If you think solar power and solar batteries aren't the wave of the future, you may be missing out on some exciting possibilities. America is just now starting to take action in the way of policy changes and R&D funding to move away from energy produced from fossil fuels. On August 21st 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger signed the solar power bill that aims to make California the biggest producer of solar energy in the world by 2018 through the installation of 1 million rooftop solar batteries on residential homes, office buildings schools and farms.

Homeowners who outfit their homes with solar batteries will not only benefit from lower energy use costs and higher home resale value, but under Schwarzenegger's new law, they can sell excess power back to their utility company for a profit. Despite all of the evidence pointing to the positive aspects of power generated through solar batteries, including a commitment of $2.9 billion dollar commitment by the California Public Utilities Commission, many people still believe that solar batteries are ineffective for producing adequate power. In this article, we will explore the 3 most common misconceptions and facts surrounding home solar power and the solar battery.

Misconception #1 - I would need to live in a hot area of the country in order to benefit from a solar battery

There are two types of solar panels. One produces heat by absorbing heat from the sun. The other type, solar batteries, use Photovoltaic principles to turn the light from the sun into energy. These solar batteries are made of silicon which becomes electrically charged from the sunlight. The sun is always shining, even in the wintertime which means that solar batteries work year round-even when it doesn't feel hot outside.

Misconception #2 - Using a solar battery will not make that much of an impact on the environment

Unless you believe that reducing greenhouse gasses by 3 million tons for every 1 million homes equip with solar panels isn't a big impact, this misconception is simply untrue. The removal of 3 million tons of greenhouse gasses is roughly the equivalent of eliminating the harmful greenhouse gas emissions of 1 million cars. Multiply this by the total number of homes and residences in the US, and the impact is critical move for a growing population.

Misconception #3- Solar batteries cost more than they save

While it is true that solar batteries do involve more upfront costs than simply plugging into the grid, it's important to look at costs over the long term to get an accurate cost perspective. Solar batteries can continue to produce power steadily for 50 or more years. Once your batteries are installed and producing power, there are no more costs involved with taking energy from the grid. And while grid energy may be affordable now, that doesn't necessarily mean that it will be in the future. We have seen how quickly a limited supply and demand can impact the cost of gasoline.

What's more, if the rest of the US follows California's lead, excess electricity can be sold back to the energy for a profit. Solar batteries also open up new possibilities in home ownership; allowing people to build private getaways and vacation homes in remote, low land cost areas that are off the power grid. With the increased longevity and lower cost of today's solar batteries, homeowners owe it to themselves to explore the possibilities of solar power and to rethink their paradigms about energy costs and homebuilding possibilities.