Solar panels seem to be one of those home improvement topics that rotates in and out of popularity. Kind of like efficient cars, eh? When the price of gas goes up everybody wants them. When it drops, here come the SUVs.

Solar panels are like that too. I don’t thing it’s so much a green thing than it is an economical issue. It might be a good time to give it a thought.

Part of Obama’s economic stimulus bill altered available tax credits. One of the changes was that the cap for solar panels went from $500 to $1500. That’s certainly an incentive.

That change also applies to fuel cells, geothermal heat cells, and electricity-producing wind turbines. Don’t try it with a solar water heater for heating your swimming pool, though; they didn’t make the cut. Obama wants to reduce your carbon footprint, but not when it comes to recreation.

Here’s another consideration as well. The administration is keeping it under the radar just now, but when they push in Cap and Trade legislation, your utility bills are going up. Way up. The Heritage Foundation estimates as much as 50%.

So, my outlook is that folks will start taking these things more seriously. And that means a bright business outlook for solar panel manufacturers and electrician installers.