Knowing efficiencies of the commercially available solar panels are quite low, and other factors such as angle of the sun affect performance, figured soulcat must have some new tech panels (equate cutting edge silicon and probably high dollar). I missed the 'this year' and not in one year. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

At ~0.07/kWh energy costs here it's hard to justify solar, and we're not quite far enough South (how's the solar incidence angle in the sunny Pacific NW?)

The benefits of alternative power are obvious, can they evolve quicj enough? They can't build wind farms fast enough to stay ahead of the demand. Coal fired power plants (worldwide) will make the emissions of a few Hummer's pale by comparison. Major problem, USA and China are sitting on unlimited (200-300 yr) supplies of coal and it's cheap.