Introduction 1 Part 1: Here Comes the Sun 5 Chapter 1: Solar Power in Today's Energy Transition 7 Chapter 2: Understanding Your Energy Use 19 Chapter 3: Pondering How the Sun Powers Our World 35 Part 2: Investing in Residential Solar: Powering Your Home 49 Chapter 4: Deciding Whether Solar Power Is Right for Your Home 51 Chapter 5: Making Your Home More Energy Efficient 67 Chapter 6: Getting the Gist of How Installation Works 81 Chapter 7: Paying for Solar at Home 95 Chapter 8: Living with Solar 107 Chapter 9: Going off the Grid 117 Part 3: Examining Commercial and Industrial Solar Projects 133 Chapter 10: Seeing Why Businesses Go Solar 135 Chapter 11: Enhancing the Power System You Have 145 Chapter 12: Choosing Financing and Ownership Options. 157 Part 4: Utility-Scale Solar: Powering the Grid 171 Chapter 13: Describing Solar Power at Utility-Scale 173 Chapter 14: Following the Journey of a Project 183 Chapter 15: Finding Out Who Buys the Power 199 Part 5: Seeing What's Next for Solar: The Future Is Bright. 209 Chapter 16: Establishing Space-Based Solar Power 211 Chapter 17: Charging Batteries and Beyond: Storing the Sun 221 Chapter 18: The Future of Solar Cells 235 Chapter 19: Making Solar Smart with Software 247 Part 6: The Part of Tens 253 Chapter 20: Ten Smart Moves before Adopting Solar 255 Chapter 21: Ten of the Best Benefits of Going Solar 263 Chapter 22: Ten Misconceptions about Solar Power 271 Glossary 279 Index 285.