Many people are familiar with the Sharp television brand, but few may realize that this company is almost 100 years old. Sharp invented the mechanical pencil in 1915, and since has grown to be one of the major international technology providers.

Starting in the mid-1950s Sharp began work on solar panels, even designing the first solar arrays for the aerospace industry. In the early 1980s Sharp again capitalized on the solar power market by distributing a wide variety of solar powered watches and calculators. In 2000 Sharp became the world-wide production leader in solar cells, a place they still hold today, and in 2003 launched a program to bring solar power to American homes.

Sharp has a wide range of products available in the solar module market and several specifically designed for use in grid-tied residential settings. The NE165U1 165 watt solar module connects 72 individual cells in series and weighs less than 38 pounds.

A taller and narrow module topping 61 inches yet only 32 inches wide, the Sharp NE165U1 retails for about $870. A recent improvement to the Sharp product called the OnEnergy Solar System includes an integrated grounding system to make installation easier and faster for residential uses.

The system streamlines installation by requiring fewer roof mounted racks to secure the modules, simplified hardware that only uses two kinds of mounting lugs (meaning fewer tools to haul to the roof), and a set-up that requires less copper wire.