William Taylor

On EESAT and Energy Storage Opportunities on the Smart Grid

As you know, John, I am a fan of BCON but I am getting a bit hesitant as I don't see much progress. I am wondering if they have a chance in this game based on their low carbon footprint and the fact that they seeming require virtually no maintenance as opposed to battery systems which degrade, need replacement and maintenance.

I think that grid operators are conservative buyers, particularly of any new technology like flywheels, and that the path to acceptance will be difficult for BCON but I am hoping that the fact that they are probably the "greenest" technology will overrule cost difficulties.
As you sure that, factoring in maintenance and replacement costs for batteries, that flywheels are not in the financial ballpark? Thanks for your work, it helps push away some of the fog of uncertainly for many of us.

Energy Storage on the Smart Grid: 99.45% Cheap and 0.55% Cool

I am with BCON too. I have seen their wheels work and it is really something. Their almost zero carbon footprint and 20 year life will be a big plus. Batteries are a toxic mess, dirty to make and dirty to get rid of with a limited working life.


On Jul 19 06:18 PM flywheel niche wrote:

> BCON flywheels are the most niche and have the most upside.

Are Energy Storage Investors Chasing Their Own Tails?

Batteries may be developed that can serve almost any need but they all have a large carbon footprint, a feature that may drive their price higher. Shortage of materials may also drive prices up and manufacturing costs associated with materials contamination and remediation will also be a cost factor.

White House Report: GM Volt Is Not Ready for Prime Time

Owing Zenn, I believe, will be a disaster and I have owned it for years! They are great at PR and nothing else. EEStor is clearly a fraud and, although insisting they are making progress, research shows that it is only hollow promises. Time will tell. Go to the boards on EEStor and Zenn and check out what knowledgeable folks say. I hope I am wrong but I doubt it.


On Apr 24 10:25 AM Freya wrote:

> John: you have become jaded. I meant the news that the rest of your
> picks may become obsolete shortly in the EV area. The news is from
> Eestor not from Zenn.
>
> But heck, I can live with my 150% gain.

Axion Power: Time Is Right for Gas Guzzlers to Dual Mode EV Conversions

Thanks, John. It is good to know the facts! You certainly cannot get them by following the Yahoo boards.


On Apr 19 11:06 AM John Petersen wrote:

> William Taylor, Mr. Gelbaum has taken a lot of unfair criticism because
> he buys heavily into alternative energy companies and is willing
> to take the good with the bad, but thinks that taking a loss is better
> than riding a losing stock to zero. Many of the companies that Quercus
> bought into and then sold out of resulted in tremendous cash losses
> to him. A great example is the trashing Quercus took when it sold
> out of Beacon in the sub $1.50 range. The following comes from an
> analysis I did in late 2007.
>
> "Quercus started buying Beacon prior to May 2007 at around $0.87
> per share and had accumulated a total of 8,957,480 shares at prices
> ranging up to $2.19 per share through October 10, 2007. On October
> 18, 2007, Quercus bought an additional 6.2 million units from Beacon
> (each consisting of 1 common share and .95 warrants exercisable at
> $2.97) for $1.98 per unit ($12,250,000)."
>
> I think it's tragic that Quercus took a loss on its Beacon stock.
> It's horrid that Quercus has been criticized for losing money. Pumpers
> buy cheap, sell expensive and don't care if the stock collapses afterwards.
> Buying for $2 and selling for $1 is not pump and dump.
>
> a palmer, supercapacitors are wonderful for power but terrible for
> energy. To put it in the simplest of terms, energy is the distance
> of travel and power is the speed. Charging a supercapacitor at Starbucks
> would get you out of the parking lot in an instant. But you'd roll
> to a dead stop in less than a quarter mile.
>
> Neil Energy, one of my most common recurring battles with readers
> comes from the fact that I think future price declines are likely
> to be modest at best. So any estimate I found reasonable most would
> find unreasonable.
>
> The $4,500 conversion kit cost and $3,000 labor cost reflect current
> pricing. A widespread migration to dual mode conversions would likely
> drive those numbers down, but there again it gets off into the realm
> of speculation that I really try to avoid. I hope the potential savings
> would be large, but don't want to hazard a guess.
>
> With the new fleet mileage standards, I can't imagine a factory equipped
> dual mode. But given the choice between putting batteries into a
> new car that would have high mileage anyway or putting those same
> batteries into an older gas-guzzler, we can save a lot more gasoline
> by using the batteries for the gas guzzler.

Axion Power: Time Is Right for Gas Guzzlers to Dual Mode EV Conversions

Quercus Trust. John, am I nuts or is Quercus and Geldbalm just a bunch of pump and dumpers? The ultimate ruin of well intentioned small companies?

I could be completely wrong and hope I am but afraid I am not. Any thoughts?

Axion and Exide: I Love It When a Plan Comes Together

I am counting on super capacitors for future power. The problem is EEStor seems to be a fraud or incompetent and the science is just not there yet. I expect it might take another decade.

For grid storage batteries have a high carbon footprint and if Beacon Power gets it's act together, (their flywheels seem to work well), the fact that they have virtually no carbon footprint, maintenance problems and apparent long life is going to work in their favor over battery systems.

Hey, who knows? A new tech could knocks us all out of the box tomorrow. There are a lot of smart electrical and chemical engineers around the world working on this stuff.

Cleantech, Optimism Squared and the Battery Industry

Excellent article. I am still hopeful that some sort of accidental results will come from EESTOR or, perhaps, a more viable entity like an MIT lab.

Alternative Energy Storage Is an Investment Tsunami

Yeah, but what if, and it is a big what if, EESTOR and Zenn Motors come through with a viable product? The world will change in a very big way and some out there will become very wealthy.
Any more thoughts on this John?

Alternative Energy, Regular Guy Stuff and Rainbow Stew

I am still hoping the world will have some positive results from Eestor. Think there is much of a chance, John?

Energy Storage Opportunities vs. Irrational Expectations

No one has mentioned Zenn & EEstor. If it works as hoped, this long long shot will make shareholders of Zenn wealthy.

Axion Power: Common Sense Solution for Alt. Energy Storage

I like all this info. If EEstor's product works as it is supposed to then they will certainly win the automotive market. I have heard that flywheels are in use on trains in the far east but as far as I am concerned the no carbon footprint feature of flywheels makes them best for grid regulation.

Axion Power: Common Sense Solution for Alt. Energy Storage

I like the way you think. Would you care to comment on BCON vs. AXPW.OB for grid applications?
Also do you have any thoughts about the future of Zenn and EEstor? Thanks!

Battery Technology: A Different Set of Rules

I am sticking with flywheel tech. I have visited BCON's factory and listened to them. This whole field is yet to be realized but I just have this hunch that BCON will make it. We will know in the next two years.

Grid-based Energy Storage: Birth of a Giant

Having been at the BCON stockholders meeting last week and listened to management and toured the plant I have put my money there. I think they will be the winner in the minutes category.