Dirty Coal statistic of the day

Around the world on renewable energy can be done.

Two years ago, Louis Palmer, a Swissman, drove a solar-charged car around the world.

Now, in an effort to further the cause of renewable energy + automobiles, he’s worked to put together an historic global race. Five national teams will start the Zero Emissions Race on Aug. 15, 2010 in Switzerland. The teams – one from Switzerland, one from Australia, one from Japan, one from Spain, and one from the U.S. --- will drive electric cars around the world indirectly “powered” by renewable energy produced by the teams in their home countries.

Depending on where you live, a 2.5 kW solar system can produce enough electricity to power an electric car up to 15,000 miles a year.

Sign on to our 2.5 kW solar + electric car pledge in the comments section at the end of this article! There’s a lot of stuff out there about how electric vehicles are going to over-tax the grid. None of it’s true, of course, but it’s out there nonetheless.

There’s also a lot of stuff out there that questions whether electric cars are in fact greener than their gasoline powered counterparts. The preponderance of evidence shows that even when the electricity in an electric vehicle’s batteries has been produced by a coal-burning power plant that, on the whole, the EV is greener than its ICE counterpart. Plus, an EV is far more efficient.

These solar panels on top of Rabobank N.A.'s Santa Maria, Calif. branch provide the electricity for a solar-charging station for EVs which is located next to the bank.

SolarCity is installing new solar systems at Rabobank branch locations in Atascadero, Castroville, El Centro, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach and Salinas, Calif. The new installations cumulatively total 200 kilowatts of new solar capacity and are expected to offset an estimated 50 percent of Rabobank’s energy use at the six locations.

A KB Home model in Lancaster, Calif. where the homebuilder is now offering new homes with solar, an EV charging station and a lithium battery electricity storage system. (KB Home Photo)

LANCASTER, Calif. – The City of Lancaster, Calif. BYD and KB Home recently completed a new earth-friendly prototype home complete with BYD’s solar, battery and LED Lighting systems as well as a home EV charging station. Any electric car that plugs in will be partially fueled with electricity generated by the home's solar system.

“This remarkable new house is truly the home of the future,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris.