[Greenbuilding] [BULK] Re: TSHTF

[Lawrence Lile]

>A practical electric pickup that has a lower life cycle cost than an 
>F-150 was announced just this fall.

     Really?  What's it called?  Is it now commercially available?


Phoenix motors, same form factor as an F-150, $50,000 new, which is
about the same as the life cycle cost of an F-150 including gas and IC
engine maintenance over 200,000 miles.  The batteries last dramatically
longer than old lead-acid technologies, tested to equivalent of 250,000
miles.  This kicks the rear bumper of any previous electric vehicle and
they are being sold as fleet vehicles right now. 

http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com/

A cottage industry of car converters who will convert a small pickup to
all-electric with standard lead-acid technology is starting to spring
up.  There is one in Lawrence KS, although I don't have a link.  $11,000
will turn your S-10 into a zero-carbon vehicle. 



>Just this year, Solar cells broke the magic $1 a peak watt barrier,
with
>$0.30 per peak watt production costs projected within the year.  One
>plant in California already has orders for as many solar cells as were
>sold in the entire US last year.

     I've been watching other things, so I may have missed this, but I 
think that actual installed prices on solar systems haven't dropped 
much recently.  The supply is growing astronomically, but so is 
demand.  This is a great thing, to be sure, and I welcome it, because 
it means that I'll get my solar system sooner and less expensively. 
But we're nowhere near $1/watt for an actual installation yet.  Last 
I looked, things were still around $5/watt.  Did I miss something?

-Speireag.


OK, Ok, You are right, $1 a peak watt production cost is not $1 a peak
watt installed cost.  As W.C. Fields would say, "Details, Details..." 


www.nanosolar.com   Watch these guys, they are funded by deep pockets
internet capitol and they have knocked the bottom out of the solar
market.  You aren't seeing it yet in residential yet, because their
entire first year's production (400 megawatts) is already sold to large
scale solar electric field installers.  It will be several years before
these cheap solar panels filter down to us normal humans. They really
are producing solar panels for $1 a peak watt production costs right
now. 

But my assertion still stands - there are several ways to get an
electric vehicle or use nonpolluting vehicles, many utilities offer to
wheel wind power to your home
http://www.ameren.com/PurePower/ADC_Default.asp  and an all-electric
home on grid wind power using heat pump technology (ground source or
not) could really approach zero carbon right now.  We are entering the
golden age of alternative and Green technology.  The only reason I
haven't gotten to zero carbon in my own lifestyle is, I am doing things
one step at a time with a certain finite amount of capitol.  But I am
marching steadily in that direction as are many others. 






Lawrence