Energy: Sun Power Rising   sun and solarpanelsWhile some
homeowners stuff their hard-earned dollars under mattresses in
an uncertain economy, others hang them outside for all to see—on
rooftop solar panels. "Where else can you invest in something
that's not going away?" asks Randy Feriante, owner of Dura-Foam
Solar Center, a Menlo Park-based solar-electric dealer.
"Everybody needs electricity."  California is the nation's
leader in rooftop solar, with well over half the country's
installed capacity. There's good reason why: California's
electricity rates have historically increased by 6.7 percent per
year, and prices continue to rise.  That's why the state
launched the California Solar Initiative in 2007, in an effort
to drive solar-electric systems (also known as photovoltaic or
PV systems) on a mass scale. The goal is to improve the state's
energy supply, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reach 3,000
megawatts installed by 2018.  Funded by utility customers across
the state, the $3 billion program offers