Tesla Model S Named Automobile's "Car of the Year"

[ERICOPOLY]

Well, a lot of the time there will be an 85 kWh battery pack parked in my garage.  I wish Tesla had designed it for this potential use.  I could run my home on it for a couple of days on one charge!  And recharging it for only 9 cents per kWh.  Instead of getting hosed at 47 cents per kWh during the hours of 10am and 6pm.  That would help defray it's cost over time.

[wisdom]

Eric,

 

You could always look at options from BYD - they have home energy solutions that are iron based batteries

 

http://www.byd.com/energy/hes-a100.html

 

[ERICOPOLY]

Well, perhaps when I need to replace my Tesla battery pack in 10 years I can keep the old one for scheme of charging it between midnight and 6 am at 9 cents per kWh, and then running the house on it the rest of the day.  Yes, you can fully charge the tesla 85 kWh battery in 5 hours using their High Powered Wall Charger which is capable of charging at 80 AMPS.

[Liberty]

Well, perhaps when I need to replace my Tesla battery pack in 10 years I can keep the old one for scheme of charging it between midnight and 6 am at 9 cents per kWh, and then running the house on it the rest of the day.  Yes, you can fully charge the tesla 85 kWh battery in 5 hours using their High Powered Wall Charger which is capable of charging at 80 AMPS.

 

You might be interested in this if you haven't already seen it:

 

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/07/pia-20130714.html

[ERICOPOLY]

Eric,

 

You could always look at options from BYD - they have home energy solutions that are iron based batteries

 

http://www.byd.com/energy/hes-a100.html

 

Thanks for the idea.  The problem with my idea of running the pool pump only at night is that I have a solar heating system for the pool.  It sits on the roof of the guest house.  So we still need to run the pool pump during the sunshine hours to take advantage of this otherwise free heating system.  Unfortunately that's when the energy costs 47 cents per kWh.  I think a pool pump capable of circulating that water shouldn't need to draw more than a few hundred watts (it only needs to run at low speed). 

 

My Roadtrek RV van has a 700 watt Tripp Lite inverter/charger that detects when AC "shore power" is present (when you plug it into the grid).  At that time it switches from battery to grid power automatically, and it charges the batteries as well.  Then when you unplug the van from the grid, it automatically switches back to battery power.

 

So I figure all I need is one of those inverter/chargers from Tripp Lite, and a bank of deep-cycle batteries just large enough to run the needs of a low-power pool pump.

 

Then I plug the pool pump directly into the inverter.  So this doesn't need to be a huge bank of batteries -- just enough to run a low speed pump that will circulate the water through the solar hot water pool heating system.

 

And then I plug the inverter/charger into the grid -- then at the plug I put something in between that acts as a switch to disconnect the power between 6am and 12am.  Thus, it only gets grid power between 12am and 6am.  Those timer switches are inexpensive -- I think we have something like that for automating Christmas lights.

 

This should be pretty cheap and easy to do. 

[Cardboard]

I like it... Guest house, heated pool, RV and saving on kwh all under the same post! LOL

 

Seriously, I do try to save as much bacon as well despite a home that is relatively large for my needs. I do the house keeping, flowers, grass, etc. It is kind of a way to keep somewhat busy physically and to leave the computer. I guess I am cheap too.  ::)

 

I would recommend that you do not turn off your pool filter during the day since it is likely when it is most useful. I turn it off at night or when the weather cools down. Right now however, it runs 24 hours a day and I find that it helps keeping it cleaner. If I turn it off at night or when it is really warm, the water tends to get blurred. Doing quick regular backwash will also save you some power since you will see the pressure going down through your filter. Changing the sand every 7 year or so also helps a lot getting cleaner water and reducing pump pressure. I would guess that you probably need to change it every 3 years in California considering the higher usage.

 

Cardboard

[crumlee]

Also with those electric rates a variable speed pump will make a huge difference in your electric bill. They pay for themselves quickly.

 

Now this is a pool forum. =)

[value-is-what-you-get]

Also with those electric rates a variable speed pump will make a huge difference in your electric bill. They pay for themselves quickly.

 

Now this is a pool forum. =)

 

We use a variable speed on our pool.  For proper circulation to run salt chlorine generator, skimmers etc. It consumes 400-450 watts and runs 24-7.  (regular pool pump uses 1,000 -1,500 watts)  The math shows a payback of 2.75 seasons (that s a 5 month season in Ontario) of use.  Then the pump is free amd the savings are profit.  The free options you get with these is pump will last a lot longer at lower operating speeds, savings/profits increase as rates increase and they have some good built in safety features.  They re a no brainer.

[ERICOPOLY]

Also with those electric rates a variable speed pump will make a huge difference in your electric bill. They pay for themselves quickly.

 

Now this is a pool forum. =)

 

We use a variable speed on our pool.  For proper circulation to run salt chlorine generator, skimmers etc. It consumes 400-450 watts and runs 24-7.  (regular pool pump uses 1,000 -1,500 watts)  The math shows a payback of 2.75 seasons (that s a 5 month season in Ontario) of use.  Then the pump is free amd the savings are profit.  The free options you get with these is pump will last a lot longer at lower operating speeds, savings/profits increase as rates increase and they have some good built in safety features.  They re a no brainer.

 

Currently I have a single speed pump that draws 1,400 watts.  It has been running 8 hours a day over the past year and we have crystal clear water.  I recently (last week) cut it to 4 hours a day, just to see what would happen.  Thus far, the water is still clear and this is the peak season for pool temperature.  The only catch is that we need to circulate water through the solar heating system or else it just sits there idle and doesn't heat the pool.

