Solar Energy Ads: The Strangest Commercials From Around The World

From Mother Nature Network's Chris Turner:

This week, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced plans to double the solar power capacity on the Garden State's grid - doubling down on the state's national lead in new solar installations for 2012 - which inspired San Jose Mercury News energy reporter Dana Hull to post this message to Twitter: "Imagining the great ad campaign for solar in NJ: Springsteen, Gandolfini." Which in turn inspired two things in me. First, a brief daydream about Tony Soprano talking up "this thing of ours" as Paulie Walnuts hussled a crew up a ladder to install solar panels while the Boss howled, "Born in the USA!" Second, a sort of open question: How do solar companies pitch themselves, anyway? I can't remember ever seeing a TV commercial for solar panels, but they had to be out there in the YouTube wilds, didn't they?

I soon discovered that there actually isn't much in the way of slick solar advertising. And what TV spots there are make for some curious viewing. Here are the seven strangest, slickest and most curious.

List and captions courtesy of Mother Nature Network