Building a solar still for car fuel is unlikely

Where can I get plans for a solar still so as to provide fuel for my car and tractor? Mary L. Fleming Huntington, N.Y.

There are farmers -- in Nebraska, for example -- who take corn residue, distill it, and make ethanol for burning in their cars and tractors. However, adds Keith Randall of the Northeast Solar Energy Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts: "I don't believe there are the solar mechanics available to create the kind of that required for the purpose you suggest."

Be that as it may, why don't you give a call to the Solar Heating and Cooling Information Center in Rockville, Maryland. The toll-free number is: (800) 523- 2929.

If it doesn't have the data you need, and if it believes it to be available, it will tell you where you can get it.