[Greenbuilding] Pedaling vs. PV, was: heretical observation

[Reuben Deumling]

On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 9:10 AM, Corwyn <corwyn at midcoast.com> wrote:
>
> Those extra calories or BTUs I think we are able
>> to convert into electricity at better rates than your 10:1 ratio suggests.
>>
>
> How?  The extra food you eat is somehow less energy intensive?

I think that is a good starting point. Local organic produce, eating low on
the food chain, etc. to me is a pretty good way to (imagine--I admit to not
having lots of numbers) to achieve something much better than the 10:1
ratio.

>  The 10:1 ratio comes from the food before it gets to you.  If you still
> think you have a way to get better rates, please post the equations,
> because I don't get it.

I'll work on that.

>
> Besides, even though my electricity comes from wind turbines I've wanted
>> to power my fridge with a pedal generator for longer than I've been a
>> member of this greenbuilding list. BTUs are only one parameter. And we
>> grow our own veggies!
>>
>
> As long as you realize that is like wanting a Hummer to drive 1 person
> around on the highway.  If you put a PV panel where those veggies are, you
> would be able to power your fridge 20+ times more efficiently.  Grow
> veggies to feed you; generate electricity in the most efficient manner
> possible.


the trouble with PV in my town is we get zip in the winter. I'm working on
putting my fridge coils through my North kitchen wall to reduce the
wintertime fridge load on the grid/my future PV, but in the meantime PV
seems less than satisfactory given the steep drop in the wintertime, not to
mention the holdover winter peaking grid here in the PNW.

You are a careful fellow; when you say 20x are you including in your
estimate the lifecycle materials and energy required to build and install a
PV system? Because if I eat lots of potatoes my wife grew in our back yard,
and power my fridge by pedaling, vs powering my fridge with a PV panel it
would be really interesting to try to compare the inputs over the life of
the hardware involved.

Of course where I expect to end up is a combined system: some PV and some
pedaling. but I would not have thought, per your calculations, that I
should pedal only when there is no sun....
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