A Million Green Ideas

Question by Schiff G: How much installed solar capacity is needed to completely power a 100% electric car ?


Assuming the solar panels are not connected to the power grid, and assuming an average number of miles traveled per year (say 12,000), and without discussing battery, motor, range or other issues – but assuming it’s 100% electric (not a hybrid), and assuming plenty of sun location, how many watts of installed solar capacity is needed to power the car (visualize a pratical car like the EV1 – not like the “cars” they have in the World Solar Challenge race) w/o any other power source? Err on the side of a few too many watts rather than not enough.

Best answer:

Answer by kerry k
Your car would not be big enough, and the DMV where you live would no doubt say NO to a contraption like that on the road. You are talking about, if I read your question correctly, a car that is solely powered by photo electric cells. If that is what you have in mind, then you are talking about at least 37 thousand watts, which would give you about 50 horse power. Remember, it takes 740 watts of electricity to equal 1 horse power. I don’t think you can get that many panels on a small car. Your best bet is a good battery bank, and an at home power source to recharge the batteries. What you might want to consider is a fuel cell powered electric vehicle.

What do you think? Answer below!

solarcanada.biz http Thank you for your kind comments, guys! Solar Energy Twin electric motors Solar Powered inflatable boat with 12V 210Amh power pack

FIGHT HIGH HEATING OIL prices and allow to save money for other things like paying your mortgage or refinancing your home. Hope this helps:-) Note: Look T THE VIDEO RESPONSES THEY ARE VERY GOOD! This is a prototype easy to build rooftop forced air heater that produces 45 degree increases at a high CFM CFPM rate. This one is made out of cardboard. A real one can be made out of weather proof material COROPLAST. The name Coroplast applies to a wide range of extruded corrugated plastic sheet products based on polypropylene copolymers. The natural polymer is chemically inert and is generally considered non-toxic and safe for use in contact with food. The base resin meets FDA requirements as listed in Food Additive Regulation Title 21, Section 177.1520(c), Item 1.1, covering food contact uses. www.greenpowerscience.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Question by danmac7055: biofuel or electric cars, which is most likely to take over?


What is more likely to happen, a new fuel is found are/or different ways of producing it and piston engined cars are powered by this better fuel similar to the way it is now or electric cars? Obviously both are going to happen but which is going to completely take over the auto industry in the future? This is excluding possibility of hybrids.
If electric cars take over whats going to happen to mechanics? And everything I’ve been learning for years will be like a waste if electric cars become the norm so I’m really worried about this.

Best answer:

Answer by Joeschmoe
Electric cars still need tire changes, lube jobs, sometimes battery changes, etc. And drivers will still get into fender-benders. Mechanics will still have work to do. I wouldn’t worry.

You simply have to improvise, adapt and overcome, as they say in the Marine Corps.

EDITED TO ADD for the poster below worried about “toxic heavy metals” in electric car batteries: Future electric car batteries (such as the Chevy Volt) will be Lithium Ion. Lithium is the lightest metal on the periodic table of elements, not a toxic heavy metal (such as lead, which is used in LEAD-ACID BATTERIES OF CURRENT REGULAR CARS).

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

www.greenpowerscience.com This is a larger Stirling engine that has a 12v DC Permanent Magnet motor operating fixed as the flywheel bearing. It produces 15 Volt max with NO LOAD. This setup as is produces about 15 watts. The heat sink is a water cooled tank that is a bit short for the displacement piston but does work. I will be adding some heat sinks soon and testing it with the 56 inch dish and a Fresnel Lens. The motor/generator has an additional pulley that the other engine I have may be tied to. The water can be fed continuously or as a tank.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

DIY Electric bike / Scooter with Solar Panels and A123 battery funny video Squamish, BC Canada. www.thekpv.com Contest is free How to enter the sollar scooter giveaway: Subscribe on YouTube Follow on Twitter: twitter.com Join on Facebook: on.fb.me It doesn’t matter your location or age, anyone can enter. (No purchases or fees will ever be required / Youtube friend requests are not included) THEKPV began in 2008 by me Terry Hope. I had worked as an engineer aboard Copper Sky. An 88ft steel haul sailboat. The captain would not allow a full size electric scooter.. I had only one option.. design a vehicle that will fit inside a suitcase. As seen on: Treehugger.com www.treehugger.com Autoblog.com green.autoblog.com CNN.com ireport.cnn.com inhabitat.com inhabitat.com THEKPV specs. 44 lbs 396 Wh A123 Battery 13 km Range 15 min recharge 80% 28 Wh A123 12v booster 10000 cycles 10.8V Capacitor 50 lbs with Solar Panels Array 50 Watts solar power 12V Kinetic gen device electronic bike / scooter DIY video coming soon: How to make solar pannels for any electronic bike or motorcycle ! DIY soldering and mounting pannels for portable electro solar energy. Thanks: Joe, Nick+Cindy, Robert, Sue, Carla HighlinePC – Polycarbonate Flatfreetires – tires A123systems – prismatic batteries Maxwell Technologies Inc – ultra capacitors Everbright Solar – photovoltaics, solar cell system Micfo – hosting 2011-2012 DIY bike electronic solar version 10-15 lbs lighter. No pedals and not a motorcycle, maybe …

