Essential Skill #33: Harvest the Sun

As impossible as it seems in our world today, as many as two billion people do not have elecricity. Add to that the other billion people whose only source of power is batteries, kerosene and candles, and that's one-third of the global population living in what author David de Rothschild calls "energy poverty." In response, he points to Essential Skill #33 in The Live Earth Global Warming Handbook:

Harvest the sun.

Not only is solar power a good idea for people who are literally living in the dark in many developing countries, but it's also a great answer to the problem of global warming. Solar energy is a renewable resource that can replace the coal-fired power plants that generate most of our electricity today.

Of course, the problem is cost. "The price of solar systems is coming down," writes de Rothschild, "though a set of rooftop panels can still cost thousands of dollars."

One solution to the problem of cost is the example set by residents in Portola Valley, California. By joining together in their purchase of solar panels at a bulk discount, they saved 30% off the regular price. It's known as the Collective Power Program. Similar programs have spread throughout California and are moving into five other states this year.

Remember though, this high cost of solar is only temporary.

"Solar power's costs are predicted to match coal's by 2010," writes author David de Rothschild. "Soon, solar will be embedded in virtually everything, from shingles and windows to the tops of cars, with every bit of solar power displacing electricity produced from fossil fuel."

For more information on getting bulk discounts on solar systems for your community, check out this link to Solar City. Though they may not offer the program in your part of the country just yet, it will at least get you moving in the right direction.