Why you pay $4/gal of gas.

[screwballl]

depends on the location...
For some areas, wind seems to work well for them
DailyTech - Massive Offshore Wind Park to Power Delaware Homes by 2012

for others solar will help out more such as CA and FL... I wish we had the income to be able to add solar panels to our roof and into a type of storage to reduce our power bill. It is so rarely cloudy or rainy in my stretch of FL plus we would have limited power available (best to not use 220V appliances like AC, stove, clothes dryer or water heater) when a hurricane knocks out power to everyone else.

[Hitman]

Here in OK, I could power my whole house plus with a small windmill, same with solar panels. Hell if I had both I wouldn't need city power. Like you said screwballl the initial cost is the biggest deterrent.

[screwballl]

by comparison, the only time a windmill would work here is during a hurricane, the rest of the time, we will have maybe a few hours of light breeze every 3-4 weeks. This is why solar would be the only real external alternative here.

[qazwsx]

BWEA - UK Wind Energy Database (UKWED)

Apparently all the wind farms put together generate enough to power 1423300 homes. Quite impressive.

[PTRMAN]

What does all of this stuff cost? What's the break-even period?

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by PTRMAN

What does all of this stuff cost? What's the break-even period?

It really depends on where you live if it's even worth it. There are a lot of variables to the initial cost. Equipment used, installation, availability to name a few. I have heard for Solar Panels it's a bout $10K for an already built home, but that's not researched or verified. You would see savings right away, but it would probably take 10 years to break even give or take. With the windmill I have no clue, but you have to check with the power company for their regulations. I have also heard you can buy windmills from the power company. Also in some areas if you produce more power then you use the power company will buy it from you. Search around the internet you should get more information.

[Gig-O-Ram]

Originally Posted by PTRMAN

To all those bemoaning the price of gas - what positive suggestions do you have? The answer is not to stop driving, eating, breathing or living to save the environment, or to turn back the clock to the 1950s - answers should address the concept of future growth.

Alright - one suggestion I have is simply to drive slower. Here in New Mexico, the speed limits on the streets are varied, depending on where you are. If you're driving in a more developed area (i.e. homes, businesses), the speed limits are as low as 30mph, but average 40-45. When you get into more open areas, then it can get as high as 55mph, up to 65 on the highway if you're in town. On the open highway between cities, it's 75mph.

Now, on that point, it's tough to get good gas mileage when speed limits keep changing in city type driving. Even though a portion of my trip to the highway can have long stretches between lights, so I can set cruise to whatever the street limit is. But when you get onto the highway (as I do every day between ABQ and Santa Fe), set the cruise to a slower speed, like 65-70 in a 75 zone. It might take a little longer to get there, but your mpg goes up. I was coming home the other morning, and had cruise set to 65 coming downhill, and my average mpg went as high as 75 - I was sippin' that gas. Keeping an eye on how I drive nets me almost 400 miles to a tank - on a V6 Mustang!

I still see people, though, who want to drive the speed limit or better in those SUV's... I just wonder to myself - "How do you like filling that thing up these days?" For the record, I paid over $56 to fill up the other morning.

[oldman_gamer]

All the wealthy peeps drive Hummers and Escalades etc. in my area.And most of the time you see one going down the road,it isn't going slow.Either they have so much money that it matters not, how much they put out in gas$ or they just don't care.To own a big suv it takes money....it also tales more money to operate.

[screwballl]

as a point of reference, a majority of newer SUVs these days from the smaller ones to the full size almost all get 15-18mpg. So it doesn't matter if you are in a mid size Chevy Trailblazer or a huge Lincoln Navigator, they are all getting about the same mileage. the size of the engine is not really a factor. For example when we were looking at newer 04-06 Durangos, it didn't matter if we chose the V6, the 4.7L V8 or the 5.7L Hemi V8, they all got 14-16 mpg. Since the V6s were gutless and the 5.7L always asked for an extra $3-5000, we got one with the 4.7L V8. With mostly city driving we see 15-16mpg. Our previous SUV, a 01 Nissan Pathfinder with the 3.5L V6 averaged the same mileage even though it was a much smaller SUV. Then a previous SUV that the wife owned when we got married was a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder with a 2.8L gutless V6 that also averaged 15mpg city and it has been the smallest SUV we have owned.
The only way to get better gas mileage is to get a vehicle that is rated at least 21+ mpg city, and it is not likely you will find one that is an SUV unless it is a $35,000 hybrid not-much-bigger-than-a-car SUV.

[Gig-O-Ram]

My Mustang is rated at 17 city/24 hwy with the automatic. The actual city mileage is fairly accurate, but it's when I can get it on the highway and set cruise that I can manipulate it a bit.

But what oldman said about the people with the Hummers and whatnot...things won't change in this country until people are willing to change. Other countries think we're spoiled, and the fact that there are those with the money to fritter away on expensive gas to drive their SUV's fast with no thought about it proves that point.