In many countries in warm climates, many
homes have some kind of solar system on the roof, though more
often for hot water than for electricity. Why is that
less common in the US? Because electricity from the
power grid is reliable and relatively cheap, but also because
regulations have not favored it. In particular, the
controversy is over net-metering--if you have a PV solar unit
on your home, on what terms can you sell excess energy you
produce back to the power company? How has solar electric
power improved, and which is its current and potential impact
on society? What is the impact of politics on this
technology? Please pick one US state (or territory) to
examine laws and current debates over regulation. Make
sure to focus only on solar electric power systems on the
roofs of homes and small businesses.