Coin Operated Charging

[Lock]

So it IS more "enviro-friendly" to be run over by an electric car!

That's a relief...

L

 

[hydro-one]

Ok the charging will be free, but im gonna charge a bit extra for the beers!! and the tip can be an option to "donate to an electric charity of your choice"

 

[t3sla]

 

[steeeve]

haha That is a sweet charger.

The push for public charging is weird.I dont feel like there are enough EV's to warrant a large expansion. However, there needs to be more infrastructure to grow the industry. I think the problem is the companies who are asking ridiculous amounts of money for their "plugs." These charging stations should be pretty easy to manufacture and affordable.

 

[t3sla]

Yeah pretty much.
LFP summed it up best

I would imagine for the price of a single pointless J1772 "charge station" you could afford to install 10 x RV weatherproof outdoor campground 220v outlets/circuits, and each one supports higher power than a J1772.

Some EV have inbuilt chargers which is nice for on the go charging, not exactly rapid charge but an excellent compromise.
I hope in the future every parking garage will have a AC mains (induction charging if we are lucky) and the price will be built into your per/hour rate (initially before it just becomes standard)

Hopefully the source of the EV stations power be greener.

 

[Lock]

Hopefully the source of the EV stations power be greener.

Yah... No kidding eh? Here in Ontario our electricity is still euphamistically termed "hydro"... `Cause of this guy:
View attachment 1

Adam Beck "led the charge", in building many hydro-electric dams in Ontario... including on some place called the "Niagara" River...

Today, Ontario "hydro" is to a large extent nuclear power generated:
http://media.cns-snc.ca/ontarioelectricity/ontarioelectricity.html

The other stuff like coal and "natural" gas and wind generation tends to go up and down, but our nuclear generators provide a "base line"... Pretty sure Adam would be rolling over in his grave these daze... Today, some ebikers still pay him homage (cough cough, won't mention any names here...Grin).

So, ya like these "chickens"?:

 

[steeeve]

Exactly what I was thinking, just make it free, provided by the business. Or if provided by a non profit, have a way to go on line and donate.

You could have a deal on your electric bill, check this box if you'd like to donate a buck to free charging stations that would be part of city infrastructure, such as outlets at streetlights in the parks.

I really like these routes to spreading EV infrastructure. It doesn't have to feel like I am going to a gas pump/station. I have heard that studies show that expecting no compensation for a favor typically has a better return than asking for compensation. This could be bar talk that I am recalling. haha

 

[Lock]

So... Nobuddy here on ES interested in free (solar) distributed electricity? OK, how `bout chipping in to replace photovoltaic ("PV") cells? Yah know, PV cells are made using mostly polycrystalline silicon wafers?

Ya know, the US "CDC" (Centers for Disease Control... and Prevention), their "NIOSH" (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), has a "RDRP" (Respiratory Diseases Research Program) that ya can read online, here:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nas/rdrp/appendices/chapter3/a3-53.pdf

... about "silica"... More properly known as Silicon Dioxide... With the chemical formula "SiO2", for short... And "silica" is most commonly found in nature as sand or quartz... And ya throw enough heat etc at it, and ya can produce elemental silicon, Si for short...

Per Wikipedia:

For the first time, in 2006, over half of the world's supply of polysilicon was being used for production of renewable electricity solar power panels. Only twelve factories were known to produce solar-grade polysilicon in 2008, however by 2013 the number now stands at over 100 manufacturers. Monocrystalline silicon is higher priced and more efficient than polycrystalline.

And "throw enough heat at it"? Well, commercial production depends on a reaction between sand (SiO2) and carbon at a temperature of around 2200 °C. There are currently only 15 matches on ES for the term "solar concentrator"... But basically ya might use curved mirrors, or fresnel lens, even a magnifying glass...

Well, Frenchman Auguste Mouchout, a mathematics teacher, in 1861 designed and patented the first machine that generated electricity with solar thermal energy electricity by the exposure of the sun. He made a number of notable public demonstrations of his inventions. During one exhibition in 1882, he had a solar powered steam engine powered a printing press that produced 500 copies per hour of a newspaper:


So yah, basically some think today in our "tar sands" it's not the fossil fuel (oil) that's the real "black gold, Texas tea" (with apologies to Jed Clampett and the Beverly Hillbillies), but maybe the SAND... some of which at least contains significant quantities of Si... Our American friends gov shows a handy map of "Metals -- Ore processing plants and smelters or refineries" in the USA, with Si labelled on it, here:
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mapdata/mtl_plts.pdf

And per Wikipedia:

Silicon is the eighth most common element in the universe by mass, but very rarely occurs as the pure free element in nature. It is most widely distributed in dusts, sands, planetoids, and planets as various forms of silicon dioxide (silica) or silicates. Over 90% of the Earth's crust is composed of silicate minerals, making silicon the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust (about 28% by mass) after oxygen.

