Curious hopeful creature that I am, I wanted to learn more about the guy who spoke that insightful sound-bite, last week.
Here is what I found out. I thought maybe, you might find it interesting and hopeful too.
Tesla's Elon Musk Lights Up Social Media With A TED Style Keynote
by Cramine Gallo, forbes.com -- 5/04/2015
[...]
After watching the keynote, I understand why many people are impressed with it. Elon Musk introduces Tesla Energy in a format that resembles more of a TED talk than a traditional product launch. Musk’s keynote offers leaders a blueprint for how to launch a product. Here are four specific reasons why Elon Musk delivered a “a keynote to remember.”
Define the problem and solution. Musk opened his keynote with a one-sentence vision of what he hopes to accomplish: “A fundamental transformation in how energy is delivered across the Earth.” And with that he posed the problem. Alongside a slideshow that showed pictures of smokestacks emitting gases made up largely of carbon dioxide (CO2), Musk said, “This is how it is today. It’s pretty bad. This is real. This is how most power in the world is generated, with fossil fuels.”
Next Musk introduced “the solution” (and he called it “problem” and “solution”). Alongside a slide with a photo of the sun, Musk said, “We have this handy fusion reactor in the sky called the sun. You don’t have to do anything. It just works. It shows up everyday and produces ridiculous amounts of power.”
[...]
Reliable as -- the Sun.
Elon Musk Debuts the Tesla Powerwall
Published on May 1, 2015 -- link
Tesla Powerwall Keynote by Elon Musk "The Missing Piece"
Tesla CEO Elon Musk starts out his presentation by cautioning us that "collectively" we should not be "trying to win the Darwin Awards" when it comes to our reliance on fossil fuels.
Good Advice. He goes on to give us a reachable, affordable solution, to do just that.
Partial Transcript:
[...]
The solution is in two parts. Part 1: The Sun.
We have this handy fusion reactor in the sky -- called the Sun.
You don't have to do anything -- it just works.
It shows up everyday and produces ridiculous amounts of power.
[...]
Now a lot of people are unclear on just how much surface area is needed to completely get the United States off of fossil fuels? [...] Actually very little land is needed get rid of all fossil fuel Electricity generations in the United States. That Blue Square there is the land area that's needed, to transition the United States to a Zero-Carbon-Electricity situation.
And most of that land will be on rooftops. So you won't need to disturb lands, you won't need to find new areas. It's mostly going to be on the roofs of existing homes and buildings.
(The Red Pixel is the size of the Batteries needed to transition all United States, to being Solar with Batteries. It is a very tiny amount. ... 1 Pixel is the size of the batteries is needed, for the United State to have No fossil-fuel-generated Electricity. It is no room at all.)
[...]
The obvious problem with Solar Power -- is the Sun does not shine at night. {laughter}
Most people are aware of this.
This problem needs to be solved. We need to store the energy that is generated during the day so you can use it at night. It is very important to smooth out that energy generation, and retain enough so you can use it night.
Now the issue with existing batteries is -- that they suck! {laughter}
They're really horrible. ... They're expensive, they're unreliable, they're sort of stinky, ugly, bad in every way. You have to combine multiple system. [They can take up an entire room.] There is not one integrated place you can go and buy a battery -- that just works -- which is what people really want to buy.
So we have to come up with the "solution" -- that's the missing piece -- the thing that is needed, to make a proper transition to a sustainable energy world.
So the "missing piece" is what were going to show you tonight ...
(Musk goes one to discuss the benefits of the new Tesla integrated battery system called the Powerwall. He quotes a price point of $3500 for the basic hang-it-on-a-wall unit. Later he discusses Tesla's ramp-up plans for Factories to meet the demand, especially as the larger more commercial uses for their upsized, scalable product: the Powerpack, go online.)
[...]
This is actually within the power of humanity, to do.
This is possible ... that's the future we could have -- where the curve slowly rolls over and goes to zero. No incremental CO2.
That's the future we need to have. And the path that I talked about: The Solar Panels and the Batteries, that is the only path that I know, that can do this.
And I think this is something that we must do ... and we can do.
And that we will do.
The Tesla
Powerwall:
-- Coming to a garage near you? (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
Energy Storage for a Sustainable Home
Powerwall is a home battery that charges using electricity generated from solar panels, or when utility rates are low, and powers your home in the evening. It also fortifies your home against power outages by providing a backup electricity supply. Automated, compact and simple to install, Powerwall offers independence from the utility grid and the security of an emergency backup.
Solar Powered Day and Night
The average home uses more electricity in the morning and evening than during the day when solar energy is plentiful. Without a home battery, excess solar energy is often sold to the power company and purchased back in the evening. This mismatch adds demand on power plants and increases carbon emissions. Powerwall bridges this gap between renewable energy supply and demand by making your home’s solar energy available to you when you need it.
Tesla is taking orders now:
teslaenergy.com -- deliveries begin this summer.
Sounds good to me. Finally a Billionaire entrepreneur, who is talking sense. Let's think about our Climate Future sense.
If only he could be coaxed into backing a Candidate who shares his Zero-Carbon-Electricity views ... Hmmm?