Monday, July 16, 2007

Electricity for the Next Generation

Electricity is one the most pivitol innovations we humans have come to enjoy. We can thank folks like Nikolai Tesla and Thomas Edison. It sarted years ago, some history via wikia here. Zip to now, and we have 5 billion of us wanting it. We have an electricity grid, but there's been problems, and more innovation is coming. Something about a team at Columbia's Earth Island Institute here. There's plenty of sun light, enough for all the plants, and then some. Huge solar arrays are still viable in the the deserts of the world, but a nice home unit is best, it offers equalibrium for the grid and less current loss over the wires. They are very expensive though, and I have often wondered how solar electricity was going to be made affordable? I always knew a business model would reveal itself and look HERE it is. They make money off your roof top real estate by renting you solar panels. In the process they give you the jaw dropping offer of a 25 year fixed billing rate. If you have the $ to own your PV system, you will eventually get checks from the power company. They pay for themselves in 5-10 years, the draw back is needing a PV electrician around when it breaks. Who's looking for a career change pronounced shaaange. Thanks to innovation and capital, our electricity generation is coming home. Combine this with an electric car or truck and you don't need a gas station or a power plant. Here's a wierdo video relating to the battery buy back and grid modification deal PG&E is working out. wha'? Austin, Texas mayor doing the right thing, and it seems we are learning to electrify objects through the air, welcome to the party WiTricity Well i hope the hops around here have helped. Peace

3 comments:

mary said...

I am most interested in how a girl gets an inexpensive electric vehicle in which to drive around the willamette valley? Corvallis to be precise. I still think grease in the car is a good way to go in the mean time. By the way, did you make it safely back to Ashland after a late night in Portland?
Your blog is a surprise to me.

Cowboy Neal said...

Well it looks like one of my fine teacher friends read the blog, here's to ya, and yes i did make it back, but i had to walk 50 blocks after we parted... ses la vie

mary said...

Thank you for the Walforf plug! A couple of my favorite Steiner books are "How to know Higher worlds", and "The Four Seasons and the Archangels".
If I had been driving, we would have said good night at your door...
As you say, c'est la vie ( I lived in France for a while, so there is the proper spelling for you).
Off to go canoeing on the Willamette while the sun sets behind the coastal range.