Another more practical and immediate arguement might be that an electric boat with it's own power supply (wind, solar, regeneration) is a great alternative dwelling in an emergency.
I know this is a bit of a stretch, because many boats go into storage in the winter (and some are more vulnerable than your home), but hey any justification helps when you are "throwing money into a hole in the water" right?
Richard
--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Kevin Pemberton <pembertonkevin@...> wrote:
>
> Myles,
>
> I have kind of avoided this thread but what the heck. Off grid makes
> incandescent lighting a large energy user. This is of course minor in
> comparison to other items in the home. If people would quit thinking
> inside the box and see other options for the larger energy users I think
> we could all benefit. Consider that for most places in the US we can
> receive 1000W heat energy per meter square. After losses we will likely
> only collect 500W per meter square. This figure is still pretty good
> considering what we can expect from a square meter of PV panels. This
> heat can heat the house, water, and make ice.
>
> Our real problem today is people are spoiled by quick easy energy. With
> rising prices many will consider the cost and many may switch to lower
> power energy supplies, but we have short memories and will soon forget
> sticker shock, reverting to our old ways.
>
> When Thomas Edison spoke of his new development, the nickel iron
> battery, the ICE had not yet taken complete control of the market, but
> his thoughts on the matter were still that he would take a ton of coal
> any day. Development in the electric vehicle lags because convenience
> won, not because it was better for anyone. For those that believe it is
> best to become green will change, not because it will ever be easy, but
> because they can't justify continuing down the road that has reduced the
> US to what it is today.
>
> Oil spills, Fracking, and other ecology nightmares that feed our hunger
> for power likely will not change. I commend anyone that considers their
> part in the fight. We will likely not be noticed but that seems not to
> matter among those that won't sell their ?#?#?# (you fill in the
> blank). Don't expect the world to change however unless things fall
> apart, and we go back into the dark ages.
>
> Kevin Pemberton
>
> On 04/23/2011 10:37 AM, Myles Twete wrote:
> >
> > Brief Off-topic response: Lighting often is but a small fraction of
> > one’s home electric usage. In our case, our water heater uses 50-70%
> > of our electricity and the refrigerator comes in 2^nd place---after
> > that, our washer/dryer usage. Then I’d guess it’s a close race
> > between lighting and all the gadgets plugged in without timers or
> > Energy Star ratings.
> >
> > So we could go 100% LED and it wouldn’t help us much at all.
> >
> > Given your focus on LED lighting, I’d guess you are heating your home
> > and water with natural gas…
> >
> > -mt
> >
> > *From:*electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> > [mailto:electricboats@yahoogroups.com] *On Behalf Of *Mike
> > *Sent:* Saturday, April 23, 2011 5:09 AM
> > *To:* electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> > *Subject:* Re: [Electric Boats] BP oil spill, one year later... why
> > are we into electric boats?
> >
> > My motivation is to just do it! Don't wait or depend on government or
> > industry. Use what you can now and buy or build what you need to suit
> > your needs. Eventually, if you have a system that works reliably and
> > economically others will be interested in too. But, first it has to
> > meet your needs. For example four years ago my 1986 Mazda 323 just
> > stopped running. Even though it had only 76,000 miles on it finding
> > parts was getting to be a problem. So I needed a new car. I could have
> > gone out an bought a Prius but, it did not make sense to buy it
> > economically for the amount and type of miles I drive. So I bought a
> > low end Honda at 1/3 the cost. It meet my needs and I was able to
> > convert my boat to EP with the money saved. I thought about the idea
> > of converting to electric propulsion the same way. Thinking about the
> > pros and cons. I'm currently converting my house to a solar powered
> > LED lighting system. I can't afford one of those systems costing
> > thousands of dollars even after the government tax credits and the
> > hoops you have to jump through to get them. I'm doing it myself little
> > by little, room by room. I now have a systems that meets my needs
> > powered entirely by the sun at a reasonable price. Every grid
> > connected light I don't turn on is not only good for the environment
> > it is also good for my wallet as I'm not using grid power for most of
> > the lighting and of course if a storm should knock out power my house
> > will still be lit. All from one 75 watt solar panel. Like EP in my
> > boat it will probably be more reliable than the grid power in the long
> > run too. What got me thinking about my house LED lighting system? My
> > experience living on my boat for half the year. I saw how things were
> > working on my boat after I started converting the lights on board to
> > LED's. I thought why won't this work in my house? Why not indeed! So I
> > just did it. Other benefits followed. Like Greg I discovered going to
> > EP also made me a better sailor but, it also made me not hesitate to
> > call on using my electric propulsion system when sailing too! Unlike
> > when I would hate to have to fire up the noisy vibrating diesel. Now I
> > now don't mind turning on the switch to help move the boat along when
> > I need to. So it has also enhanced the sailing experience in a very
> > positive way too.
