Gas Station Ordered!

Wow, my own gas station......and a fun license plate for the Mini E!


A few new words are going to be needed, and a few eliminated, for the electric car driver. Let's start with "gas station" If there ever was a term to be done away with for electric drivers it is gas station.

So, let's say charging station or fueling station or solar fueling station in lieu of gas.

Julie and I have had the wonderful life changing experience of living in a zero energy home that we built a few years ago. http://www.heronshouse.com/ Simple stated, a zero energy home is a home that generates as much energy as it uses. Accomplishing this is a mixture of about 80% design, low energy use appliances, passive solar, fixtures and lighting and a conservation oriented lifestyle coupled with solar P.V. that generates the remaining 20%.

With our selection into the Mini-E program and our positive inspection, we took the next logical step and ordered a "gas station" this will be 3kw addition to our 4.4kw existing system. In total we will be generating about 11,500kwh per year. This addition will supplement our existing 93% energy reduction with the 4.4kw system to 100% and provide an additional 2500kw for the Mini-E

The generation breaks down to approx 9000kw for our annual energy use at Herons' House and 2500kw for our annual use in the Mini-E for approx. 10,000 miles of driving.

Julie and I are in Carlsbad California and we are toying with idea of inviting Mini-E drivers in the LA and Orange county areas down to San Diego County for a "Mini" Vacation with their cars overnighting and recharging in our our guest house or guest rooms. Could be fun!

We thank our good friend Barry Cooper at Stellar Solar for their outstanding service and their assistance in helping us achieve energy independence.

Cheers!
Peder

Which way will we go?

There is a Moore’s law of sorts emerging for solar. That is for every doubling of annual solar P.V. production, there is a 20% greater efficiency and a reduction of 20% in cost per kwh of electricity produced. It is an undeniable technology based curve that is reducing in cost and accelerating as production ramps up.

A little history,

The Solar P.V ability was observed as far back as the late 1800s.

In 1954 Bell labs produced a solar panel with 5% efficiency, the cost was millions.

In 1958, first satellite Vanguard 1, deployed with 5% efficiency solar panels.

1970’s first commercial P.V. panels appear at approx. $25kwh with 6% efficiency,
NASA up to 12% on leading edge new sat launches.

1980’s P.V panels down to $18kwh with 10% efficiency, NASA up to 18% on leading edge for sat launches.

1990’s P.V. panels down to $12kwh with 14% efficiency, NASA up to 22% on leading edge sat launches.

Today, P.V. panels down to $6kwh with 20% efficiency, NASA up to 38% on leading edge sat launches.

Today, second market layer of thin film solar P.V with 6% to 10% efficiency, but cost down to $2kwh and dropping.

I’m sure you can argue a number or two in here depending on your advocacy, but the general point of declining price and increasing efficiency for solar P.V. is undeniable and in my opinion unstoppable.

This contrast with an opposite curve for extraction based fuels due primarily to extraction, importation, refining, delivery, storage, and retail delivery cost of the fuel.

Solar fuel has no extraction, refining, delivery, storage, and very small retail delivery (from rooftop to your panel) cost.

The two cost paths are about to cross in the next few years. We build our power plants to last 60-70 years (ours in Carlsbad California is from the late 40’s .) Guess which type of plant, renewable technology based, or fuel extraction based, we should be building?

....and some say that solar P.V. and other renewable energy sources, and its natural partner, the electric car won't work?

To them I simply say,

I'll show you my Ipod Nano with 2400 songs, if you will show me your record player.

Cheers
Peder

Solar "Fuel"

As I eagerly await picking up my Mini E (after the installation of the wall-box at my home) my thoughts have been about solar fuel as compared to fossil fuel.

There is constant argument between EV advocates and the “fossil fuelers” about the true environmental cost for BEV’s like the Mini-E or Tesla as compared to fossil fuel. The argument usually involves the environmental cost of the batteries once used, and the fact that electricity to power these cars is mostly generated at coal or gas fired power plants. Thus these two factors negating any environmental gains from reducing fossil fuel use.

On the battery front, Lithium chemistries are very good at being reused or recycled, much easier to do so than the Nickel Metal Hydride chemistry.

Now to my main point, “Solar fuel”

The average homeowner cannot make fossil fuel. They can make solar fuel. A huge advantage for solar, the electric car, oil independence, national security, and the environment just to list a few.

What if I told you that you could buy a fuel station for your home, your own personal B.P. Station that requires no land, for the same price that you would pay for 6 years of gas purchased at $3.00 a gallon? And that you would never have to pay for gas or visit a gas station again for the rest of your life? Just from an economic point of view, we would undoubtedly jump at the chance to do so, knowing that most of us will drive and purchase gas for approximately 60 years of our life.

Here’s how it works… Electric cars like the Mini-E and the Tesla average about 4 to 5 miles per kilowatt hour. Using a low number of 4miles per kwh and my driving average of 10000 miles a year, the car will use 2500kwh. To generate that much electricity, a solar P.V. system of 1.5kw would be needed. This system in California would cost the homeowner $6605. (this is based on my 4.4kw system installed on my home that generated 7230kw last year and the B.P Solar website for estimated system cost.)

The same Mini Cooper gas model gets 26mpg in combo driving. This is 385 gallons of gas a year at $3.00 a gallon or $1150 dollars per year. In less than 6 years of driving the identical gas car, you would have spent more money in gas than your cost of the solar fuel. Solar fuel that is inexhaustible and will keep on producing for 50 years or more for the average system.

The day that you can power your home and your car by sun is here. I look forward to a modest 2kw expansion of my existing 4.4kw solar P.V. system and the delivery of my Mini-E. I look forward to living in a zero energy home and driving a car powered only by the sun.

It’s real, it’s here.

Cheers!
Peder

Spark-e is coming!

I've named the new car "Spark-e" and for the record, I am not referring to spark plugs! The desire to live in a home and drive a car powered by nothing other than the sun is very close to a reality.

Stay Tuned!