Depending on the type of consumer solar panels, the technology can power your home's security system, store energy in batteries for portable electricity, and even heat your pool. Yes, you read ...

In the early 198os, my dad installed a solar thermal panel on our roof in Florida. For a 5-year-old, the big black square ...

Essentially, it allows the water heater to get much hotter during times when solar energy is available, and lets it drop to lower values before running the heater on utility electricity during ...