 

It's not a no brainer for us because of the following math:

12am-6am:  9 cents per kWh

10am-6pm:  47 cents per kWh

all other times:  27 cents per kWh

 

So... a quarter of the time the energy is 9 cents cost.  Then for a third of the day, the cost quintuples! And the rest of the time it triples.

 

So a variable speed pump that runs 24/7 at reduced power might not be as cheap as you would otherwise believe.  Except for us it might still make sense due to the solar hot water system.

 

 

 

[rkbabang]

I no longer own a pool, but at my last home I had a 20x40 in-ground.  One thing you might want to look into (if you don't have one already) is an auto-cover.  I'd never own a pool without one.  We ran our pool without a cover for 2 years, then installed the cover and owned that home for another 6 years.  Our pool heater almost never came on once we installed the cover, the cover kept the heat in. We had no evaporation I'd fill the pool to its proper level at the beginning of the season, then never have to add water after that.  And the largest cost savings was the chemical usage, I added chlorine about every 3 or 4 weeks. Not too mention that it keeps dust, pollen, and debris out of the pool, so you vacuum much less often (we had the dolphin robot so we almost never had to backwash and waste water and chemicals).  With the auto-cover you uncover the pool only when you are using it, it stays covered 24hrs/day otherwise and it takes only about a minute to uncover it,  you put in the key and turn it and it retracts.  It is also considered a safety cover so it also keeps kids out.

[turar]

Autocover can probably double as a good child safety measure.

[rkbabang]

Autocover can probably double as a good child safety measure.

 

Absolutely.  You have to check your local codes, but in some areas you don't even need a fence around the pool if you have one. I had a fence around my pool, but one of the doors from my house went right out into the pool area, and I didn't need to alarm the door because of the cover.  My kids were young at the time and the cover paid for itself in peace of mind alone.

[Liberty]

Eric: Another benefit of getting solar panels is they keep your house cooler (by providing shade to your roof -- the effect is bigger if there's empty space between the panels and the roof) and reduce the need for AC:

 

http://ssi.ucsd.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=468:solar-panels-keep-ucsd-buildings-cool-july-18-2011&catid=8:newsflash&Itemid=20

[ERICOPOLY]

Eric: Another benefit of getting solar panels is they keep your house cooler (by providing shade to your roof -- the effect is bigger if there's empty space between the panels and the roof) and reduce the need for AC:

 

http://ssi.ucsd.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=468:solar-panels-keep-ucsd-buildings-cool-july-18-2011&catid=8:newsflash&Itemid=20

 

I'm a 3/4 mile walk to the Pacific Ocean.  Quite a bit more expensive than solar panels, but very effective.

[Phaceliacapital]

:D

[Liberty]

I'm a 3/4 mile walk to the Pacific Ocean.  Quite a bit more expensive than solar panels, but very effective.

 

Heh, that works too.

 

Solar shade's a nice bonus if you're going to get panels anyway, though.

[Guest ajc]

Eric,

 

If you did go the BYD route for that system would you mind maybe doing a post on it?

I (and a few others, no doubt) would be interested to get your take on the customer service, price points and product quality they provide - as well as how they compare with Tesla (different purchases I know, but still...).

 

TIA.

[ERICOPOLY]

I took these guys for a ride in my new car.  Snapped this photo as they were walking away from the vehicle:

 

http://rotq.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/spies-like-us-movie-image-1.jpg

 

Say no more.

[Liberty]

I took these guys for a ride in my new car.  Snapped this photo as they were walking away from the vehicle:

 

http://rotq.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/spies-like-us-movie-image-1.jpg

 

Say no more.

 

I take it this means you had it delivered? Was it everything you hoped? Any negatives?

[wescobrk]

Hilarious!

I still think of that test scene to this day (broken cast).

Brilliant!

[ERICOPOLY]

I took these guys for a ride in my new car.  Snapped this photo as they were walking away from the vehicle:

 

http://rotq.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/spies-like-us-movie-image-1.jpg

 

Say no more.

 

I take it this means you had it delivered? Was it everything you hoped? Any negatives?

 

Driving down the 101, one female driver pulled alongside us to say "that is a very sexy car"  (we were moving at 5 MPH in accident-induced traffic just north of Salinas).  I've never in my life had that happen before.  So off to a good start!

 

It is very quick.  Glad I bought all of the options.  Great sound package.

[Kraven]

Driving down the 101, one female driver pulled alongside us to say "that is a very sexy car"  (we were moving at 5 MPH in accident-induced traffic just north of Salinas).  I've never in my life had that happen before.  So off to a good start!

 

It's probably a safe assumption that it's never happened to any guy who hangs out on a value investing message board.  You are almost certainly the first.  Live for us, Eric, live.

[Liberty]

Another video from inside the NUMMI plant

 

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/07/the-window-tesla/

[fareastwarriors]

Driving down the 101, one female driver pulled alongside us to say "that is a very sexy car"  (we were moving at 5 MPH in accident-induced traffic just north of Salinas).  I've never in my life had that happen before.  So off to a good start!

 

It's probably a safe assumption that it's never happened to any guy who hangs out on a value investing message board.  You are almost certainly the first.  Live for us, Eric, live.

 

 

+111111

[ERICOPOLY]

The plate "WATTSA" is available in California. 

 

I am presently mulling over a list of plates on the California DMV website.

 

I decided WATTPWR might get me murdered and thrown into a ditch, so nixed that idea.

 

Purchased "NOFILLR" a moment ago.  There we go, that's not going to offend anyone.  Reference to "All Killer, No Filler".  Very fitting plate for such a bad a** car.