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The hurricanes in the fall of 2005 were a stark reminder of the vulnerability of our domestic supplies of oil and natural gas to severe weather and environmental factors. Not only does solar energy provide reliable access to energy where it is used, but it can supplement energy needs in blackouts and disaster recovery for electricity, water pumping and hot water.

According to the Energy Information Agency, two-thirds of the petroleum and 20 percent of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. is imported from other countries, and U.S. production of both is dropping while consumption continues to rise.

U.S. PV manufacturing grew by 74 percent in 2007 and U.S. PV installations grew by 45 percent - both among the fastest growth rates in the world. Globally, the U.S. is the fourth largest market for PV installations behind world leaders Germany, Japan and Spain..

According to the US Department of Energy, "In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off." Unplugging your chargers, small appliances and other items is essential to combating that kind of energy waste. But, your home's "main drains" of unused electricity are in the entertainment center. When you do, you will really be turning off all those electronic gadgets - saving yourself close to $200 in energy costs a year! <<BACK TO FACTS