Coming Soon: More Losses At Clean Energy Fuels [View article]
What I don't understand it what the engine building problems, costs are?
Why are not truck gasoline engines just given high compression ratio's and a NG carb?
It was done in the 70's this way and worked very well as NG is so clean they lasted 200-300k miles easily.
The only difference between a NG and liquid fueled engines is the fuel tank as far as costs goes. There is no reason a 400hp NG engine sould cost over $3k vs $10k plus for a diesel. That difference should easily cover the tank, etc costs of NG so NG vehicles should cost no more than diesel ones do.
Chevron and big oil stopped EV's in the 90's by faking that Fuel Cells car were the future and other lies and propganda which you seem to have bought hook, line and sinker.
Tesla S is not a joke or an economy car/EV but a high tech sport sedan that beats the pants off the others in it's price range on the track and off. And everyone made is already sold with production ramping up fast. Why would you think it was an economy car? Biased?
EV's don't have battery or range problems that don't have solutions, just car companies that don't want to make those solutions.
Range seems to be the big one yet 50 mile range takes care of 90% of US car trips that with a modest generator of 10kw/15hp gives unlimited range at far higher eff. This is far more cost effective that the small battery, bigger engine version if done right.
Big auto is on purpose making EV's expensive lying about battery cost which are under $250/kwhr for a pack and the materials are under $100 for the 22lbs of mostly plastics, alum, copper, iron that make up 97% of them. Only .5lb of lithium/kwhr is used and it isn't expensive. Again anyone can by Lithium cells for $250/kwhr RETAIL in EV quanities. Why can't big auto?
Lead batteries at $70/kwhr can work fine in EV's if designed for them again making the battery cost point moot.
I've driven my custom EV's for 15 yrs at 25% of the cost of a similar ICE would using forklift EV tech instead of the complicated ones big auto uses to make EV's look bad.
Again I drive my EV's at very low cost and laugh at others all the way to the bank.
While I completely agree on the oil part you don't understand the same forces against NG implimentation in transport are the same keeping EV's from being a big force.
From Chevron buying the NiMH battery patents then stoping anyone from building over 10amphr cells making it impossible to make EV's from them to big auto making overweight, overpriced, overteched EV's then not backing them with advertising shows the forces against them.
Next big auto claims high Lithium battery prices of $6-700/kwhr when they can be had for under $250kwhr at retail prices that Tesla uses. So Big auto is overpricing EV's by 50% at least.
If EV's were made lightweight, aero even lead batteries would give 100 mile range at far less cost. A 2 seat EV sportwagon done in composites with 100 mile range and a 7kw generator to give unlimited range could easily be produced for under $13k with a battery pack cost of $1k. But they don't rust or need much service or parts after the sale which would hurt their biggest profit center, after sales parts and cut future sales of gas cars.
GM has built 2 of these, the Impact EV, the prototype for the EV-1 and the GM UltraLite showcar either of which done in medium tech composites could be produced with a good profit for $15k.
I have custom lightweight EV's that cost 25% to run vs similar gas versions and far less to have built that present EV's. nNow if we could get someone to produce them they would sell like hotcakes.
But the EV camel's nose is already under the tent in the form of Plug in hybrids which you'll see sales jump over the next few yrs to Prius levels as gas prices go up and their prices drop.
If we just stopped protecting international oil companies for free the $400B, 50% of our military goes to just this in thePersian Gulf and the oil wars , by putting it into the price of oil both NG and EV's would boom as the price advantage of a real free market easily favors them instead of subsidizing big oil.
By far the biggest factor is repubs in congress keeping the economy from recovering with their obstructionist policies and stupid policies like the debt limit ones that have knocked off 3% of GDP over the last 2 yrs.
They had a chance at a grand bargain which would have greatly helped the economy by providing certainty and started the national debt problem going in the right direction but instead only passed a debt increasing bill with other economic killing fights in the near future arguing whether to pay the bills they racked up.
112th Congress Averts Fiscal Cliff But Leaves A Mess For The 113th [View article]
Sadly this could all be fixed if they wanted to.
