Alternative energy

[Irving]

How can you make such a long statement about bucking old methods, then suggest 100 year old wood gasification?

[jerrymrc]

just fixed your quote Offgrid.

Here in Colorado I would agree that the no sun/no wind is a very short time span. I remember Offgrid's setup and as I remember there was enough capacity to go a number of days without both.

Even on the worst days there is still some output from solar. It may not be what ya want or could use but it is still there.

[mangyhyena]

How can you make such a long statement about bucking old methods, then suggest 100 year old wood gasification?

LOL. Because wood gas can run your vehicle and a generator, covering transportation and electricity if the power company fails and/or gasoline and diesel are not resupplied to the gas stations. Out of curiosity, why does an old technology like wood gas, and perhaps alcohol, sticking with your line of thought, fall short for the purpose of providing fuel? Both alcohol and wood gas can be produced at home and can run internal combustion engines.

If you've know about newer technology that can do what wood gas does and can be done at the home level, please share what you know. BTW, a wood gasification unit costs about 5K if you buy it new. Is there another way to ensure you can still run your vehicles and a generator for less money should our energy systems fail us all?

[Irving]

I was just commenting on the dichotomy of your statement. I don't think there is anything wrong with wood gas generators. I've heard of people putting one on a trailer and using it to power the vehicle pulling it during the Great Depression.

[mangyhyena]

I was just commenting on the dichotomy of your statement. I don't think there is anything wrong with wood gas generators. I've heard of people putting one on a trailer and using it to power the vehicle pulling it during the Great Depression.

Ah, I see where you're coming from. It does seem to contradict what I was talking about. I meant we should be looking for ways to keep our current technology up and running if things go South. Here in Colorado, solar and wind can accomplish much of that, when it comes to powering a home. I'm still interested in running my vehicle and a generator for high use appliances as well. A more hands on approach might be necessary to produce fuel for internal combustion engines. It would be great if solar and wind could be made to fuel an engine, but hydrogen is the only way I know of to accomplish that and at this point, pressurizing hydrogen in tanks to run vehicles seems too dangerous. But I heard they have tanks that use metal shavings to store the hydrogen and those tanks don't explode, so perhaps we'll have a way to produce and store hydrogen at the home level yet.

[Irving]

Don't forget nuclear. Pretty sure the technology has already existed for years for entire neighborhoods to be powered by a vehicle sized reactor buried at the end of the street. And who wouldn't want a motor sized reactor that would power your vehicle for 20 years?