generating enough power to live off the grid, i don’t see how you can be confused just because it in not happening in your backyard.

the pv cells collect the energy which is stored in a batter and can be used later. some people in know heat ther swimming pools with solar power as they do with their homes and are completely living off the grid, and selling the access power they generate back to the hydro companies.

seems pretty believable and simple to me.
References :

Well putting a couple panels on your roof is not going to cut it. there is a lot more to it then that. after the energy is created from the solar panels then it has to go to a DC to AC inverter (Grid-Tied Inverter if you want to sell back to the grid). plus it takes quite a few solar panels and a huge investment to power your house. Wind turbines are cheaper though because wind turbines produce more watts per dollar (100 watt solar panel= $400, while 1500 watt wind turbine= $800), and they can go all night long.

How does photovoltaic (PV) (Solar) technology work?

PV takes advantage of the characteristics of impure silicon crystals. Pure silicon is not electrically active, because its atoms are locked into a solid crystal structure. There are no spare electrons, and no open spots for electrons. Silicon impurities create crystal with either a slight tendency to lose electrons or a slight tendency to attract them. When the two kinds of silicon are placed close together and exposed to sunlight, photons (particles of light) knock electrons loose on the unattractive side. An electrical current is created as electrons travel across the junction to the attractive side.

Sunlight is composed of particles of energy called photons. When sunlight strikes a PV material, photons will either pass through, be reflected, or be absorbed. If the photon is absorbed, its energy will be transferred to an electron in an atom of the PV material. With new energy, the electron is able to escape from its normal position in orbit around that atom. In this way, the electron can become part of, and augment, the current in an electrical circuit. This photovoltaic effect is the basic physical process through which sunlight is converted into electricity.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are made of similar materials and take advantage of the same physical principles, but in reverse. Powering LEDs with a PV panel works compatibly: photons in, electrons out; electrons in, photons out.

If you have any specific questions about wind turbines or solar panels feel free to email me at go_green@mountainwindnsolar.com
References :
Owner of Mountain Wind & Solar
http://mountainwindnsolar.com

One of the things that has been promoted in some magazines and in some online forums- and is illegal in the manner most do it, has been for people to go out and buy a panel, a charge controller and an inverter and just plug that into their wall outlet- a very unsafe practice, but people do it.

The power company, when they install a system that complies with their standards, you are not getting paid an enhanced rate, you are still selling the power back to them at a lower rate than what they would charge you to use that same amount of energy.

What is usually most cost effective for people is to simply cut their usage. You can do that by looking at the "half program" on the site http://www.builditsolar.com
References :

To build a solar panel for cheap.. at under $1.00 per watt is easily done.

you will need
aluminum angle, rivets, drill, polycarbonate sheets, soldering iron, 12 gauge wire
and a AC-DC converter depending on your electronics watts requirements.
References :
http://www.thekpv.com