Our big future expense is healthcare and the ONLY cure is VA style for all gov paid for ones at least with everyone able tpo use it on a sliding scale based on income. This cuts medicare/caid/gov retirees, etc by 50% and stops the outragous yrly cost increases.
Next stop corporate welfare like making international oil companies pay for their protection instead of giving it to them for free and having them, coal pay for the pollution damages they cause now paid for by tax payers.
A transaction tax on all investments of .25% so wall street pays for the damage it does and stops the speculation, fast trading, etc and get back to long term investing that is needed instead of the rigged gambling it is now.
SS is easy to fix just by raising the income limits on it's taxes and cutting the top rate it pays.
I can see you all about to burst but think about the lower taxes and far better economy we'll have with a balanced budget and debt paid off will easily make up for these and it puts the costs on those who cause them where it should be. We could go to a 25% top tax rate or even lower with these .
Hydraulic Fracturing Causes Shift In World Energy Balances [View article]
I agree with Mod as the predictions here have no chance of happening!! IEA and EIA are terrible at predictions as few have ever come true.
Facts are coal in the world as well as conventional crude will be about gone and too expensive to burn, mostly used for chemical production by then.
While it won't actually be gone many other techs will take their place at far lower costs making them unprofitable for the little left.
For instance a 100'x100' US home lot gets 5Mwhr of energy/day average from the sun and it already costs less than gasoline to catch and change it into electricity. Or by 2040 machines will take it and CO2 and water to produce liquid fuels far more cheaply than drilling, etc.
This and many other techs are already here and just need to be mass produced. So betting on coal, oil or even NG longer than 5 yrs is problematic as by then these will be available to the masses cutting fossil fuels/FF profitability and paying for themselves in FF savings easily..
I already do some of this and others are finding out which will leave big energy, utility realing from it in the near future. And many other big businesses are pricing themselves out of the market by being so greedy many will find doing it themselves is lower cost and other companies that are not greedy will take their place.
What Does 2013 Hold For Solar? Predictions From 4 Green Money Managers [View article]
Interesting but misses several things. First only the companies that go vertical not only making panels but building their own solar farms or selling units on homes, buildings on time or selling the power generated are likely to survive.
In the US as the economy increases PV installations will greatly increase as hard to beat them as a home. building investment if shopped well with reasonable installation costs under $3/wt total.
Making plug and play systems one just buys from the PV manufacturer FOB including panels, inverter and mountings prewired so one just plugs into a 120vac or 240vac outlet for under $2/wt is another way.
Basically PV makers need to make a better, easier, lower cost market rather than waiting for people to come buy their panels.
Those that don't do one of these and capture more of the system profit are unlikely to survive in the US and likely other places.
If I made them I'd be installing systems over parking lots, etc in the better PV friendly states as fast as I could and selling the power as peak and/or green power and reap the profits from tax credits, carbon credits and sales of peak power PV provides so well in many places.
Clean Energy Fuels - When Is The Right Time To Buy? [View article]
Since NG only costs about $.75/gal equivalent and the Feds pay for most of the stations, etc, why are they selling it for $2.50/gal?
The cost to liquidfy is only $.25/gal or so giving them a profit of 250%! Just why would a fleet pay such high prices? The idea is lower costs to them and overcharging is a great way to not grow to the break even point. They need to cut the price by $1/gal to about $1.50/gal for the numbers of operators to change over to LNG.
I think CNG is as good as LNG with the difference in pricing. LNG is better in the long run but not if they overcharge.
Forced to sell electricity to a monopoly at under market rates is hardly a free market. I can get over 2x's that if a real free market.
To other posts, you really don't think the market isn't rigged? If not then why do we protect international oil companies for free taking 10% of YOUR tax $ YOU pay out of your pocket?
What about coal companies/utilities causing 15k deaths, 150k hospitalization/yr mostly paid for by the gov? And that is just the top of the damages these companies do that YOU pay for in YOUR taxes.
On gov growth look it up. Bush 43-41 and Reagan grew gov employment a lot vs getting smaller under Clinton, Obama.
I can go on but as a real fiscal conservative the corporate welfare is far more than social welfare. 3/4 of defense either protect international oil companies or pork as just 1 example.
