Harness the Sun Solar panels have high up-front costs, but depending on where you live, federal tax credits and state rebates can offset this. Supplier OkSolar is a good source of information on programs in each state. You can also band together with your neighbors on websites such as One Block Off the Grid to get better deals when negotiating with companies. And while not prevalent yet, solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) are starting to roll out to residential users. Sometimes called solar leases, these services allow you to pay either a nominal setup fee or no up-front cost at all (depending on the company) and then pay only for the solar-generated power you use. By removing the high initial cost of solar panels, such agreements could help solar power spread more quickly throughout the country. Currently SolarCity and SunRun are providing this service in California, and both hope to expand to other states in the coming year. If you're not ready to commit to panels, check out Solatube (from $250), a natural lighting system that fits between your rafters and directs natural sunlight into closets and bathrooms.
Solar panels have high up-front costs, but depending on where you live, federal tax credits and state rebates can offset this. Supplier 