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Electric cars.
- Thread starter Gramaisc
- Start date
timmo
Well-Known Forumite
I have PV which is quite useful in the summer however the system itself doesn't generate the kind of returns the eager salesmen talked of.
A future move I'm considering is something river-side to power a water-wheel. Allied to a battery storage system it would be far more useful than the solar setup we have. Ultimately we should be 40 years further down the nuclear line than we are now, we wouldn't be scrabbling around trying to get everyone into an electric car without the means to power them.
Noah
Well-Known Forumite
A turbine would be more efficient
Cue
Well-Known Forumite
As it stands you’d be better off chucking the capital you’d spend on solar in very safe but rising shares, getting a 100% green electricity provider, and waiting a few years. Unless you have quite a large roof you’re probably not going to see returns on a solar system for decades unless you count the additional value they should provide when selling the property.
Once upon a time there was a feed-in-tariff which made a lot of sense. That’s of course gone now.
Once upon a time there was a feed-in-tariff which made a lot of sense. That’s of course gone now.
Noah
Well-Known Forumite
There was an interesting electric vehicle system used by a London bus company before the First World War. They used standardised battery packs, when a bus returned to the depot with batteries running low the battery pack was dropped out and replaced with a fully charged battery pack. The process worked very well and the buses were efficient. Unfortunately although the buses were a success the company running them was involved in a money laundering fraud and collapsed. This ruined the reputation of the system and the idea was lost.
Gramaisc
Forum O. G.
The DART in Dublin is being extended in the near future without building more overhead lines - the new trains will run on batteries after they emerge from the "mains" power.
Many years ago, Dublin had the Drumm battery train - this ran on battery power between the stations, charging up at some stops by parking under the footbridge, where there was an automatic power connection.
Drumm Battery Train - Wikipedia
proactive
Enjoying a drop of red.
Plus ça change...The DART in Dublin is being extended in the near future without building more overhead lines - the new trains will run on batteries after they emerge from the "mains" power.
Many years ago, Dublin had the Drumm battery train - this ran on battery power between the stations, charging up at some stops by parking under the footbridge, where there was an automatic power connection.
Drumm Battery Train - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
BobClay
Well-Known Forumite
I've had solar panels on the roof for over 10 years now. Didn't cost me anything (if you don't count the cost of the new consumer unit I had to fit, bought from the 'shed' (screwfix) and avoided the stupid £400.00 an electrician wanted to charge me to fit it, by doing it myself.)
The deal was a roof lease, and the owners of the panels got the feed in rate, I got the first bite at the power. This morning a hazy Sun came out and right now at 1000 hours it's putting in 1.1kw which isn't bad for this time of year. I'm actually in the black for power consumption on the meter at this moment. (I have fully electric central heating, but haven't had it on for weeks !!! Been dull and grey and wet but can't knock the temperatures for December/January.)
I don't know what the owners get out of it, if anything ?? But they're still pumping down the watts. Only downside for me is the inverter is a bit electrically noisy when you have sensitive radio receivers all over the place, but there are ways around that.
The deal was a roof lease, and the owners of the panels got the feed in rate, I got the first bite at the power. This morning a hazy Sun came out and right now at 1000 hours it's putting in 1.1kw which isn't bad for this time of year. I'm actually in the black for power consumption on the meter at this moment. (I have fully electric central heating, but haven't had it on for weeks !!! Been dull and grey and wet but can't knock the temperatures for December/January.)
I don't know what the owners get out of it, if anything ?? But they're still pumping down the watts. Only downside for me is the inverter is a bit electrically noisy when you have sensitive radio receivers all over the place, but there are ways around that.
timmo
Well-Known Forumite
I believe Tesla have looked at this format for its forthcoming lorry, to be honest makes sense, anybody in the world of rc would agree
Cue
Well-Known Forumite
They’d get unused on the FIT, so… not much right now
The roof rental schemes were a pretty good deal tbh, especially if you’re a heavy energy user. There were some funny shenanigans with mortgages but I think banks are past that now
BobClay
Well-Known Forumite
In all fairness to the suppliers I was warned about that should I want to sell up. But, I figured that really didn't matter, been in this place 31 years, so will probably croak here. I came here after moving from married quarters a few miles seaward, right out in the sticks, although only a few minutes walk from work, but that lost its attraction in winter when the winds started to drive the rain through the seals of the double glazing, and half of the roof tiles ended up in the back garden twice. The Atlantic takes no prisoners, and I've learned that in several ways.
