Solar panels can not only reduce your home electricity costs significantly, but you can now purchase them at a lower cost thanks to rising production and growing consumer demand. The number of photovoltaic cell manufacturers rose nearly fivefold between the years 2000 and 2009. And as of 2013, the United States was fourth in the world in terms of solar power generation. But keep in mind that once your solar panels have been installed, you'll need to properly maintain them to get the most bang for your buck.