Add Solar to Hybrids and Pure Electric Vehicles

It seems strange that mainstream hybrid vehicles do not have solar recharge capabilities added to their vehicles. Thin film solar cells like the ones created by Nanosolar would be a great addition to the roofs or even the hoods of hybrid vehicles. The amount of solar energy produced would not be enough to run the vehicle, but it would be enough to help charge the batteries. The solar cells could be mounted to the roof and covered by a thin acrylic film to keep them attached. A better solution would be to build a composite roof with the solar cells embedded within them. This solution would preserve the smooth aerodynamics of the vehicle.

When plug-in hybrids become available for sale, it only makes sense to add solar recharging capabilities to them. Every milliamp of electricity produced by the solar cells is one less that has to come from the electrical grid.

For Power for People, Inc., one of our marketing ideas was to ask either Toyota or Honda to make a "Power for People" edition of their hybrid cars. The cars would be used in promoting our charity. The proposed "Power for People" editions would have had thin film solar cells embedded in the body of the cars. It would have been a win-win situation for all.

This idea is something that should be looked into.

A way to get hydrogen usage mainstream

It is a shame as to why it is taking so long for the use of hydrogen in vehicles. The technology exists, but very few people are willing to create the infrastructure to support these vehicles. It's also a shame that these vehicles are not being built quick enough, but that is a different story.

What we need are near-self sustaining hydrogen fill up stations accross the United States. The initial investment does not even have to be extremely expensive either. Here is my idea of what could be built and how it would help lower the costs of operation until more hydrogen vehicles are available.

The fill-up station must have or use the following:

• As many photovoltaic panels/sheets installed as possible
• Wind generators (preferably with vertical turbines to reduce noise and visual impact)
• Rain collection and passive filtering system to filter the water before it is used for electrolosis
• Large hydrogen storage tanks for fuel storage for customer use and use by the station at night for power generation
• At least one fuel cell for the station's own power
• The use of LED lights for any lighting needs
• Connection to a water source because rain water will not always be available
• The station must be hooked up to the electrical grid so any excess power generated can be sold to electric utilities
• Credit card/debit card only because no one will be attending the station

The station would be monitored remotely and it will be able to send messages when problems occur. The amount of maintenance the station will require will be determined by the environmental conditions existing in the area.

The beauty about this idea is that it can make money for the owners by producing electricity until it will be used by consumers needing fuel. We can start building these stations now, and this can be a catalyst for bringing more hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to the market.

If someone decides to make vehicles that will combust hydrogen and oxygen, then the design of the station can be adapted to cater for this, too. The oxygen can be stored as well, and maybe it can be sold to companies who bottle oxygen.

If only some people with enough money will have the foresight, and be willing to wait for long term profits instead of just the short term, then we will be well on our way to a hydrogen "economy".

Power for People, Inc., - What it was and why it no longer exists

Power for People, Inc. was a innovative idea that was never approved by the IRS. The concept was to be set up as a charity and build alternative energy production sites (e.g. wind, solar, micro-hydro electric, etc...), and possibly produce ethanol and bio-diesel using donations. The "profits" of selling the energy would then be given to other reputable charities to improve the lives of people in the areas where the sites were located. This corporation would have been a win-win situation for everyone involved.

This awesome concept was not approved by the IRS because it would be considered giving Power for People, Inc. an unfair competitive advantage over other businesses (even though we were not in competition with anyone because we were going to give all the profits away!).

Since I could not get my ideas pushed forward, I decided to create this blog to help push those ideas and help promote the ideas of others. There are a lot of smart people who have great ideas on the horizon, and I'll review some of those ideas here. Please feel free to add your comments and add to the pool of knowledge. Someday, someone with investment capital or someone in the government may see these ideas and make them a reality.