And neither SS or most of Medicare are social welfare, but paid for benefits.
The Gov is getting smaller, It gotr bigger under Bush.
Tax cuts don't make jobs or we'd be swimming in them. They actually gives us the deficit, debt and the economic crash of 2008.
Business is waiting for repubs to get off their butts and pass a decent economic budget along the Obama lines and the economy will boom. Even WS CEO's say they should be responsible and raise selective taxes.
And repubs need to stop rigging the economy for the rich and big corporations so the middle class and small business can get the economy going.
For instance Repubs won't let me, other sell electricity we make in all the US by favoring utilities and their monopolies. Not very free market and those who say we have a free market are lying or delusional. The market if clearly rigged in so many ways.
The Hidden Impact Of Solar: Why You Should Care [View article]
Cooper I gave exact data then you accuse me of not doing so. That I believe is bias.
Using the site I mentioned, sunelec.com among many others and hiring an electrician to install it even without subsidies PV pays back in 5 yrs in the US average sun and electric costs. PV lasts 20-25 yrs, Do the math.
If not biased or up to date then what is the deal?
The Hidden Impact Of Solar: Why You Should Care [View article]
Craig Cooper I did supply data and even the retail place to actually buy it. Every site is different but in most places with average sunlight and electric cost home, building PV costs 25% of utility cost over a 20 yr life.
Maybe you are as biased as Dave is. Things, costs have changed greatly in the last 5 yrs. Get up to date.
The Hidden Impact Of Solar: Why You Should Care [View article]
Dave trolls the internet making misleading statments about various RE's and touting nukes. I guess he is pi--ed that he can't use solar well in his wet, damp, foggy UK so thinks everyone else should suffer.
So Dave why did they shut a working nuke plant in Wisconson that no one would buy? Their reason was it couldn't compete with new NG.
Facts are well done PV pays for itself in 4-6 yrs in most places and then give nearly free power for another 15-20 yrs.
I think any solar PV company needs to start making complete products that are plug and play to capture the full profit or build their own solar farms and sell the peak power electricity.
Like new battery plants there are too many with not enough market so if either are to survive they need to make their own market. Plug and play or powerplants in PV's case and EV's, peak power, etc in Battery manufactures case.
Personally in an eff home here in Fla one only needs under a $10k PV system if well shopped and hire your own installers by the hr can be done for under $2.5k/kw. This will pay off in about 5 yrs and give almost free power for 20 more saving ever increasing utility power rates. sunelec among other suppliers.
But Dave doesn't want to hear this as it blows his rants apart.
And it doesn't matter if the utility uses nuke or whatever as the utility markup along to cover their overhead, wires, profit, dividends, etc makes any power they buy 2-3x's as expensive as a home or building making their own by solar, wind, etc since they save or make retail costs.
This is also a big threat to utilities as RE really are simple, low cost devices once in real mass production as PV has can easily out compete utilities, big oil, coal, auto now or in the near future.
EV's too will be a big part intergrated with the home, power grid but they need to be lightweight medium tech instead of the overweight, overpriced and overteched ones they are doing now.
The home, energy and transport world will radically change in the next 10 yrs because of costs, economics. Those industries need to get with the program or they will go down like so many already have.
I know Clinton did but it was repubs that stopped all regulating during Bush43 which lead o so many problems. And please don't do the lame blame myth on Barney Frank who came in at the end and repubs blocked from doing anything.
Fair taxing and paying down the debt will and gave us a great economy during Clinton. But if you destroy the middle class as repubs have been doing and giving it all to the rich and corporations we all lose as who is going to buy your products and you make money from with services or the companies you invest in?
That is very short sided thinking that has been very bad for our country.
No matter which way it goes I'll make plenty off replacing oil, coal power.
Can you honestly say the repubs haven't caused the economy from recovering by the blocking of the budgets, debt ceiling? You better make them solve it quick or you cash suffers.
Coming Soon: More Losses At Clean Energy Fuels [View article]
What I don't understand it what the engine building problems, costs are?
