I recently overheard a conversation that made me think. A man, who was clearly respected by his friends as someone knowledgeable, commented that solar wasn’t ready for prime time because it isn’t efficient enough. But is this true?

The simple answer is “no.” Solar is plenty efficient. The solar electric panels that go on your roof are 15%-20% efficient. Solar hot water systems are about three times more efficient since they heat water directly. So the most intelligent system consists of a couple of solar hot water panels and a roof full of photovoltaic (electric) panels.

But still, you might be waiting for systems to get much more efficient. After all, semiconductors get faster and cheaper every year. If you did this, you’d be making  a mistake.

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