LOL.

I did a lot of research on this subject last year for an article I wrote and since then it has changed even more. One of the other things that I find extremely hopeful is the energy recycling breaking system. Instead of wasting all that heat energy with friction pads for the brakes, they just came out with a system of recapturing that motion via gears that turn an internal generator. I have been waiting for that for a long time. I don't remember which company it was doing this and I can't find the Google info either but I think it was Toyota or Honda.

Aha! after a bit of research I found some info.
http://www.worldofrenewables.com/index.php?do=viewarticle&artid=1419&title=regenerating-from-wasted-energy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regenerative_brake

Scott you are absolutely correct. The storing is the largest problem by far. This combined with the nasty chemicals that batteries are made from leaves  you with a problem larger than the benefit it provides. There is some hope however. We moved from Nickel Cadmium to NIMH batteries to Lithium Ion. Now there are Lithium Polymer batteries. The real hope lies in the next generation of battery however. See this link for news on the 30 year battery....

http://www.nextenergynews.com/news1/next-energy-news-betavoltaic-10.1.html

If I didn't mention it here already, I read the FCX website, and am really excited about it.  It was mentioned in another thread how Hydrogen can be used to overcome the storage battery issue.  (maybe it was earlier in this thread?).

My point is...instead of just taking solar energy and using it for hydrolysis from a water source in order to split the hydrogen and the oxygen and then burning the hydrogen as a fuel...why not take it one step further with the fuel cell technology?

The FCX runs on ONE fuel cell, and it's enough to run a CAR.

What if you had...oh...say...six...for your home?

During the day, your photovoltaic solar system generates hydrogen through hydrolysis.  That hydrogen gets stored in a BIG tank. (yes, I know it's inefficient, but when the sky is raining soup, it only has to be efficient ENOUGH, not 100 percent...not even close).  So now you have a big tank of pressurized hydrogen, similar to rural homes that already have a big tank of pressurized propane...this technology is NOT new...and it wouldn't be that tough to convert over.

So now, instead of propane, you've got hydrogen to run your stove and your furnace.

But that's not all. Your hydrogen IS your battery!  You pump your hydrogen into the fuel cells to create electricity, with WATER and HEAT being your by-product.  Gee...free hot water, anyone?

So now, you've got a generator, with no generator!  Just a fuel cell that converts a flammable (and reactable, which is why it works in the fuel cell) gas into electricity, with the only by-product being heat and water, neither of which damages the environment, and BOTH of which YOU can use locally to your heart's content.

So you lose a significant amount of energy converting from solar (photovoltaic) to hydrogen (hydrolysis).  Big deal.  So you lose another significant amount of energy going from hydrogen (fuel cell) to electricity.  Again, big deal.

It's not like you're PAYING for it by the cubic meter or anything.  If it WASN'T unlimited, it would concern me more, but it is;  Solar power really is as unlimited as sunlight, and that makes it all manner of permanently useful.  As long as the sun shines, it is raining soup, and as long as you have a bucket to catch it in, you have power.

Forever.

What you'd need is a water source.  If you're that concerned about it, you could even consider reclaiming the pure elemental water that is the by-product of your fuel cell and pump it (or let gravity do the job) back into your main water holding system for RE-hydrolysis, and the system begins anew.

Yes, there are losses...

But at the same time, the BIG stuff (the power generated) is free and unlimited.

And hydrogen isn't bad for the environment.  At all.

Just thought I'd mention that.

Oh yeah...added bonus.

You can fuel your CAR at home from your HYDROGEN tank.

And if you're feeling REALLY industrious, you can put a couple photovoltaics on/in your car, and do a "Mr Fusion" with a bottle of Dasani or two if you run out of fuel.

Yes, it'll take you a couple of DAYS to get enough hydrogen to run your car again...but at least you aren't COMPLETELY stranded.  Then it's just a matter of time.

Crunch some numbers.  This just seems really cool and a good, economic, and all-around functional solution to petrofuel.

We can let Hydrogen be our "bucket".

S

Currently the Army is heavily reliant on generators for their power needs.  While the power their generators provides is more than adequate for a military function, their are disadvantages to holding on to this old technology.

First, generators need fuel.  They need to be refueled manually.  (I have gotten my ass chewed / done lots of push ups for forgetting to refuel the generator.)  To supply fuel, a supply line must be established.  Once established, it must be secured.

Generators make noise.  Generators produce heat (thermal.)  At night, both stand out, which is bad, noise and light discipline.

I would like to see the modern military move away from oil dependence.  I think technology exists that can offer an alternative, and give a modern military a tactical advantage over an enemy force.  Also in the long run, alternate energy sources can provide a cost savings to an already cash strapped military.  Although the upfront investment may be huge, I hope that a nation with a military not reliant on carbon based fuels would cease aggression on oil rich countries.

Well it's been a few months since I made that post, and have now found the free time to wander back in here and read the replies.
Some interesting stuff has happened too. For one, my business is off the ground. I tried to order a vertical slide for my lathe last month though, to enable basic milling operations, and had a surprise. The slides were out of stock. When will they be back in? They had no idea. Not even a ball-park. The threefold reasons were the earthquake in china, the Beijing Olympics and the current international money issues. All have apparently severely disrupted the chain of supply.
Luckily for myself, the lathe I bought was one of those generic and multi-rebranded ones. So I found a company that had slides in stock for one of the alternate brand names. Only 5p more with the 15% online discount. Phew.
Still, makes me worry if I'll be able to get a dedicated milling machine and pillar drill before prices really start to climb.

Eventually found the time to get back to the allotment and run a damage assessment. It's gotten pretty overgrown, but only with grass for the most part. With my ever-increasing motivation I should be able to get it in order in short shrift, and have some food out of it this year.

I'm also going to be completely stripping down my bike, repairing and rebuilding. A check of all the bearings, brake lines, derailers, etc. New bits where worn, upgrade a few bits too. See about some tyre changes, maybe new rims, possibly a full strip down and respray too. Already have a riding helmet and some panier bags for it. Fittness and cost-saving.