Wow, what an inspiring story. Mike owns property in a remote area of Arizona which is perfect for his astronomy hobby, but a little less so since there's no electricity there! Wanting a few 21st century conveniences, Mike built his own solar panel using parts he bought on E-bay and a few items from his local hardware store -- and he did it for $105!
You can read a bit more on his story, and find complete directions at How I built an electricity producing solar panel
While you're on Mike's site, click the link to see the wind turbine Mike built for only $141 - he's got complete directions for that as well.
