Poll : How will you power your LEAF ?

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What will be the source of electricity for your Leaf ?

  • Solar

    Votes: 118 45.9%
  • Green Power from Utility

    Votes: 36 14.0%
  • Utility Power

    Votes: 101 39.3%
  • Others

    Votes: 2 0.8%

  • Total voters
    257

evnow

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 22, 2010
Messages
11,480
Location
Seattle, WA
Seriously, I can't believe we haven't had this poll before.

What is the source of electricity you plan to use to power Leaf ? Select your default powering situation (i.e. at home for most people). If you plan to install PV at home in the near future, select Solar.
 
evnow said:
Seriously, I can't believe we haven't had this poll before.

What is the source of electricity you plan to use to power Leaf ? Select your default powering situation (i.e. at home for most people). If you plan to install PV at home in the near future, select Solar.

It might be interesting to follow up with a poll that queries people about what the grid mix is where they are, or even one about whether they know what the grid mix is and/or how interested they are in what that mix actually is.

Here's one source for people to look at grid mix:

http://www.getenergyactive.org/fuel/state.htm

Here's another one:

http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/how-clean.html

I've also done a set of rankings based on the data from GetEnergyActive.Org, with top 10 clean, top 10 dirty energy states here:
http://solarchargeddriving.com/evs-a-phevs/best-a-worst-ev-states.html
 
I chose "Green Power from Utility". I'm paying Green Mountain for 100% Wind - however, I know my house is actually fed by a natural gas plant.
 
I plan to install a PV system at some point in the future and will update my vote when it is done.

As far as the "Green Power from Utility" choice is concerned I was told I was not eligible the last time I checked with PG&E. Something to do with already being on the E9 rate. I really should look into it again. I was even on their greenhouse gas offset program "Climate Smart" for a while but they kicked me off that too.

So for now I just picked "Utility Power"
 
I sort of overbuilt my PV system so I needed to get an electric car so I can avoid giving the utility free power via the net metering agreement. So I'm glad the LEAF is out now. Should take delivery in February. On the plus side the car seems like a lot of fun to drive ...
 
I marked solar, but I'm not sure it's fair to say that. I've had solar for four years, and it is supplying about 2/3 of our electricity. When I add the LEAF the marginal amount will all come from PG&E, not our solar panels.
 
You can lease a system from Solarcity. I know someone who is leasing for 20 yrs for $5k or $7k not sure. It is a one payment lease.
 
If your utility doesn't offer renewable power, you could always do a carbon offset (like TerraPass) which helps fund the development of renewable energy generation projects.
 
Gonewild said:
You can lease a system from Solarcity. I know someone who is leasing for 20 yrs for $5k or $7k not sure. It is a one payment lease.

I know some people that are doing that, and while I haven't gotten a quote from Solar City, from what these people are saying, to me it does not make financial sense to lease. If you keep the lease full term, there is no buyout and they take the equipment back.
 
If your utility doesn't offer a green power option, you can always get the offset elsewhere - I've used NativeEnergy - tell them how many KWH you use in a month and they'll charge you a small amount on a monthly subscription to offset it with their wind farms.

I will have solar panels on the house in the spring and will be sure to get a few extra so there will be enough to charge the car too. My new license plate arrived at the DMV a few days ago - SOLR 2GO :)
 
evnow said:
turbo2ltr said:
If you keep the lease full term, there is no buyout and they take the equipment back.
But in 20 years you have replace the PV anyway ...

Huh?

My panels are warranted for no less than 80% of their rated output after 20 years. That's a <20% drop in production. I wouldn't replace the entire system for just that decrease....I might add-on more panels to compensate, but that's about it.
 
Jimmydreams said:
My panels are warranted for no less than 80% of their rated output after 20 years. That's a <20% drop in production. I wouldn't replace the entire system for just that decrease....I might add-on more panels to compensate, but that's about it.
Good warranty.

I expect much cheaper & better PVs in 20 years. It might be like a 5 year warranty on the mobile phone ;-)
 
drees said:
If your utility doesn't offer renewable power, you could always do a carbon offset (like TerraPass) which helps fund the development of renewable energy generation projects.
While I would much prefer that our utility wasn't releasing any carbon into the atmosphere, I'm at least happy that only half of its power is fossil fuel based, and that is nearly all natural gas, which is apparently twice as efficient on a carbon basis as coal.
 
It's nice to read a comment from someone who understands the reality of the situation. Thank you.

planet4ever said:
I marked solar, but I'm not sure it's fair to say that. I've had solar for four years, and it is supplying about 2/3 of our electricity. When I add the LEAF the marginal amount will all come from PG&E, not our solar panels.
 
I am in the same area only a few months of the year electric bill is free. But as a solar home person you have to look at it like this. If you did not have solar all your power would be off the grid so charging your car at home would be as well off the grid. Having solar you are off setting a large amount of what you would have used and not getting in to the CO2 area electric is still way cheaper then buying gas. I drive 76 miles RT to work 5 days a week. That at $3.+ per gal will save me about $1,700 a year in savings. So buying this car is not only saving money on gas but on oil changes that would be about $750 in five years as well Then the time spent at the oil change stores. But in 5 years over $8,000 in CASH.

So the car cost 34,000 + 3,000 sales tax + DMV= $38,000
Gas and oil change savings for 10 years.= $16,000
Fed rebate = $7,500
Nissan LEAF total cost out of pocket in 10 years.=$14,500 Priceless and a good bit of silent driving as well. That is as cheap a sub compact car can get. But wait there more $14,500 sub compact would cost you $16,000 in oil and gas in 10 years making it a $30,500 out of pocket expense.



Just a few cents.
 
turbo2ltr said:
Gonewild said:
You can lease a system from Solarcity. I know someone who is leasing for 20 yrs for $5k or $7k not sure. It is a one payment lease.

I know some people that are doing that, and while I haven't gotten a quote from Solar City, from what these people are saying, to me it does not make financial sense to lease. If you keep the lease full term, there is no buyout and they take the equipment back.
I am with you but I thought about it after he told me and hmm 20 years later I am going to be near 80 I do not think I will care where my last 2 dollars are spent.
 
In Texas, we are lucky to have many electric providers that offer 100% wind plans (power purchase offset). So with nothing up front we can support renewable with 100% of our power bill, and get continetal miles to boot.
 
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