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Here's a twist on solar power I read recently (I think it was in Discover).

Sorry, I don't have the referenced material handy, so forgive the vague details.

There's some guy with a long track record of successful ventures (not a nut) who says that silicon is not the way to pursue solar power. He has develped working prototypes of focused multi-mirror Stirling engine powered generators. These apparently are self-contained critters about 9 to 12 feet across. He is working to refine the technology and make them yet smaller. Wish I could give you specs on output, etc. The proto-types are pretty expensive, but as with most new technology it will become very affordable once you stop building each one from scratch and put into mass production.

I'm not a scientist but the whole thing sounded very doable. And while Discover isn't a peer-review type publication, they don't print trash science either.