I love advances in technology as much as everyone, but sometimes its just the application of technology that makes all the difference. The selling of easy to install relatively low cost solar panels is going to make all the difference in terms of energy production that might make the most hard headed anti-environmental douchebag consider a pair of these.

Costco to Sell Home Solar Panel Kits

Next time you're at your neighborhood Costco, you might consider picking up a home solar energy kit along with your three month supply of toilet paper. The big box store, a favorite of many small business owners and big families, will soon sell solar panels from Eugene, Oregon-based Grape Solar.

Costco will offer 880W, 2300W, 3680W or 5060W ready-to-install kits. A purchase will set you back from between $3,600 to around $18,000, but you will be eligible for tax rebates, depending on where you live. Plus you can feel good about creating your own energy at a time when we need every bit of demand to go down for dirty fuel.

The Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) reported that solar power in the US was set to double in 2010. SEIA estimated that nearly 1 gigwatt would be installed in all residential, commerical, and utility-scale systems.

From Grape Solar's press release:

In order to make this tremendous undertaking possible, and bring such a complex product to consumers, Grape Solar has established a network of 5000+ installers across the country to provide local customer support. "At first I was concerned that Grape Solar was undercutting us by taking such a direct approach to the end user, but with the increased customer awareness and the steady stream of referrals, our business has been booming," says Ray Baxter, General Manager of Arizona Power-save, an Arizona-area installer.

The Home Solar Power kits are grid-tied systems that include Grape Solar panels, inverters, and racking systems that are ready to install onto a home or other roofed structure. This easy to install kit is designed with the potential for future expansion in mind. The consumer is able to start small, and generate a portion of their own power consumption, or upgrade and make the power company pay them by generating additional power that is sold back onto the utility grid. Users can create larger systems by linking more of the easily connected kits to one another.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/04/costco-solar.php