Can Americans conserve gasoline ?
The actions and thinking necessary to conserve don’t seem to be a part of the everyday life of the average American. For example, if you observe the driving habits of most persons, you’ll see actions that are not consistent with conservation. Jack-rabbit starts, rapid accelerating and excessive speeds are the norm rather than exception. One would have to wonder if while filling up their vehicle any thought is given to the actual miles per gallon received from their last tank of petrol. That’s not unusual because as Americans, we’re not taught how to save and we’re used to ‘unlimited’ supplies and consuming mass quantities.. But I pose this question . In our society, could conserving ever be in vogue and have mass appeal ?
Solar Energy…
Things are finally heating up (no pun intended) for the solar energy industry. With petrol prices continuing to rise so do stock prices of some companies. After many years of promised rewards, could we be moving towards a trend of clean , affordable and consumer centric energy model ?
There was a time when electric energy was produced locally using direct current (DC). Before AC (alternating current) became the standard, there would be ‘local’ energy plants producing electricity for nearby users. Because of the efficiency of AC , the distribution costs were lower and the economies of scale created a model where a large plant could produce electricity for users much further away. And so it is today. There are many more plants necessary to produce more electricity for our increasing needs, but the power being produced is being sent long distances - sometimes hundreds of miles.
The lure of a clean and local power source within your control sounds very appealing not to just a regular Joe, but also the large energy conglomerates. Can’t you just feel the uneasiness in the gut of the big electric conglomerates - knowing that it could be possible for Joe to unplug ? And with distribution losses , even a large commercial solar energy site located some distance from your house may never be as efficient as one in your backyard or rooftop. Some clever distribution methods may again be pop up to shift the balance back. Maybe through the air distribution ? Most likely that’s a long way off. With the cost of solar cells decreasing and the efficiency rising, it appears that this technology could be very disruptive to the current model particularly if the price becomes attractive to the individual homeowner. Exactly where the tipping point is anyone’s guess. The opportunity to ‘unplug’ from the current grid could happen sooner that you think.
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