It’s time to start thinking inside the box and that box is “green” and it has a little solar panel on top of it and an inverter and possibly a rechargeable battery mounted inside of it. Here is a wonderful low cost solution (under $150 U.S.D.) for creating your own d.i.y. solar energy source.

It’s a dark and stormy night—too dark. Your home has lost power. Fortunately, you’ve got a fully charged power plant, built from an inexpensive solar panel and a rechargeable battery. Eight hours of sun will produce enough juice to watch An Inconvenient Truth—twice—on a portable DVD player. You can even find inverters that will turn the station into an AC outlet. Add additional panels and batteries, and you could power the margarita machine and the flat-panel too.” ~ PopSci.Com

Related Links;
Popular Science | The DIY Solar Charger