Sun Power

   BrightSource Energy plans to build the world’s largest solar power complex in the Mojave Desert and the Department of Energy has agreed to back their loans. Their project will power 140,000 homes, nearly doubling the amount of solar energy generated in the United States.
   While this news is exciting, why do we continue to think of electrical power only as a product of the power plant, purchased through the grid? Why aren’t we harnessing the power of the sun at every possible site?
   Our homes can be built with the correct orientation to the sun to capture solar energy through passive means and through solar devices. All of our buildings can be designed with architectural features to maximize the benefits of passive solar heat.
   Imagine the benefits if every existing home that could utilize solar energy invested in the technology and reduced their purchased energy consumption by 50%.