Why are not truck gasoline engines just given high compression ratio's and a NG carb?
It was done in the 70's this way and worked very well as NG is so clean they lasted 200-300k miles easily.
The only difference between a NG and liquid fueled engines is the fuel tank as far as costs goes. There is no reason a 400hp NG engine sould cost over $3k vs $10k plus for a diesel. That difference should easily cover the tank, etc costs of NG so NG vehicles should cost no more than diesel ones do.
Philanthropist Yossie Hollander Talks Fuel Freedom [View article]
Chevron and big oil stopped EV's in the 90's by faking that Fuel Cells car were the future and other lies and propganda which you seem to have bought hook, line and sinker.
Tesla S is not a joke or an economy car/EV but a high tech sport sedan that beats the pants off the others in it's price range on the track and off. And everyone made is already sold with production ramping up fast. Why would you think it was an economy car? Biased?
EV's don't have battery or range problems that don't have solutions, just car companies that don't want to make those solutions.
Range seems to be the big one yet 50 mile range takes care of 90% of US car trips that with a modest generator of 10kw/15hp gives unlimited range at far higher eff. This is far more cost effective that the small battery, bigger engine version if done right.
Big auto is on purpose making EV's expensive lying about battery cost which are under $250/kwhr for a pack and the materials are under $100 for the 22lbs of mostly plastics, alum, copper, iron that make up 97% of them. Only .5lb of lithium/kwhr is used and it isn't expensive. Again anyone can by Lithium cells for $250/kwhr RETAIL in EV quanities. Why can't big auto?
Lead batteries at $70/kwhr can work fine in EV's if designed for them again making the battery cost point moot.
I've driven my custom EV's for 15 yrs at 25% of the cost of a similar ICE would using forklift EV tech instead of the complicated ones big auto uses to make EV's look bad.
Again I drive my EV's at very low cost and laugh at others all the way to the bank.
Philanthropist Yossie Hollander Talks Fuel Freedom [View article]
While I completely agree on the oil part you don't understand the same forces against NG implimentation in transport are the same keeping EV's from being a big force.
From Chevron buying the NiMH battery patents then stoping anyone from building over 10amphr cells making it impossible to make EV's from them to big auto making overweight, overpriced, overteched EV's then not backing them with advertising shows the forces against them.
Next big auto claims high Lithium battery prices of $6-700/kwhr when they can be had for under $250kwhr at retail prices that Tesla uses. So Big auto is overpricing EV's by 50% at least.
If EV's were made lightweight, aero even lead batteries would give 100 mile range at far less cost. A 2 seat EV sportwagon done in composites with 100 mile range and a 7kw generator to give unlimited range could easily be produced for under $13k with a battery pack cost of $1k. But they don't rust or need much service or parts after the sale which would hurt their biggest profit center, after sales parts and cut future sales of gas cars.
GM has built 2 of these, the Impact EV, the prototype for the EV-1 and the GM UltraLite showcar either of which done in medium tech composites could be produced with a good profit for $15k.
I have custom lightweight EV's that cost 25% to run vs similar gas versions and far less to have built that present EV's. nNow if we could get someone to produce them they would sell like hotcakes.
But the EV camel's nose is already under the tent in the form of Plug in hybrids which you'll see sales jump over the next few yrs to Prius levels as gas prices go up and their prices drop.
If we just stopped protecting international oil companies for free the $400B, 50% of our military goes to just this in thePersian Gulf and the oil wars , by putting it into the price of oil both NG and EV's would boom as the price advantage of a real free market easily favors them instead of subsidizing big oil.
Headwinds For The Bull Case [View article]
By far the biggest factor is repubs in congress keeping the economy from recovering with their obstructionist policies and stupid policies like the debt limit ones that have knocked off 3% of GDP over the last 2 yrs.
They had a chance at a grand bargain which would have greatly helped the economy by providing certainty and started the national debt problem going in the right direction but instead only passed a debt increasing bill with other economic killing fights in the near future arguing whether to pay the bills they racked up.
112th Congress Averts Fiscal Cliff But Leaves A Mess For The 113th [View article]
Sadly this could all be fixed if they wanted to.
