i heard solar energy was about 1/4th of a dollar while natural gas was only 1/10th. can someone fill me in on this? (:
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if you include the cost of capital, solar power costs more than electrical power. Natural gas is cheaper than electric, so that means natural gas is cheaper than solar.
It actually varies per area. The cost of 1 kwh in say Arizona is cheaper than the same amount in Ohio. But you are on track with the costs. The problem is that you are talking about 23% of the US power for Natural Gas vs. 1% of Solar. You cant really compare the two on economies of scale, until solar gains more of a market.
You didnt specify. If you mean passive solar heating on a house, this can reduce energy needed from other sources. If you mean using a solar-heating type unit, this can be quite expensive, but varies considerably on your climate and the sunlight you receive.
If you mean photovoltaic power, or electricity directly, You can get solar panels for approximately $ 5 per watt nowadays. (which is extremely expensive for most people, considering an average house would need about 1000 kWh per month of electricity, and solar cells only work on sunny days, and even then, they only become efficient when in direct sunlight.