Nanosolar Sheets
Ok, so this might not be the first thing you choose when hiking into the bush for a couple months but it's really cool for those who have a cabin way the heck out there and need a little electricity. (might be old news, I only heard of it last week)
The problem with solar panels of the past was they were expensive (being based on silicon, not the most economically friendly material around) and heavy (double glass sheets, silicon cells, tons of wiring) so it was impractical to haul out any decent sized solar array on your pack. But here comes a new technology of solar panels NOT based on silicon that can be printed like paper! I think the cost is down to 30%/watt less than coal and somewhere around dirt cheap.
http://www.nanosolar.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanosolar
It's like carrying a slightly bendable plastic sheet with you! Crazy lightweight!
If I ever get around to building a log cabin of my own, I'm coating the entire roof in this stuff. Only problem I can see is that the company who owns the patent is back ordered for 5-something years.Glad it caught on!
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