> >
> > Capt. Mike
> >
> > http://biankablog.blogspot.com <http://biankablog.blogspot.com/>
> >
> >
> >
> > --- On *Sat, 4/23/11, Richard /<rwsandersii@...>/* wrote:
> >
> >
> > From: Richard <rwsandersii@...>
> > Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] BP oil spill, one year later... why
> > are we into electric boats?
> > To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> > Date: Saturday, April 23, 2011, 3:14 AM
> >
> > I think we could get there if the utilities weren't afraid of a
> > decentralized system. If they were forward thinking, they could
> > charge a little per "transaction" and actually make more.
> > The U.S. (from what I have read) developed photoelectric cells
> > with tax dollars, but when the incentives disappeared, the
> > technology was sold and we rank 4th behind Brazil in production
> > and only because there is a Japanese owned plant here.
> > When I read or watch history from the depression era or WW2 it is
> > really sad because we are losing or place in the world.
> > Every home and building could be a solar source, we could be
> > investing in artificial leaves that hold promise as cheaper
> > alternatives to existing photoelectrics with no toxic metals.
> > I don't know if anyone here is following the Velux Oceans 5 race
> > (An American Brad Van Liew on Le Pingouin is in first), but the
> > focus is on self-sufficient energy systems.
> > Richard
> >
> > --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> > <http://us.mc840.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>,
> > "Greg Martin" <ffmagellan@> wrote:
> > >
> > > James and Richard, yeah they're probably all bad... This is
> > really about energy self sufficiency. Wouldn't it be great if we
> > could supply all our own energy? Being completely energy self
> > sufficient by your own renewable means is the holy grail, I think.
> > Know of any good examples of people doing this? Let's follow their
> > lead!
> > >
> > > -Greg
> > >
> > > --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> > <http://us.mc840.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>,
> > "Richard" <rwsandersii@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > James,
> > > > It is hard to buy gas anywhere and be responsible. I won't buy
> > from Exxon (they fought reasonable payouts to victims of their
> > spill and fought them all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court).
> > > > Shell has supported the regime in Nigeria that killed
> > environmental activists including Ben Saro Siwa.
> > > > Now BP.
> > > > Here's a great summary by the Sierra Club of the positives and
> > negatives of many of the companies:
> > > > http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/pickyourpoison/
> > > > Richard
> > > >
> > > > --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> > <http://us.mc840.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=electricboats%40yahoogroups.com>,
> > James Sizemore <james@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > BP is just incompetent, I would buy gas from them a hundred
> > times before buying gas at an station that sells Exxon gas. Exxon
> > funds nearly 100% of all anti global warming pesudo-science. I
> > have not bought gas from Exxon in over a decade and would run out
> > of gas first.
> > > > >
> > > > > On Apr 20, 2011, at 1:12 PM, Pitt Bolinate wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I have an Electric Yacht 360ibi on the big boat and I
> > bought a torqeedo and a whole bunch of solar panels at the show,
> > to try to get of the gas completely. Except for my hookah dive
> > compressor there isn't an ICE onboard.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I see BP selling gas in my area for 50c a gallon less than
> > everyone else? I cannot believe what the power of the dollar
> > has?..would you shop at a local store if the parent company killed
> > an ocean?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Sent from my iPad
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On Apr 20, 2011, at 8:46, "Greg Martin" <ffmagellan@> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> On the anniversary of the big oil spill in the Gulf of
> > Mexico, which still hasn't been cleaned up, and in response to the
> > apology by the CEO of Transocean, for having a good year last year
> > (and being shamed into donating his obscene bonus to charity), I
> > just think it might be time to ask ourselves why we're into
> > electric boats? Is it because the technology makes the best sense,
> > for certain applications, ...or... are we trying to take a bite
> > out of BP (i.e. the oil industry)?
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> Keep it charged!
> > > > > >> -Greg
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
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