Kalle Rantaaho

craigb
The corollary with the electric car is that if a lot of people start driving one, electricity supply will be strained and become more expensive. 

And when people get dependant on car charging the power companies and owners of the charging points can start fiddling with the electricity price. In the end, they'll most likely take care of that the total costs will rise to approx. the same level as that of petrol.
 
That's the way things tend to go. The required, yearly technical inspection of motor vehicles used to be a state monopoly in Finland
some 20 years ago. The price was moderate, but people complained about it anyway, of course. Then they opened it to private enterprise  in order to get lower prices through competition. The result was, that the prices started rising, as they simply lifted them as high as people tolerate, and there's too many shops selling the service.

Fortunately PUC's have some control of what happens with electricity costs. The largest expense for utility companies comes from delivery and the associated infrastructure. As solar power continues to become more viable there will be a time when it becomes cost effective for each building to become self supportive. That could make the utility companies a large storage medium for systems without battery storage.
 
Rocky

Having been in an alternative energy startup company for five years, I can tell you that solar is probably the most inefficient way to get energy currently.  Wind is far more viable and hydro is almost a 1,000 times better than air!
 
I also know of companies that are working to create new energy storage mediums which is really what is missing. Plasm towers are wasteful and batteries aren't enough.  Right now they take nuclear plants offline if they are producing too much, wind turbines are stopped and excess hydro energy is actually used to pump water back up behind the damn until it's needed.

gswitz

 
 

You'll get nowhere at 0 mph.

craigb
Having been in an alternative energy startup company for five years, I can tell you that solar is probably the most inefficient way to get energy currently.  Wind is far more viable and hydro is almost a 1,000 times better than air!
 
I also know of companies that are working to create new energy storage mediums which is really what is missing. Plasm towers are wasteful and batteries aren't enough.  Right now they take nuclear plants offline if they are producing too much, wind turbines are stopped and excess hydro energy is actually used to pump water back up behind the damn until it's needed.

Those are some shocking stats.

bayoubill
My 1st choice  

Hey it worked for Neil Young.

craigb
Having been in an alternative energy startup company for five years, I can tell you that solar is probably the most inefficient way to get energy currently.  Wind is far more viable and hydro is almost a 1,000 times better than air!
 
I also know of companies that are working to create new energy storage mediums which is really what is missing. Plasm towers are wasteful and batteries aren't enough.  Right now they take nuclear plants offline if they are producing too much, wind turbines are stopped and excess hydro energy is actually used to pump water back up behind the damn until it's needed.

Sounds like we need to stick with oil and electricity to me. I looked into getting a few solar panels a few years back, but they were $20,000 and couldn't power hardly anything. I'm all for new technology, but I'm not going to switch to something that will bankrupt me and not work.
The Volt looks very promising. The Prius seems to work well too, but they are extremely ugly. Why can't they make a nice looking hybrid for $25,000 or less?

clintmartin

craigb
Having been in an alternative energy startup company for five years, I can tell you that solar is probably the most inefficient way to get energy currently.  Wind is far more viable and hydro is almost a 1,000 times better than air!
 
I also know of companies that are working to create new energy storage mediums which is really what is missing. Plasm towers are wasteful and batteries aren't enough.  Right now they take nuclear plants offline if they are producing too much, wind turbines are stopped and excess hydro energy is actually used to pump water back up behind the damn until it's needed.

Sounds like we need to stick with oil and electricity to me. I looked into getting a few solar panels a few years back, but they were $20,000 and couldn't power hardly anything. I'm all for new technology, but I'm not going to switch to something that will bankrupt me and not work.
The Volt looks very promising. The Prius seems to work well too, but they are extremely ugly. Why can't they make a nice looking hybrid for $25,000 or less?

Actually, alternative energy is VERY viable, however, the oil and electricity industries as well as the Government (who are in their pockets), make a habit of putting up roadblocks to any serious alternative energy so that they can keep control (and the profits).  They only allow "token" projects to make it to the public so that the masses think it's not cost-worthy and few adopt it.  Hopefully, before all the oil is gone (it's required in many things like plastics), decent alternative methods to create energy will become mainstream.

Batteries are getting better...that's for sure. I would like to have a Tesla.