I first became interested in solar power back in the 1970's when I was growing up. We went through two oil embargos, and the price of gasoline skyrocketed from 29 cents a gallon in the early 1970's to as much as $1.50 a gallon in 1980.
I became interested in solar power not because it was environmentally smart, but because it seemed a good defensive measure-it was a source of energy that didn't hold us hostage to someone else.
I still like the self reliance aspect of solar power-I rigged up solar panels in an apartment I had a few years ago to charge a battery that powered my TV and a fan. However there is now the more serious issue of global warming. I've always thought it wasn't true-there wasn't enough hard evidence to back it up. The past few years have been warmer than usual, which is a little disconcerting.
In any event, solar power is the way to go to minimize green house gasses. My main interest has been with photovoltaic cells. I'm hoping to use some in an electric car I'm building. For now here are some links to solar cell sites on the web: