So much for a Nissan Leaf!

[Loren49]

When the sun goes down to night don't you have to wait till tomorrow to fill your solar panels. If the wind stops don't you have to wait for the wind? I'm having a hard time seeing the difference, in fact there is none. You are saying the sun can provided light 100% of the time! I'm saying no only about 6 hours a day some days none. I'm saying if we collect oil you get 100% for what is philosophically forever too. HS

I'm sorry on many levels! I have respect for differing opinions but you should take this up with those who publish the accepted definitions of words.

There is a saying that is the best I can do in this case.

"It's your dream....you can make it as big as you want"

One last observation...the sun is always shining and the wind is always blowing if you believe the cup is half full!

Loren

 

[cqaigy2]

One last observation...the sun is always shining and the wind is always blowing if you believe the cup is half full!

Loren

Speaking of sun always shining, i believe your right. Just because it's night time here doesn't mean the sun went out. I'm not sure about the refrigerator light though.

 

[ultrarunner]

The family my cousin married into has a farm with an old mill pond going back almost 200 years... they generate all their power from the water wheel... plenty to go around and it still powers the old farm shop with belts and pulleys... even to the drill press...

All the excess power is used to heat/boil water for their radiant heating...

Really remarkable and they are looking for an all electric vehicle... they have been off grid before the term existed...

 

[Redneck in training]

The family my cousin married into has a farm with an old mill pond going back almost 200 years... they generate all their power from the water wheel... plenty to go around and it still powers the old farm shop with belts and pulleys... even to the drill press...

All the excess power is used to heat/boil water for their radiant heating...

Really remarkable and they are looking for an all electric vehicle... they have been off grid before the term existed...

That would be my dream property.
Friend of mine recently bought a small river power station with two, if I remember it right, 250 kW generators in Czech republic for 2000000 USD.

 

[ultrarunner]

Always like the idea of having options... some very nice property in the Czech republic!

 

[NorTracNY]

I can't believe that someone here things the world is flat! The sun goes down. Yes when the sun goes down, it's night for the whole planet at once. Thanks for the laugh.

 

[SPIKER]

... The idea that the sun is a renewable resource and oil is not is ludicrous. HS

True: both are running out, it is a time frame is all, we will be out of useable oil someday and someday after that the hydrogen fusion/fuel inside the sun will be used up. Then the sun will maybe begin fission of Helium but it will expand in size and probably burn up any oil left on earth as it swallows us up.
I won't see the end of the sun & probably won't see the end of the oil either. Some real young folk may see the end of affordable Oil, then there will be new tech that replaces much of the need. Electric cars is a great start for those that can use them NOW vs those of us out in boonieys or who do a lot more driving.

We may be better off to figure out a way to capture neutrinos which are coming from everywhere and thru us and earth, so if we can catch em like we do photons with solar panels then that device would catch power 24/7/365 until melted by the sun going into a red giant...

At those times it might be wise to move to the 4th planet Red or not it will be cooler there than on earth

Mark

 

[buickanddeere]

When you spread systems over large area you can say that the energy production is very predictable be it wind or solar. If there would be efficient transmission east west while there are 4 time zones. Then you can say that night is effectively 4 hours shorter. Also wind blows day and night. It is just matter of efficient long distance distribution and/or storage of energy. The storage is the last hurdle for wind and solar to become mainstream source.
.

There is no practical utility sized storage of electricity after it is made.simple.

Problem is with solar and wind. 100% backup power is still required to be purchased, maintained and on spinning reserve.
That is a lot of capital investment with spotty financial returns on the backup equipment. There is not enough reserve hydro electric in the country. Nuclear does start, stop or follow loads without becoming very complex and expensive.
This leaves fossil fuels on spinning reserve.
Btw , where are you going to find enough real estate to place enough wind turbines and stay a mile away from every residence ?
Around the US and Europe are broken down abandoned green energy projects after the government taxpayer or rate layer incentives end.
You can't have "green energy" be more than a hobby or research project as long as other energy sources are cheaper and more reliable.
People may talk green but when they flip the switch, they want light.

 

[cqaigy2]

There is no practical utility sized storage of electricity after it is made.simple.

Funny you should say that, just talking with an individual a couple weekends ago at an Easter service in Richland WA. about just that. They were designing a utility size storage system that used electrolytes that were pumped across plates. Unfortunately we were on the go so had to cut the conversation off but I mentioned an idea to use nano tech to create high surface area plates that could be used in the construction. The current iteration had amazing charge/discharge rates that would handle very high inputs/outputs.

 

[DarkBlack]

If you can invent a practical mass storage of 60 hz AC, then you will be in history books and very rich.
Storing of DC is nothing new. It still has to be converted with losses etc...