To date, I'm not a fanboy of renewable energy... too expensive, too unreliable, not enough power available for all my toys. I "need" roughly ten kilowatts available 24/7/365. More would be better for "special projects". Still, it would be nice to occasionally disconnect from the grid and civilization, but not have to abandon too many toys.
Years ago, when Radio Shack sold components, I purchased a half-dozen bare silicon, single-crystal, solar cells, about a half-inch wide by two inches long at a really exorbitant price (about $6 each IIRC). I was going to use these to power my H-P calculator, until I realized that I would also need them to charge an external battery unless I was willing to intimately marry the calculator to the solar cell array. So much for that bright idea. Then Casio came out with solar calculators with backing button-cells that ran, seemingly forever, on ordinary room light. Besides that, someone stole my H-P calculator while it was stored in a saddle bag on my motorcycle. So I now use my cell phone calculator (mostly) to just figure tips at restaurants. <sigh>
I ran across the solar cells the other day, and may resurrect them to charge some NiMH cells. Be interesting to see how this Florida sunshine (sun shines almost every day) affects their loaded output current. Don't think I need a charge controller for NiMH, but maybe I'll spring for an el-cheapo Asian import charge controller for Li-Ion cells.
Anyhoo, best wishes and good luck on your solar/wind project. Please do post some pictures, and maybe some performance data too.
