Quote:
Originally Posted by michaellxv
and coming soon 'the electric car', now aint that going to be cheap to run  |
I think that's why it isn't happening. Imagine if 20 million Australians suddenly started driving electric (not hybrid) cars. The power grid couldn't handle it. Not by a long shot. We would need to find a powerful source of cheap electricity to make it viable. Like nuclear. Home solar doesn't produce enough power to charge an electric car.
Now with high density housing and no yard to speak of, solar is limited to the roof. While the price of solar has plummeted, the efficiency of the panels hasn't changed that much in recent times. With solar you can't have tree shadows so not suitable for everyone.
I've managed to cram about 700 watts of self funded hobby solar panels on my shed roof which charge a battery bank. And I have a huge backyard. Where possible I've converted my energy use to either 12 volts or low power appliances. All the house lighting is 12 volt, fridge, freezer, TV, radios, ceiling fan, all 12V now.
I don't feed anything back to the grid. Too much red tape for a DIY. Because I use less grid power, my last quarter bill was $83. Unlike grid connect systems, when the grid goes down, I still have power.
Of course it cost money to do all this, so my savings are not so great. I just do it as a hobby for independence from the grid if needs be.
It seems a bit screwy to me that in the 21st century, a first world country that claims to be at the forefront of technology can't even afford electricity.
If we can't afford electricity, how are we ever going to advance with technology?