Alt. Energy

GoldenMotor.com

allen standley

Well-Known Member
Oct 22, 2011
1,126
238
63
Bangor, Maine
In reply to Paul's post

The liberty and freedoms of all Americans are in jeopardy.

We're talking about the regular Joe, like you and me. Wind power is a big joke on us. Let's 2nd mortgage the house and buy a wind mill and batteries and converters and inverters and shtverters and power lines and hire a contractor and electrician, an get town approval and all that.

Solar HA! NASA keeps all that for themselves---unless your mega well to do I don't need another bunch of chinese crap to dick with and be laughed at with.

Sorry for the negativity fellas. this is another tech us good modest, hard working americans (modest / minimal means) are denied unless- as I've said you are well to do (like fed pub servants????). Then they will be glad to take all your money---before your dead. Lets all support some more illegals and start a couple more wars.

In my part of the world (40 deg or less 8 months out of the year) this is the best I can do.

http://motorbicycling.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=73594&d=1414318324

STILL dependent upon fuel not produced by myself!!!!

I'm knocking myself out trying to figure how to build my own wood pellet mill. Small just for me to keep warm. Possibly a convex mirror to create my own steam to run my own elect. power generator. NO DARN BATTERIES! Just a swith on and off. Self circulating well.

I'll be following along with this thread. Open to anything EXCEPT STUPID SOLAR AND IMPRACTICAL WIND. sorry for yelling...jus frustrated.
 

wheelbender6

Well-Known Member
Sep 4, 2008
4,059
221
63
TX
The wind and solar technologies need time to mature. They are still quite expensive.
However, it wasn't that long ago that we burned whale oil in our lamps in the evenings.
Petroleum replaced it only when it was more economically feasible.
-On the other hand, when I lived in the Phoenix area, I was shocked that no solar panels
were required to be installed on the roofs of new houses. There was so much sunshine available
and so many new houses. The tax incentives were not enough to get homeowners to invest in
solar panels.
 

Patchy

Member
Aug 12, 2014
87
0
6
California

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
Rants are allowed but political opinions only lead to trouble. That's why we discourage and/or disallow them. Lets keep this in mind if this thread is to continue folks.

Tom
 

Ludwig II

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2012
5,071
783
113
UK
Alternative energy is fine and wonderful, but only if you can have a reliable and consistent supply; the lag in firing up backup conventional systems means it's all still unsuitable for the lives people lead now.
 

wheelbender6

Well-Known Member
Sep 4, 2008
4,059
221
63
TX
I think Patchy's point is valid. Solar and wind power is not very competitive when you live in an oil town like Houston. Solar and wind power can be very competitive when you live in a country that must import all of the oil and gas that they consume.
One reason that solar power was not more attractive in Phoenix was because inexpensive natural gas was readily available there. Many gas pipelines traverse the state.
The feasibility of alternative energy is very much affected by where you live.
 

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
2,784
26
36
Indianapolis
That episode of Mythbusters, where they got hold of an old diesel-engined car and ran it on used, filtered cooking oil which they got from some restaurant for free - that got me thinking.
All they did to the oil was filter out particulate matter. Then they poured it in the tank and drove around. You know, restaurants have to pay for the service of having their used grease hauled away. Most will give you as much as you want for free. Hmmm...
I wonder if they make diesel-engined six-passenger vehicles? (Got me a big family.)
 

wheelbender6

Well-Known Member
Sep 4, 2008
4,059
221
63
TX
When I had a VW diesel car, I began to look for kits that would allow me to run on used cooking oil from restaurants. The kit heated the used fry oil. allowing the diesel engine to run on it. You started on conventional diesel, then switched to the heated fry oil. A minute or so before shutdown, you switched back to conventional diesel to clean out any impurities deposited by the fry oil.
I never bought the kit. Farmers in my area were aggressively loading up the fry oil from restaurants and using is as fuel in their businesses.
 

Ludwig II

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2012
5,071
783
113
UK
I wonder about a modern version of the old hot bulb engines, they would run on anything.
 

Mike B

New Member
Mar 23, 2011
2,256
7
0
Central CA
I think roof mounted solar panels make perfect sense and will become a standard for new home construction in areas with a lot of sunshine. Houses should be designed for them though, not like the retrofits of today. Roofing materials should be selected to take advantage of the panels protecting the area. Pitch and direction should be optimized too.

Then when most people are at work you sell power to the grid and when you get home and the sun is down you draw back what you sold.