Home Solar panels have to be manufactured in a plant that emits
polluntants into the atmosphere, nuclear waste is an issue that we have
no viable answer to, so wind is a good source as long as you live in a
windy area( and not in a bird migration path).
I am familiar with the solar towers, but they only function during the
day, and the vast area they take up means that you can't just put one up
in your backyard.
a 100MW gas turbine plant can fit in a small commuter parking lot, that
same capacity solar plant needs 475 acres(taken from your link).
They are great for deserts. I think we should cover the Sahara and
Death Valley with solar plants.
I do see a use for our vast parking lots at the super malls though. It
would keep the cars cool that are parked under neath and provide
electricity.
We have the technology to make even the dirtiest coal burning power
plants produce clean energy, it all comes down to cost. People balk at
high energy prices that is why solar has not been popular, and even
today the payback period with the high electric rates is 7 years with
hefty government incentives. A system to do a house is about $40,000,
and that is only to reduce your bill by 30-50% in Maryland. Most don't
have access to that much extra capital to invest in a $40,000 electric
car and a home solar system.
Mike
John Emmerling wrote:
To be fair, you are overlooking:
1.) Nuclear
2.) Wind
3.) Solar*
and with regard to transmission loss, don't forget that home solar
power generators are already becoming practical, it wouldn't surprise
me to see them in widespread use within 10 years.
*see
http://www.abengoasolar.com/sites/solar/es/nuestros_proyectos/plataforma_solucar/index.html
for an example of what is currently possible with Solar power
generation on a large scale.
On Wed, Oct 15, 2008 at 9:43 AM, Michael Drabick <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
*Kudos to Betty* for pointing out that this miracle electric car pollutes
just as the gas engine.
Power plants have an efficiency rating of less than 50%(except Hydro 95%,
Tidal90%)see link1. Then you have transmission losses, getting the power
many miles to the end consumer (7.2% losses)see link2. And keep in mind
that Hydro produces the same emissions as a power plant due to the rotting
vegetation at the bottom of the flooded area.See link 3&4
"Most steel engines have a thermodynamic limit of 37%. Even when aided with
turbochargers and stock efficiency aids, most engines retain an /average/
efficiency of about 18%-20%." link5
*That means that a car using a Power plant, only increases the efficiency by
20%-25%.
So it is not an emissions free vehicle as it is marketed.*
Mike
Sources:
1 Power point Presentation By KEMA see slide 11
http://www.umweltbundesamt.at/fileadmin/site/umweltthemen/industrie/IPPC_Konferenz/donnerstag_kraftwerke/6-_Van_Aart.ppt
2 Wiki entry - scroll down to losses
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_power_transmission
3 World Commission on Dams report
http://www.dams.org/news_events/press357.htm
4 "Hydroelectric power's dirty secret revealed"
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7046
5Wiki entry - scroll down to energy efficiency
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_combustion_engine
b_s-wilk wrote:
On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 8:52 AM, Steve Rigby <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
The auto industry will have to undo decades of pushing the concept
that
driving is an enjoyable experience and is part and parcel, perhaps
even most
of the reason for choosing one car over another for purchase. That'll
be a
damn hard sell, in my opinion, and perhaps almost impossible to
accomplish.
What auto industry? Are you even paying attention?
--
There's a big American auto industry, in case you haven't noticed. Honda's
in Ohio, Nissan's in Tennessee, Toyota's in California; Mitsubishi, Subaru,
Hyundai, BMW, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz are also have models made in the US;
VW will have a plant in Alabama. Ford's overseas units are running at a
profit, but they're hurting here because they still depend on gas/diesel
hogs in the US market where gas has been relatively cheap. When they bring
in the successful overseas cars that get >40mpg, some will sell well here,
especially those with 4 and 5-star EuroNCAP crash test ratings [Aygo, Fiat
500]. Anyone for a Ford Ka? Fiat 500? Ford Fiesta? Toyota Aygo [Peugeot 107,
Citroen C1]? Ligier Nova? GM Chevy Matiz?
I have my doubts about pure electric cars. Batteries aren't ready.
Electricity is not a good way to move vehicles, except maybe designs with
the motorized wheels. Electric cars may not pollute like petro powered
cars--they're worse, and will be until the electricity is powered by clean
renewables, instead of dirty sources like petro, coal and nukes.
As for self-driving cars, they're only as good as the people who program
and use them. Computers did a terrible job of improving vehicle energy
efficiency, so I don't expect computers to do a good job of something so
complicated as driving. There's a sensible solution: public transportation,
heavy rail like the DC Metro rail system. Just don't hire contract temps who
text while driving. Oh, right, those trains are automated. Otherwise we'll
wait for energy efficient cars with 'avoidance' technology, but not a
computer making all the decisions. HAL? HELLO?
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*Mike Drabick
HDH Construction Consultants, Inc
200 Harry S. Truman Parkway
Suite 220
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-571-1100
410-571-1177 Fax*
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*Mike Drabick
HDH Construction Consultants, Inc
200 Harry S. Truman Parkway
Suite 220
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-571-1100
410-571-1177 Fax*
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