According to Green Remodeling by David Johnston and Kim Master, the sun produces energy “equivalent to a 180-watt light bulb burning perpetually for every square meter (nine square feet) on Earth.” In addition, the authors state that the “solar energy influx” is enough to support 7,000 times our current energy needs. Yet, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2005, only about six percent of all energy consumed, and about nine percent of total electricity production was from renewable energy sources, of which solar power is merely a part.

The problem resides in how we currently produce our power. Most of the energy we consume is created by the burning of nonrenewable fossil fuels like natural gas, coal, etc. Almost 50 percent of our power is produced from coal burning power plants, with about 30 percent coming from nuclear and gas power. With the exception of nuclear, this process creates air pollution in the form of carbon emissions (thought to contribute to global warming). As these resources are depleted, they will become more expensive (and the intense scrutiny given to global warming is set to apply more pressure to the industry) and alternative sources will become more important.

Solar power is a clean alternative and is expected to gain prominence in the coming decades. There are three methods to capture solar power and put it to work for you:

1. Thermal Energy. This simply means using the heat of the sun to heat and cool your house. Passive Solar Energy is obtained simply by designing your house to maximize the heat of the sun and keep your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer (since the angle of the sun is different in the winter and summer, this is done through the use of overhangs that shade the sun in the summer, but allow it to flow in freely in the winter).

2. Photovoltaic Panels. This refers to the solar panels that can be installed on or around the home or business that convert sunlight into electricity. Positive Energy, Inc. in Las Cruces (of the popular Santa Fe company responsible for 40 percent of all solar energy installations in New Mexico) installs grid tide photovoltaic systems that provide solar electricity. The grid tide system uses no batteries (a common complaint of solar energy) and uses electric grid as storage for the power it produces. This way, the solar panels power the user’s house, then the excess goes into the grid. That energy goes into the neighbor’s house or the next nearest source, and the consumer’s electric meter will actually run backwards.

The benefit of this, according to Mark Westbrock of Positive Energy, Inc. is, “You are producing your own electricity from the suns rays as opposed to buying it from an electric company that is producing it by burning natural gas. It is taking responsibility for your own energy use.”

It is a big initial investment, but your electricity is free thereafter.

3. Buy Renewable Energy. Most electric companies now allow consumers to subscribe to a clean power source. In essence, the company erects and maintains solar or wind power farms, and for a few dollars more a month, sells credits to the power coming from them. The power goes into the grid like all other electricity, but once all the credits are gone, they have to build more facilities to increase the output, thus increasing the percentage of renewable energy being fed into the system. “That is a good option for people that want to support renewable energy but can’t afford to pay for it on their own,” Westbrock says.