Our big future expense is healthcare and the ONLY cure is VA style for all gov paid for ones at least with everyone able tpo use it on a sliding scale based on income. This cuts medicare/caid/gov retirees, etc by 50% and stops the outragous yrly cost increases.
Next stop corporate welfare like making international oil companies pay for their protection instead of giving it to them for free and having them, coal pay for the pollution damages they cause now paid for by tax payers.
A transaction tax on all investments of .25% so wall street pays for the damage it does and stops the speculation, fast trading, etc and get back to long term investing that is needed instead of the rigged gambling it is now.
SS is easy to fix just by raising the income limits on it's taxes and cutting the top rate it pays.
I can see you all about to burst but think about the lower taxes and far better economy we'll have with a balanced budget and debt paid off will easily make up for these and it puts the costs on those who cause them where it should be. We could go to a 25% top tax rate or even lower with these .
Hydraulic Fracturing Causes Shift In World Energy Balances [View article]
I agree with Mod as the predictions here have no chance of happening!! IEA and EIA are terrible at predictions as few have ever come true.
Facts are coal in the world as well as conventional crude will be about gone and too expensive to burn, mostly used for chemical production by then.
While it won't actually be gone many other techs will take their place at far lower costs making them unprofitable for the little left.
For instance a 100'x100' US home lot gets 5Mwhr of energy/day average from the sun and it already costs less than gasoline to catch and change it into electricity. Or by 2040 machines will take it and CO2 and water to produce liquid fuels far more cheaply than drilling, etc.
This and many other techs are already here and just need to be mass produced. So betting on coal, oil or even NG longer than 5 yrs is problematic as by then these will be available to the masses cutting fossil fuels/FF profitability and paying for themselves in FF savings easily..
I already do some of this and others are finding out which will leave big energy, utility realing from it in the near future. And many other big businesses are pricing themselves out of the market by being so greedy many will find doing it themselves is lower cost and other companies that are not greedy will take their place.
What Does 2013 Hold For Solar? Predictions From 4 Green Money Managers [View article]
Interesting but misses several things. First only the companies that go vertical not only making panels but building their own solar farms or selling units on homes, buildings on time or selling the power generated are likely to survive.
In the US as the economy increases PV installations will greatly increase as hard to beat them as a home. building investment if shopped well with reasonable installation costs under $3/wt total.
Making plug and play systems one just buys from the PV manufacturer FOB including panels, inverter and mountings prewired so one just plugs into a 120vac or 240vac outlet for under $2/wt is another way.
Basically PV makers need to make a better, easier, lower cost market rather than waiting for people to come buy their panels.
Those that don't do one of these and capture more of the system profit are unlikely to survive in the US and likely other places.
If I made them I'd be installing systems over parking lots, etc in the better PV friendly states as fast as I could and selling the power as peak and/or green power and reap the profits from tax credits, carbon credits and sales of peak power PV provides so well in many places.
Clean Energy Fuels - When Is The Right Time To Buy? [View article]
Since NG only costs about $.75/gal equivalent and the Feds pay for most of the stations, etc, why are they selling it for $2.50/gal?
The cost to liquidfy is only $.25/gal or so giving them a profit of 250%! Just why would a fleet pay such high prices? The idea is lower costs to them and overcharging is a great way to not grow to the break even point. They need to cut the price by $1/gal to about $1.50/gal for the numbers of operators to change over to LNG.
I think CNG is as good as LNG with the difference in pricing. LNG is better in the long run but not if they overcharge.
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly [View article]
Forced to sell electricity to a monopoly at under market rates is hardly a free market. I can get over 2x's that if a real free market.
To other posts, you really don't think the market isn't rigged? If not then why do we protect international oil companies for free taking 10% of YOUR tax $ YOU pay out of your pocket?
What about coal companies/utilities causing 15k deaths, 150k hospitalization/yr mostly paid for by the gov? And that is just the top of the damages these companies do that YOU pay for in YOUR taxes.
On gov growth look it up. Bush 43-41 and Reagan grew gov employment a lot vs getting smaller under Clinton, Obama.
