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Politics : Rat's Nest - Chronicles of Collapse -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (6703)	12/5/2007 11:49:01 AM
From: Cautious_Optimist	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 24215

To the extent that the electricity for automobiles is produced by "green" sources, not coal or gas. IMHO; a colossal effort must ALSO be placed into the rapid development of environmentally friendly electricity or we will just be engaging a shell game. Thus..... further this momentum on alternative energy vehicles while practicing conservation and still pressing for higher CAFE standards in the near-term; probably both through intelligent and compelling incentives beyond what exist today, as it appears that minimum mpg regulation gets watered down by K St and gatekeeper-regulators. We gave tax breaks to leased SUVs, it sure worked. As has been said, its unfortunate our current political LEADERS don't stand up and proclaim "we can and we will do it" like JFK and going to the moon. We know where public research money could come from, don't we?? WE the people have to be the leaders. Pretty wierd that the BP commercials have the clearest rhetoric toward the goal, outside of Al Gore. It will be a great day for the USA's image, for domestic jobs, general economic expansion, health plus lower health costs, and wealth for investors too. p.s. Go Bears!!! Women's and Men's basketball are exorcizing that bad football juju in Berkeley. But also, if you are in the area, do not miss Patrick Mills in the tiny gym at (WCC Div. 1) St. Marys. Best point guard in the Bay Area since Jason Kidd and Steve Nash. You'll thank me. But only come on foot, BART, bikes, or in hybrids. :-)

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (6703)	12/5/2007 7:59:04 PM
From: Skywatcher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 24215

Electric cars could act as batteries for the energy grid * 13:52 04 December 2007 * NewScientist.com news service * Tom Simonite This electric car uses its battery to supply or store grid electricity when in the garage and smooth out peaks in demand – This electric car uses its battery to supply or store grid electricity when in the garage and smooth out peaks in demand – just 100 of the vehicles could provide 1 megawatt of storage Electric and hybrid cars could act as energy stores for the power grid while not being driven, say US researchers. Scientists from the University of Delaware are using a new prototype made by US company AC Propulsion to store or supply grid electricity when required. On its own, one such battery might make little difference to the energy supply system. But, if hundreds or thousands more car owners adopted the system, it could significantly improve the efficiency of power distribution, the scientists say. The average US car is only driven for one hour out of every 24, says Willet Kempton, who led the research. Combustion-powered cars are useless while off the road, but all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles could act as backups to the grid while idle, using a system developed by Kempton and colleagues called V2G (vehicle-to-grid). Tricky storage "Storage is golden for power companies because it is hard to do," Kempton told New Scientist, who notes that the cost of storing excess electricity means that there is only capacity for around 1% of yield in the US and UK As energy companies try to match demand with supply, extra storage facilities can help ensure capacity is not wasted. Storage is particularly important for renewable energy because power supplied by the Sun, the oceans, or the wind, is often irregular. Energy is usually stored by pumping water uphill and using its downhill flow to drive turbines later on. The V2G system developed by Kempton and colleagues could be a great help in the early morning, he says. Between 4 am and 7 am demand spikes as people, factories and businesses start drawing power from the grid. Normally power plants have to up their output to cope. When plugged in at Kempton's house, an onboard computer uses "broadband-over-powerlines" – a system for sending computer data down pre-existing power cables – to make a secure connection with a computer owned by grid operator PJM. Megawatt back-up PJM's computer asks the car to charge up and store excess power when demand is low, for example at night. Then, when demand suddenly spikes, the car can supply extra electricity to help smooth supply, providing it is still connected to the grid. "One car cannot make the overall needle move," says Kempton. But 100 vehicles available for two-thirds of the time could provide a megawatt of storage power. To ensure no one is stranded as a result of taking part, users would need to specify how much charge they would need at any particular time. The researchers estimate each car can provide $4,000 (£2,000) worth of storage to an energy company per year. It would cost roughly $600 (£300) to install the high-power connection system required. To encourage drivers to help out, power companies would need to pass on some of their savings, says Kempton. Over the next 18 months the researchers plan to build up four more cars and to fine-tune the software that controls the recharging. Cars and Motoring - Learn more about the latest technologies in our comprehensive special report.