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 2nd 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
--- On Sat, 4/23/11, Richard <rwsandersii@hotmail.com> wrote:
From: Richard <rwsandersii@hotmail.com>
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, "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, "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, 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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