Energy: The U.S. electric grid is an extremely wasteful enterprise. Generation of electricity, even in the most modern coal fired plants is 60% or less, with excess heat being dissipated into the atmosphere. Old coal fired plants can be as low as 30% efficient. This is before any electricity is transmitted to customers where additional line losses of 6-10% are common. These are not the only losses in the grid. Managing energy flow and producing excess energy to meet peak demands causes congestion in transmission, which can add an additional 6-8% in losses, yet the grid with all its inefficiencies supplies over 60 percent of the nations energy demand, excluding petroleum for transportation. Factor in losses from outages, estimated at $180 billion dollars annually plus the vulnerability of such a system, and it is questionable why the grid is promoted and supported by our government.
Producing energy for umPODS at the point of usage, and storing excess energy in kinetic energy storage systems eliminates most of the losses and any chance of vulnerability due to mass power outages. Although solar systems are not currently highly efficient at converting solar energy into electricity, once the system is paid for the energy is free. Also the energy is totally nonpolluting. If such systems can be affordably produced with capacities that yield excess energy, then it is conceivable that electric cars could be powered without purchasing additional energy, thus making owners of such systems 100% energy independent.
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