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. . . . how would I have access to one to power a mobile vehicle?
The longer term concepts (beyond batteries) trend towards grid power roadways. The car or truck drives over the roadway, power is coupled from the grid to the roadway, and then to the car or truck.
Nice on several layers.
MUCH cheaper than Gasoline or Diesel, the Electric Power can be produced solely from US sources, and if done as a long-term (20 to 40 year) build out, could be powered totally from renewable sources.
Since various .gov levels own the "commons" of the roadways, they could be the retailer of the energy, and it could provide income for those levels of .gov, such as fuel taxes do now.
In practice that would allow anyone grid connected -- home solar, wind, central power plant, roadside generation -- on and on -- to all send power up to the grid and be paid for it, and then we could all buy that power back as we drive down the road.
There is a misconception that solar is not the economic thing to do. It is the best thing to do. We are literally burning up our high density fuel sources, we need to diversify and make those energy sources last us longer. Solar electricity is going to inevitably, be as cost effective as coal. Some reports argue that already when they factor in life cycle costs such as health issues, insurance, the enormous tax subsidies that these fossilized fuel energy companies enjoy. Please look that up yourselves, oil and natural gas is vital to our way of lives but they have enjoyed incredible tax subsidies that dwarf R&D budgets, money that should be used to make our energy needs sustainable. That would be a responsible industry. Remember, 60 to 100 years is not a long time, do we really want that generation to wonder why this generation used up all the high density energy sources? Would you want the Amazon to be deforested because Brazil needed firewood, trade and land to cultivate crops for a decade? It is the same concept here.... think life cycle costs... think sustainability.
Residential... when costs come down. Spending $10-46k to install panels, for a ~$2-5k return per year is not very palatable to many people, me included. Per the following calculator [don't really know how accurate it is], would take me 25 years to get ROI; and I don't seen any inclusion herein regarding replacements of parts, services, etc. Solar Panel Installation Cost Calculator
Commercial / power grid... when the sun shines more than it don't to produce the necessary amount of electric needed to feed demands.
When will hydro catch on?
How many more rivers must be damned? [spelling intended]
I don't want to seem too negative w/ the above... but people / companies / governments need to reduce how much juice they are pulling from the grid, make what we have more efficient, in addition to more power generation.
The following is dated [10 yrs old], and some of the statements are therefore not quite accurate,,, however IMHO the message that is captured herein is quite valid: Youngquist: Alternative Energy Sources
CO2 emissions from the manufacture of solar panels are a constant, so is the energy it takes to produce them. This is called embodied energy, and it is a part of life cycle costs. It is a well documented fact that the embodied energy on all solar panels is produced in less than two years in places with average insolation, and even less in places with better insolation. The other argument is that the alternatives he is considering are not including embodied energy, the generator and all the manufacturing and cast metals, the replacement parts and glazing and balance of fossilized fuel electric generators. I would like to see how a conventional fossilized fuel power plant's embodied energy compares to a solar panel, and remember that it is a carbon dioxide emitter for life even after the manufacturing! It requires fuel for life! Solar panels only require sunshine! I see the only downside of solar as incurring the cost now rather than leaving the burden on future generations. Fossil fuels will run out!
I've always read interesting articles on the current technology we have like solar powered homes and hydroelectric cars, but I don't see any serious effort to implement these new technologies in our everyday lives.
When will this technology become affordable and cheap to compete against he current coal and gas powered markets? Will it even be possible?
There's been a breakthrough with solar. I see a boom in sales coming in five years.
Eh, it'll catch on after America digs itself out of this economic hole, probably in 100 years......
AND HOA's change their covenants and restrictions clauses, which will be never......
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