We were recently asked via email whether or not we knew anything about solar generators, and if so would we be willing to make a recommendation.  Well… not really, so I’m passing this question along.

I will say that I recently purchased the 1800 Watt Solar Generator that is sold by “Solutions From Science”.  While I must admit that I haven’t really put it through much of a test yet, I can say that it was certainly easy to use.  It is essentially a “plug and play” unit that powers items as promised, so I’m confident that it will be very good to have if/when needed.  But, I don’t have much experience with it yet.  The normal price for this unit is about $1,500, but I was able to pick it up at a recent scratch and dent sale for about $500 less (still warranted, of course!).

Does anyone else have experience with this unit or others that they can share?  Like…

1.  Have you tried mounting the solar panel in a fixed location?
2.  Is there a practical way (besides a window) to route the charging cable inside from the panel?
3.  Has anyone tried using this unit on a “supplemental” basis to reduce power bills? 
4.  Are there other units that you would recommend?

How about wind generators?  Any experience to share with those?  It would be nice to find a low cost way to generate alternative power.  Any help out there?

We may be wise to plan ahead now for hyper inflation or the inevitable resurrection of the cap and trade issue!!  So, would appreciate any information you can share.