I also see need for that challenge. Why? Because if you start a new world, don´t have anything, you need a lot of time to make a startup. You need the resources and the time to gether it for around 3 Maceratore/extractores, the electric furnances and a startup generator. Here it is equal for Wind/Solar-setup. But then you must gather alot of resources for the Solarsetup and only around 1/3 for the Windfarm. in the time you need alone to get the resources for the solarfarm i build you the hole 52 windgems + the plattform. We don´t want to talk about the time you need ti macerate and smelt the iron/glass/copper/tin/etc for the solarfarm and how much more energy you wasted therfor. Another thing is that windgems don´t have to be at the max hight-level for optimal engergy-production see here http://forum.industrial-craft.…ad&threadID=3077&pageNo=3
Now we come to the server part. Do you thing every of our 10 people on the server goes to bed only you have solar-energy? What is if i want to hunt monsters at night or when i am in a cave? Even if one person is afk you didn´t produce energy. So you still need around 2-3 solargenerators for the output of 1 windgem you have to look for wether-effects, day-night-cycle and so on.
I was using solars in my starting-times of IC but since i tested windgens i see no need in solarfarms.
By the way, i can build a house or some farms under my windfarm...what can you build over your solarfarm ?
(Sorry for grammar mistakes, english isn´t my main language so please no trolling on this)