Starting now, you can purchase easy-to-install solar photovoltaics from Lowe’s, carrying them home and installing them yourself, if you so desire. This first-ever, off-the-shelf option was recently announced by Akeena Solar Inc and is a way for DIY consumers to get the renewable energy system they want.

Akeena Solar is a manufacturer and installer of solar power systems and has hooked up with 21 Lowe’s home improvement stores in California to offer these plug-and-play solar panels to the general public.  Packages include racking, wiring, grounding, and all of the other parts needed to produce your own energy. Plus they have built-in inverters so they output AC power, which means no high-voltage wiring is required. These simple systems are supposedly to be installed easily by experienced do-it-yourselfers as well as electricians and HVAC contractors.

Barry Cinnamon, CEO of Akeena Solar, had this to say:

“The PC revolution in the computer industry occurred when new technology made PCs easy to use and affordable. Likewise, with panels becoming plug-and-play appliances, the solar revolution has started. The availability of solar panels in Lowe’s stores makes it easy for homeowners to go solar and is a big step toward getting solar on every sunny rooftop.”

The award-winning solar panels will be in Lowe’s Energy Centers where customers, using an interactive information kiosk, create their own unique energy plan according to their budget and energy goals. Additional energy-saving products will also be available in the Energy Centers.

The good news is that Lowe’s Energy Centers will be added to more stores throughout the US and Canada during 2010.