Solar panels are very cheep to buy costing about $400 a square foot not including the instilation fee. Some solar panel systems can cost up to $50,000. Depending on what state you live in the cost will change greatly and some states will even give you a credit to go toward the cost so you can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Even though these panels cost a lot, they last over 40 years! That more than pays for themselves. Solar is a definate trend because the sun will always be around, but you do not get any energy at night when the sun goes down and you get a small amount when it rains. Even though you only get energy half of the day, it still saves you lots of money in the long run.