Keeling Curve

Primary Project Category:

Project Summary / Description:

Using hands-on research techniques, I evaluated the proliferation of electric vehicle charging systems and their use across the U.S. The project was an eight month, 43,000 mile electric vehicle trip to each of the contiguous state capitols in a stock 2013 Nissan Leaf. Such a comprehensive study of existing infrastructure was a necessary precursor to understanding and establishing what's needed.

Regions of Operations:

Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

Our project is fundamentally designed to democratize access to affordable transportation and use of solar energy. This can be, should be, and must be made available to everyone.

One chief problem with electric vehicle technology is that it hasn't been possible with existing systems to expand use beyond the highest income socioeconomic groups. This has also been very true of residential solar systems--which by their nature require significant upfront investments recouped over long service lives. Our system changes these dynamics entirely. Homeowners are afforded fair market rates for their solar power production no matter how much power they produce. This incentivizes the deploy of much larger home solar systems and enables financing to be made available to a much greater fraction of the public. People need not own a vehicle where our system is deployed, because we've reduced operational costs to $0.33/mile or less a la carte, point-to-point. This should be cost competitive versus all current forms of covered transportation.

One of our chief strengths--which has up to now made the process of seeking financing quite challenging--is that we intend this business to be self-propagating versus shareholder value generating. We designed this as a nonprofit from the beginning--out of the belief that profit skimming is a primary reason valuable systems tend to exclude economically disadvantaged groups (which very often tend to be comprised largely of minorities.) We see this in healthcare, law, educational systems, etc. and we have no interest in developing a system which 'feeds only the already full.' Climate change affects us all. We need to marshal everyone to the task of fixing the problem, and designing a system which does more of the same won't work.

Sub-Categories: