In Defense of Solar Thermal

<a href=”http://news.com.com/Shrinking+the+cost+for+solar+power/2100-11392_3-6182947.html“>Solar Thermal</a> has yet to be given the kind of sexy market makeover that other renewables, like photovoltaics, have received. And why?

Solar thermal is not only the best proven solar technology to date, but also provides the quickest return on investment.

The problem for solar thermal is that it is basically harder to make a water heater seem as vital and interesting a contribution to saving the planet as more cutting-edge technologies. Solar panels are showing up in architectural digestsoofs, hybrids are touted as the automotive option for the hip and eco-conscious, and yet very few people recognize how excellently solar thermal systems continue to heat pools, radiant heat floors, or just regular household hot water, with incredibly clean, low-cost energy that largely replaces emissions-generating natural gas.