How many of you use Alternative Energy?

With our nation's dependence on foreign oil playing a big role in our current admin's imperialist strategies overseas, how many of us are actually pursuing alternative energy on our own...one little bit at a time.

I am including in this poll alternate methods of travel that also use less fuel...

I also have a Honda Civic so that when I drive, I at least get well over 30 mpg (as high as 38 on the highway).

When my wife and I move upstate, I've already made it clear that I want to get a wind turbine and solar panels on our house. Ideally, I'd also like to remodel it to put in skylights, to make maximum use of natural light during daylight hours.

easier.. Even if my commute were about the same I would rather read a book than sit in traffic on my way to work.

is to drive a car.

I get disgusted when I go back to visit my old hometown about 40 mi from the 'Burgh. When I was in high school just 13 years ago, the surrounding area was largely rural, with a few scattered housing developments.

Now, it has turned into suburbia. And all of these people communte to Pittsburgh or RIDC Park, 30-40 miles each way, by car.

I was shocked at how bad traffic is there...and when it is congested it is six lanes across of congestion....

I think what happened in Atlanta (natives, correct me if I'm wrong) is that any sort of public transit ran only to the city limits. Then, those who could "afford" to live in suburbia moved there to get away from all of the "undesirables". Problem was, there was no way for them to get to the city limits, except for driving.

So, you had a city that was booming by leaps and bounds with ever-expanding suburbs and no mass transit. The traffic jams, I believe, basically moved from within the city limits to all of the outlying suburbs.

Talk about a disaster in city planning! Jeesh! :eyes:

I am saving for a new roof that will include solar panels (even though I live in PA).. and my next car will be a hybrid.

I would gladly take a subway if we had one....and I bike for pleasure but wish that roads would be widened to allow for bike traffic.

Next vehicle will be a hybrid. I'd love to add solar panels, but my local electric provider will not let me hook them up to the grid and battery banks are too expensive right now.

.008 extra per Kw/h

The Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act passed in 1978 requires the utility to purchase any excess electricity you generate. However, they only have to pay you their avoided cost of generation - and they can (and usually do) require all kinds of unnecessay protective equipment, as well as excess liability insurance.

About 40 states have some form of "net metering" provisions on the books that allow customer-generators to backfeed excess electricity onto the grid for later use - esentially spins your meter backwards. A list of states offering net metering, as well as other financial incentives can be found on the DSIRE database run out of the North Carolina Solar Center. It's the most comprehensive list out there: http://www.dsireusa.org/

My father drives a Golf TDI and burns 100 percent biodiesel fuel. My sister and I both drive fuel economy sedans (30+ MPG) and always use 10 percent Ethenol blends.

I also bike to work everyday. I changed jobs so that I could.

We need to change the way we live our lives if we are going to save our planet and our country. Those changes need not necessarily be huge.

Although ethanol may burn cleaner than gas, and may therefore be more environmentally "friendly", it has a very low Energy Return on Energy Invested. It requires almost as much energy to produce as it delivers, and most of the energy to produce it comes from sources such as oil and natural gas.

Besides, if ethanol were to replace what we are using now we would have to plant the entire USA with corn. Personally, I would rather eat than drive.

Nine Critical Questions to Ask About Alternative Energy
http://64.239.13.64/free/ww3/052703_9_questions.html

It is true that ethanol has a relatively weak energy balance. If you compare how much energy is used as the "input" (planting, harvesting, processing, etc.) vs. how much energy you get out, ethanol over time has been like this:

In vs. Out

1 vs. .92 (originally a net energy loss)
1 vs. 1.25 (as of a few years ago)
1 vs. 1.38 (latest figures from the USDA)

The improvement comes thru more efficient farming methods, higher yields and improvements in processing. So...if you put in 100 gallons of "energy" you get 138 gallons of "energy" out with ethanol. So, I encourage most people to fill up with an ethanol blend (like E10, 10% ethanol) next time they go to the filling station.

Having said that...

The energy balance for biodiesel (which can be made from waste fryer oil, soybeans, rapeseed, algae, etc.) is like this:

1 vs. 3.2 (from soybeans)
1 vs. 4.3 (from rapeseed...simply higher yields of more oil/acre)

As you can see, ethanol has a modest .38 net energy gain vs. a 2.2 gain for biodiesel from soybeans. That's 5.8 times more net energy with biodiesel. So....why can't we all switch to biodiesel tomorrow?

Because you can only use biodiesel in a diesel powered vehicle (like my 2003 VW Golf TDI). It gets 44 mpg on American grown and produced biodiesel made from soy beans!

I admire your efforts. You are correct that the change doesn't have to be huge; personal choices will make the difference. I look forward to a career change/lifestyle simplification shortly that will allow me to bike to work and shopping. I can hardly wait to sell my vehicle.

on the road to Palm Springs. Apparently a lot of it - all, maybe? - is owned by Enron.

I ride my bike to work, except when it's smoky or over 95 - then my wife gives me a ride. I use LA transit, too, which is a pretty good system.

But its not cost effective yet.

I just checked into it a few weeks ago and unfortunately the cost is still way to high.

it will employ many green building techniques. It will be totally independent of any power grid, self-sufficient with solar power and with battery and generator back-up systems.

even if we don't mean to be. Having a car in NY is just not smart. Subway/M104 rocks my socks off. And if there is confusion about my name, im a New Yorker from Massachusetts/Massachusetts dude from NY

PEace