Alternative Energy for the Common Person

[Jeff]

I would love to know about people's experiences with alternative energy. What works well, what doesn't, what the costs are after state and federal rebates are factored in. I sense that solar would be a good investment, in addition to being environmentally responsible -- but as someone who is technologically illiterate, I doubt my own ability to make informed choices. Help!!

[Ashwin Kumar]

I guess electric would make more sense combined with solar reducing emissions and costs. The only latest commercial electric vehicle is the tesla roadster... but it costs a bomb today. With time i believe costs should come down. Meanwhile with the petrol prices going up every day, a cheaper option would be to electrify cycles for a comfortable mode of transport. We do have a lot of DIYs available today... hope this helps. :)

[Jeff]

Ashwin: Could you say more about the DIYs?

[Ashwin Kumar]

Jeff: http://www.21wheels.com/elmoto.html

http://www.electric-bikes.com/buying/index.html

http://www.bernsonev.com/izip-mountain-trailz-blue-p-1037.html?name...

http://www.teslamotors.com

Please do check these links which provide DIY[Do it yourself] kits to electrify cycles at affordable rates.

[Paul Vaggen]

Ashwin... I hear what you are saying with the combination of electric with and solar. However by used electric with such devices and vehicles, doesn't this method still contribute to our carbon footprint if we are pulling this electricity from our traditional power grid?

[Ashwin Kumar]

hey Paul. Apologies for my late reply. The argument is valid, but if we were to start implementing this on a mass scale today, it would definitely act as a stop gap arrangement in reducing emissions. While that is being done, we can look at recyclable carbon batteries which would come in handy or even generating power from wastage to power the cycles.

[Mike]

Look at the following links - Earthships are the way to go!

http://earthship.net/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9jdIm7grCY

[Jeff]

Very cool, Mike! I probably will be in Bonaire in May, so I will be sure to check out the Earthship project there!

[Ashwin Kumar]

Hello! Sorry for the late reply... Well, recently here in Chennai, India, the government is on the process of implementing robot carbon trees. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/TN_scientists_branch_out_...

[Zig]

Jeff,

Just a thought. It's really out there, but it does fall under alternative energy. Maybe you could look into the MEG Generator which is an electromagnetic device without moving parts, which includes a permanent magnet and a magnetic core. The core includes two circuits (magnetic paths) which are alternatively pulsed in order to provide induced current pulses in the output coils. Driving electrical current through each of the input coils reduces a level of flux from the permanent magnet within the magnet path around which the input coil extends. The pulsing is critical, in accessing the Zero-Point Energy, and in using The Fifth Element aspect of repeatedly getting into the system for energy extraction and out again before it has to pay the energy conservation price.

I think it's covered under state and federal rebates under "Fringe Science"

See you Saturday.

[Henk Jansma]

A point of interest might be the following consideration: I am living in the Netherlands and working in Germany. Both countries are very comparable in terms of culture. Nevertheless, I noticed that in Germany many more people have installed a solar panel on their roof, and thus producing their own energy. I wondered why this wasn't the case in the Netherlands. I found out that the main difference between the countries is in the Laws concerning the usage of solar panels. In the Netherlands you will have to utilize solar panels for about 15 years, in order to make it worth the investment. In Germany this period is much shorter, due to the the Law that obliges Energy firms to buy the surplus of energy created by the solar panels. I would welcome such a law in the Netherlands as well, since saving money seems to be the most compelling argument in favour of sustainable technology.

[Jeff]

Similar issues here in the U.S., compounded by disparities among state and federal incentives. Most states (about 30 of the 50 last time I checked) have net billing -- ie., require the utilities to buy surplus energy produced by homes or business. In these states, alternative energy thrives (relatively speaking). In Texas, for example, many farmers make more money from their windmills than from their cash crops some years -- and it smooths out their revenues during bad seasons. The challenge for the average American is the up-front cost of purchase and installation, say, of solar panels. Even with state and federal subsidies, it's a hefty chunk of change (and, balanced against that sparkling new SUV.....the cultural incentive isn't much better). Distributed generation (location-specific solar panels, wind turbines, fuel-cell stacks), combined with a smarter grid is definitely the way to go -- it's mainly an issue of getting the right carrots and sticks in the right places.

[Tree Thunderchild]

Hi Jeff, this is the first place I wanted to come to (this discussion).
"I doubt my own ability to make informed choices. Help!! "

The best thing to do, is to learn.......
I totally recommend this to everyone. To start right at the very basic level and there is a larger reason for this too.

Most people I know, do not even know how electricity is made!
How easy is it then, to choose? And choose wisely, and know what your choosing or why?

Now for the "larger reason" before I continue.
The more people who know how, the more we increase our chances of IMPROVING on it!!!!!!!!!
To the benefit of the person who figures out a better way, and to EVERYONE on the face of this earth!

Let me start you on some basics.
If you take some enamel coated copper wire, and wrap it around your hand (or other object) say 200 times.
Then take both ends of that 'coil' and put those into a volt meter.
Then pass a magnet near the coil, that volt meter MOVES.
You have just made electricity.

Getting familiar with that first main step.
Actually DOING it, and SEEING it for yourself, is a real eye opener!

Then learn what a "diode" is.
It is like a gate. It only lets the electricity flow in one direction.
so if I had a battery, a light bulb, and a diode, and I made a closed circuit,
with the diode in this circuit, the light would be on.
But if I turned the diode around, the light would be OFF.
It only lets the electricity flow in ONE direction, not the other.
So, if you take your coil, and pass your magnet across it, you get ALTERNATING CURRENT.
like a sine wave, with natural being in the center line through it.
The diode, traps the + going through one direction, so you get a pulse of electricity, you can use to charge up a battery with.
To go farther, lets take 3 coils. Slightly overlap them, so you pass your magnet across all three one at a time.
Then you get what is called 3 phase power. If you connect your diode then, instead of getting pulses, your getting smoother (still pulsing but not jumping from on to off) output.
Most alternators (alternating current) from the one in your car, to those used in nuclear power plants, make 3 phase power this way.
Your car alternator will likely what is called a bridge rectifier. Do a google search for the wiki on that.
Once you understand how that works?
You have a whole lot more understanding of how it is your making electricity.
And if you USE it? You may want to learn how to MAKE it.
That is a good and highly recommended first step.
And if everyone who used electricity understood it?
We increase by MILLIONS, the chances, of IMPROVING IT.

Let me know after you understand this first part, that you want me to continue.
Its one of those things, that the better you have it "down" and more clearly you understand it,
the easier the rest will be to explain, and there is more!
But knowing, means you can move forward to changing, without doing so like trying to run in the dark,
you know what your doing and can move forward in CONFIDENCE.
And this I think is what is stopping most people.
NOT knowing what to do, because they dont understand what is being done.

Alternative Energy for the Common Person
I live on $200 USD a month. So I guess I am not the "Common Person"
But if "I" can do this?????
Then so can others who live in poverty!
Change.... and those are the ones I want most to help,
but I need to be there and do it myself, before I can show others, how.
But you may be able to benefit also.....
By knowing how, to "do it yourself".
Even if you dont, knowing how, makes a huge difference.