They must be fitted well because although I'm now 3 miles from the sea, I'm 560 feet above it so well in the firing line, but I have the advantage of a high angled roof that faces almost due South, so the leasing company were only too happy to get them fitted. I had a guy from the company around inspecting them just a month ago and he said they were fine, but I've changed the cell phone modem anyway, they date . Honestly I cant see the downside here. (Apart from previously mention RFI, but f***ing neighbours flickering Christmas lights produced much more of that than the inverter in the attic.)
They must be fitted well because although I'm now 3 miles from the sea, I'm 560 feet above it so well in the firing line, but I have the advantage of a high angled roof that faces almost due South, so the leasing company were only too happy to get them fitted. I had a guy from the company around inspecting them just a month ago and he said they were fine, but I've changed the cell phone modem anyway, they date . Honestly I cant see the downside here. (Apart from previously mention RFI, but f***ing neighbours flickering Christmas lights produced much more of that than the inverter in the attic.)
Gramaisc
Forum O. G.
Sixty years ago, there was the Gyrobus. A plausible approach, but the thought of what a three ton flywheel, doing 3,000rpm, would do, if it ever escaped, was a little disturbing...
Gyrobus - Wikipedia
BobClay
Well-Known Forumite
I remember reading about those. I worked quite a bit on gyro-compasses at one time, and I remember on the ACME* course at Southampton Technical College in 1975 when we covered those weirdo machines, the instructor said: (bear in mind the nautical instructors were all former sea goers, so very pragmatic in their language.) 'No one is absolutely sure how these f***** things work, but they do.'
This reminded me a lot of Richard Feynman, Nobel Prize winning quantum physicist and one of the greats of the 20th Century, (and if you ever get a chance to see the Horizon programs about him, one made when he was alive and astounding people with his personality, and one after he died and former students of his were crying at his memory,) .... one of of his famous quotes was: 'Nobody really understands Quantum Theory.'
But what bit we do know works, which is why you can read these words on your PC right now, at this moment.
* ACME Advanced Course in Marine Electronics. (Doing this course meant we managed to sell a lot of crud to the Coyote, but only because we figured the Road Runner knew more than we did.)
This reminded me a lot of Richard Feynman, Nobel Prize winning quantum physicist and one of the greats of the 20th Century, (and if you ever get a chance to see the Horizon programs about him, one made when he was alive and astounding people with his personality, and one after he died and former students of his were crying at his memory,) .... one of of his famous quotes was: 'Nobody really understands Quantum Theory.'
But what bit we do know works, which is why you can read these words on your PC right now, at this moment.
* ACME Advanced Course in Marine Electronics. (Doing this course meant we managed to sell a lot of crud to the Coyote, but only because we figured the Road Runner knew more than we did.)
proactive
Enjoying a drop of red.
So today's fun and games was a run out to near Staithes on the east coast in North Yorks, for what turned out to be a much shorter meeting than I expected but got treated to a rather excellent lunch by the client to make up for it. Very nice place and well worth a visit, on a warmer day.
So that was 362 miles, in the foulest of weather, with the heater set to my usual temperature (and I like it hot!) the whole time, heated everything switched on the whole time, lights on, wipers on, and stereo blaring out the very latest, hip popular music combos, including Quo, AC/DC and even a bit of Abba. Not driving for economy at all, just going as fast as the law and the conditions allowed.
Made it there and back on a single charge at home before I left, so a result as I didn't have to trouble the pubic charging network.
Got home with 2.7 miles of battery remaining and it didn't go into You're Being A Dick With The Charging limp-home mode at the end.
Well pleased with that.
So that was 362 miles, in the foulest of weather, with the heater set to my usual temperature (and I like it hot!) the whole time, heated everything switched on the whole time, lights on, wipers on, and stereo blaring out the very latest, hip popular music combos, including Quo, AC/DC and even a bit of Abba. Not driving for economy at all, just going as fast as the law and the conditions allowed.
Made it there and back on a single charge at home before I left, so a result as I didn't have to trouble the pubic charging network.
Got home with 2.7 miles of battery remaining and it didn't go into You're Being A Dick With The Charging limp-home mode at the end.
Well pleased with that.
Cue
Well-Known Forumite
Yeah but electric cars aren’t ready because I can’t drive 500 miles without taking a break innit?