And yah, while Anguste might have been a bit "old school", using solar energy to boil water, today some large solar concentrators produce a LOT more heat... Like this 20 mW solar concentrator near Seville, in Spain:


So yah, anyway... When I see a thread on ES titled "Coin Operated Charging" maybe I get a little too excited...

L

 

[steeeve]

I feel obliged to respond. I studied renewable energy at university, am a PV installer, taught pottery and started this thread.haha

Ya know, the US "CDC" (Centers for Disease Control... and Prevention), their "NIOSH" (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), has a "RDRP" (Respiratory Diseases Research Program) that ya can read online, here:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nas/rdrp/appendices/chapter3/a3-53.pdf

Heck yes, getting silica in your lungs is very bad. The body can't remove it. It is akin to black lung. I learned it was pretty simple to mitigate the risks posed by exposure when learning about pottery. You just wear a respirator, or wet the silica. Welders wear eye protection, builders wear hard hats, I wear a hat and lots of sunscreen. If you are extracting or dealing with raw silica you better take the appropriate safety measures. Its not that big of a deal. I don't see why PV should look bad because silica can be a health hazard.

Lets not forget that the chromium used on the mirrors of your favortie tech is also very bad for your health.

... about "silica"... More properly known as Silicon Dioxide... With the chemical formula "SiO2", for short... And "silica" is most commonly found in nature as sand or quartz... And ya throw enough heat etc at it, and ya can produce elemental silicon, Si for short...

Per Wikipedia:
For the first time, in 2006, over half of the world's supply of polysilicon was being used for production of renewable electricity solar power panels. Only twelve factories were known to produce solar-grade polysilicon in 2008, however by 2013 the number now stands at over 100 manufacturers. Monocrystalline silicon is higher priced and more efficient than polycrystalline.


And "throw enough heat at it"? Well, commercial production depends on a reaction between sand (SiO2) and carbon at a temperature of around 2200 °C

This link help explain the differences between the grades. http://www.icis.com/chemicals/polysilicon-solar-grade/asia/price-reporting-methodology/

I think your point is that an increase in polysilcon production equates to increased environmental degradation because of carbon pollution and high embodied energy. I think you should reflect :wink: on the fact that that concentrator technology is constructed using similar schemes. Many of the metals used in in these concentrators are extracted from oxide ores. The best way to remove some oxygen to meet that hott carbon. If its aluminium it will use huge quantities of electricity.

I think that you are forgetting many other negatives about concentrators. These systems typically require many moving parts. The mirrors require two-axis tracking that is expensive and prone to failure. This is because these systems runs off of only direct radiation. PV can catch direct and diffuse radiation. Concentrator technology would fail in many places where PV would do just fine. It has to do with cloud cover producing diffuse radiation. The other moving part to think about is the turbine. All of these heat based energy production schemes use a turbine. Nuclear, coal, concentrator heat up water, produce steam and turn a turbine. These are highly engineered mechanical masterpieces. They function for utility scale energy production but wouldn't be all that practical in your back yard.

PV isnt perfect but its totally recyclable, modular, simple and rugged. I know whether I install 5 panels or 400. They will be there a minimum of 30 years making clean renewable energy. It can be installed on a residence and directly power someones transportation and home. I make the, " Your bike still runs on fossil fuel" douches be quite. It can cut out the utility companies.

 

[Lock]

Yah, understand, nothing is "perfect" and there is "good and bad in everything"... But I guess we humans do like to travel eh? I mean it'd be *nice* to work from home, but... I mean I have travelled around lots under sail, but this was just for fun, the hulls were "plastic" (fibreglass) and the sails were made of "dacron"... At least it (the wind) was sorta cheap, and it was a whole lot quieter (and waaay less stinkier) than the gasoline or diseasal-powered motor... (Sorta like electric bikes?)

So to quote part of your "bottom line", "PV isnt perfect but...", etc... and "They will be there a minimum of 30 years making clean renewable energy."

L

 

[t3sla]

meanwhile, in china.....

http://s.taobao.com/search?q=%D6%C7...id=s5-e&search=y&initiative_id=itemz_20131009

This ones the coolest (because is has so many LCD's)

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=...e9db91e1a3a7f2695d00&spm=a230r.1.17.4.NgCxB5

Also includes some carnage picks of ebike fires