I can go on but as a real fiscal conservative the corporate welfare is far more than social welfare. 3/4 of defense either protect international oil companies or pork as just 1 example.
And neither SS or most of Medicare are social welfare, but paid for benefits.
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly [View article]
So much misinformation in these posts.
The Gov is getting smaller, It gotr bigger under Bush.
Tax cuts don't make jobs or we'd be swimming in them. They actually gives us the deficit, debt and the economic crash of 2008.
Business is waiting for repubs to get off their butts and pass a decent economic budget along the Obama lines and the economy will boom. Even WS CEO's say they should be responsible and raise selective taxes.
And repubs need to stop rigging the economy for the rich and big corporations so the middle class and small business can get the economy going.
For instance Repubs won't let me, other sell electricity we make in all the US by favoring utilities and their monopolies. Not very free market and those who say we have a free market are lying or delusional. The market if clearly rigged in so many ways.
The Hidden Impact Of Solar: Why You Should Care [View article]
Cooper I gave exact data then you accuse me of not doing so. That I believe is bias.
Using the site I mentioned, sunelec.com among many others and hiring an electrician to install it even without subsidies PV pays back in 5 yrs in the US average sun and electric costs. PV lasts 20-25 yrs, Do the math.
If not biased or up to date then what is the deal?
The Hidden Impact Of Solar: Why You Should Care [View article]
You certainly are not running econo 101 as yours are rather off.
And you still haven't answered whythey shut down a working nuke in Wisconson because it couldn't compete with NG? Waiting for your answer.
Meanwhile keep paying your bills that will only get higher and I'll and other smart people will be laughing all the way to the bank.
The Hidden Impact Of Solar: Why You Should Care [View article]
Maybe you are as biased as Dave is. Things, costs have changed greatly in the last 5 yrs. Get up to date.
The Hidden Impact Of Solar: Why You Should Care [View article]
So Dave why did they shut a working nuke plant in Wisconson that no one would buy? Their reason was it couldn't compete with new NG.
Facts are well done PV pays for itself in 4-6 yrs in most places and then give nearly free power for another 15-20 yrs.
I think any solar PV company needs to start making complete products that are plug and play to capture the full profit or build their own solar farms and sell the peak power electricity.
Like new battery plants there are too many with not enough market so if either are to survive they need to make their own market. Plug and play or powerplants in PV's case and EV's, peak power, etc in Battery manufactures case.
Personally in an eff home here in Fla one only needs under a $10k PV system if well shopped and hire your own installers by the hr can be done for under $2.5k/kw. This will pay off in about 5 yrs and give almost free power for 20 more saving ever increasing utility power rates. sunelec among other suppliers.
But Dave doesn't want to hear this as it blows his rants apart.
And it doesn't matter if the utility uses nuke or whatever as the utility markup along to cover their overhead, wires, profit, dividends, etc makes any power they buy 2-3x's as expensive as a home or building making their own by solar, wind, etc since they save or make retail costs.
This is also a big threat to utilities as RE really are simple, low cost devices once in real mass production as PV has can easily out compete utilities, big oil, coal, auto now or in the near future.
EV's too will be a big part intergrated with the home, power grid but they need to be lightweight medium tech instead of the overweight, overpriced and overteched ones they are doing now.
The home, energy and transport world will radically change in the next 10 yrs because of costs, economics. Those industries need to get with the program or they will go down like so many already have.
Why Financial Repression Will Fail [View article]
I know Clinton did but it was repubs that stopped all regulating during Bush43 which lead o so many problems. And please don't do the lame blame myth on Barney Frank who came in at the end and repubs blocked from doing anything.
Fair taxing and paying down the debt will and gave us a great economy during Clinton. But if you destroy the middle class as repubs have been doing and giving it all to the rich and corporations we all lose as who is going to buy your products and you make money from with services or the companies you invest in?
That is very short sided thinking that has been very bad for our country.
No matter which way it goes I'll make plenty off replacing oil, coal power.
Can you honestly say the repubs haven't caused the economy from recovering by the blocking of the budgets, debt ceiling? You better make them solve it quick or you cash suffers.