. By Scott Sowers, WashPost, August 16, 2008. "Nancy Elam and Dave Levinson... just needed a new roof. But their [Washington, D.C.]... home now represents the hottest trend in solar technology, the integration of power-producing hardware into the roof so that a solar home looks just like every other house on the block. The idea of using the sun to heat water and create electricity is becoming a reality even in perennially partly cloudy Washington. People around the region are tapping tax credits, grants and home equity to add solar thermal and photovoltaic systems to their rooftops. Photovoltaic systems can provide a third to two-thirds of the energy needed to power the house. Solar thermal systems can provide an average home with hot water for 10 to 11 months of the year without having to use electricity or gas. There's also that bit about saving the planet. The investment to install these systems is substantial, payback periods are long, and the economic advantage boils down to a hedge by homeowners against rising energy prices. But advanced designs, government funding and visual improvements are ushering in a new era of solar."
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