THE NEW YORK TIMES ON SOLAR POWER:

With a $2,000 federal tax credit and generous rebates from states like New Jersey and California, it has never cost less to install a solar power system.

And it still makes no economic sense. You might want photovoltaic solar panels to generate your own electricity out of a belief that you will save the planet. But, as is the case with hybrid vehicles, you certainly should not do it to save money.

You may go solar, though, in order to encourage the new technology, or in order to demonstrate your own commitment to clean energy. I’d guess that those are Al Gore’s motivations.