So today we’re going to delve into one of the most important pieces of your solar energy system: the inverter. The solar energy that your PV solar panels capture is naturally direct current (DC), meaning it flows in a single direction. The inverter converts the electricity into alternating current (AC), so that the it can flow in back and forth and feed electricity to different areas of your home.

Just last week, we introduced you to the LED solar pebble — a dependable and easily transportable source of solar power that can be used in rural areas that lack a steady source of electricity. Today, it’s the solar refrigerator — an equally fascinating and useful development that is also very useful in those same remote areas.

Trust me, it’s much more significant than it sounds. The solar pebble is not one of those “cool-but-who-really-needs-that” solar gadgets that we sometimes see. It’s actually a very significant development, specifically for people living in rural parts of Africa using kerosene lamps. According to Inhabitat, kerosene poisoning in some of the most remote and poorest parts of the world kills someone every 2o seconds. The solar pebble is a game-changer with the potential to eliminate the need for such a toxin.

Biennially since 2002, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has held the solar decathlon — a competition between 20 university teams from around the world that design, construct and operate homes that are affordable, energy efficient and attractive.

We hear it all the time. Homeowners don’t want to invest in a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) energy system for their home because, with the steady progress of solar technology and panel efficiency these days, there will be a better, more efficient system available as soon as their system is installed. It’s the same reasoning people use for not buying a new computer, cell phone or car.

Tony Sarich, co-founder of American Modular Systems (AMS), has constructed California’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certified winery, with an accompanying LEED Gold certified home to soon follow.

Google.org has made it widely known that it intends to aid the progression of renewable energy development in any way possible. The company is pushing for quicker development of rechargeable vehicles through its Recharge IT Project and, though its RE<C program, is trying to develop one gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy capacity in the next few years at a price that is cheaper than one GW of coal-based electricity. One GW is enough to power a city roughly the size of San Francisco for a full day. Each of these initiatives is part of Google.org's Clean Energy 2030 Plan — a proposal on how to shift the global economy from one that depends on fossil fuels to one that is based on clean energy.

Here are some ways you can help out, as well as examples of things already being done to teach kids how valuable and important solar energy is…

Some of the best states to install a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) energy system are on the east coast: Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania come right to mind. At this time of the year, these states are also known for their heavy snowfall.

A rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system is a long-term deal. The average warrantee on a solar PV system is about 25 years. You can do a lot in over two decades, including change your address. So what happens to that rooftop PV system when you sell your home?