Zero Energy Design® abundant, clean, free-fuel, passive solar energy can easily eliminate the need to burn expensive dirty fossil fuels to heat air and water in most populated locations. The lowest-cost way to get started is Passive Solar Design – All it needs is well-designed, properly-oriented glass. Two our our key Zero Energy Design® concepts are: (1) Isolated Solar Gain in a greenhouse / solarium, and (2) Our unique Thermal Buffer Zone, which uses free natural convection air flow to move warm air from the sunny greenhouse to the cold opposite side of the building. By Larry Hartweg ZEDmaster@ZeroEnergyDesign.com See more details on our ZeroEnergyDesign and PassiveSolarInfo websites.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

SLI Lighting Products – Spiral Bulb, 10000 Hour Life, 120 Volt, – Sold as 1 EA – Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) offers a compact, energy efficient alternative to incandescent and standard linear fluorescent products. The CFL design saves 75 percent electric costs. Spiral-shaped, 23 watt 23MLS/827 bulb offers the equivalent of at least 90 watts and a 10,000 hour life.

• Sold as 1 EA
• Manufacturer: SLI Lighting
• Total percentage of recycled content: 0
• Post Consumer Waste: 0
• Country of origin: CN

SLI Lighting Products – Spiral Bulb, 10000 Hour Life, 120 Volt, – Sold as 1 EA

Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) offers a compact, energy efficient alternative to incandescent and standard linear fluorescent products. The CFL design saves 75 percent electric costs. Spiral-shaped, 23 watt 23MLS/827 bulb offers the equivalent of at least 90 watts and a 10,000 hour life.
Sold as 1 EAManufacturer: SLI LightingTotal percentage of recycled content: 0Post Consumer Waste: 0Country of origin: C

List Price: $ 7.95

Price: $ 8.55

Glenn Pew interviews Eric Raymond. Eric has been flying his battery launched solar assisted sailplane since the late ’80s. He knows the road to progress doesn’t come as bolts of lightning in time but through years of small steps. Glenn Pew caught up with Eric to learn about Sunseeker the Solar Impulse project and more… www.glennpew.com
Video Rating: 0 / 5

Question by Sarah: What are the economic and environmental costs and benefits of using the electric dishwasher?


This also includes its manufacture and disposal. I also have to “discuss the economic and environmental costs and benefits of washing the dishes by hand.”
This is a free response question for AP Environmental Science. I already did calculations to find that washing dishes by hand actually requires more energy (in BTU’s) than washing dishes using the electric dishwasher.
Here is my thesis statement: Although many people believe the electric dishwasher uses more energy than washing the dishes by hand, it is much more energy efficient to wash dishes using an electric dishwasher.

Best answer:

Answer by Robin the energy saver
You’re correct, an energy efficient dishwasher generally uses less water and less energy than a typical hand-washer, although if you’re obsessive about washing dishes with a minimum of energy it is possible to beat the dishwasher in water and energy use. Of course, you’ll be using a lot of your own time to do so.

Modern dishwashers are designed with several features that make them particularly efficient, including smart sensors to figure out when there are no longer large food particles in the water (‘Smart Wash’), heater in the dishwasher to heat the water to a higher temperature, which requires less soap and washes more effectively, allowing you to lower the temperature in your hot water heater to a more efficient and safer temperature; and ability to wash dishes that start off extremely dirty, so you don’t have to prerinse anything but the filthiest dishes.

A study done in the EU (described in the article linked below) found that most people used more hot water and/or soap than a typical dishwasher, when given a standard set of dishes to wash.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Question by Greg B: How did Al Gore win the Nobel for climate change awareness after his thousand dollar electric bill was leaked?


Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in climate change awareness. How did he get this after it was pubished that just one of his many mansions had an electricity bill over 2,000 dollars each month? This guys is out preaching for us to change but he doesn’t lead by example?

Best answer:

Answer by grizzbr1
Are you paying his electric bill?

Then why do you care?

Move along people, nothing to see here.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Solar Electricity Handbook, 2010 Edition: A Simple Practical Guide to Solar Energy – Designing and Installing Photovoltaic Solar Electric Systems

The Solar Electricity Handbook is a practical and straightforward guide to using electric solar panels. Assuming no previous knowledge of solar panels, the book explains how solar panels work, how they can be used and explains the steps you need to take to successfully design and install a solar electric system from scratch using photovoltaic solar panels. This is an update to the 2010 Edition of the book with even more diagrams, details and up-to-the-minute information on this exciting tech

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Solar Energy Powered Toy Grasshopper Green Science

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