Zero Emission Green Lawn Care Service

[old medic]

With the save the world ideology going around, would you be more inclined to hire a company that was dedicated to this approach? Following a discussion with a local Co-operative extension agent this idea started growing. Looking at equipment possibilities, even thought about putting solar panels on the truck to help push the idea.

 

[38Chevy454]

It wouldn't work around my neighborhood. Too many acres to mow. Your batteries would run out long before solar recharged; even with supplemental panels on the truck and trailer. In some of the packed in neighborhoods with small yards it may work. Although I think any mowing service has plenty of work here. Being green solar battery powered is not the issue. It's finding a good reliable provider.

I'm not sure that anyone would pay additional price for being battery powered. Your equipment costs are higher, but income is the same.

 

[marko]

My priorities 1 through 100 are reliability and price. I don’t care where they get their power, just cut my lawn every Wednesday.

 

[dknighd]

With the save the world ideology going around, would you be more inclined to hire a company that was dedicated to this approach? Following a discussion with a local Co-operative extension agent this idea started growing. Looking at equipment possibilities, even thought about putting solar panels on the truck to help push the idea.

I think it good to have a dream.

 

[Zathras]

With the save the world ideology going around, would you be more inclined to hire a company that was dedicated to this approach? Following a discussion with a local Co-operative extension agent this idea started growing. Looking at equipment possibilities, even thought about putting solar panels on the truck to help push the idea.

Yes, most definitely.
When I couldn’t find one I bought the equipment myself and started doing my own lawn.
EGO has a line of commercial equipment you may want to check into. I am sure some of the others do as well.

 

[jazz4cash]

When you mentioned using solar panels as a marketing tool (as opposed to being as green as possible) it made me skeptical.

What exactly is your angle? Consumer, provider, investor, or something else?

I think some folks would pay a small premium but having a lawn is generally not very good environmentally even if all you do is cut it.

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

With the save the world ideology going around, would you be more inclined to hire a company that was dedicated to this approach? Following a discussion with a local Co-operative extension agent this idea started growing. Looking at equipment possibilities, even thought about putting solar panels on the truck to help push the idea.

Do they come around with goats and leave them for the day? Then again, I guess even they (goats) have "emissions".

 

[aaronc879]

I would prefer battery powered over gas but not for environmental reasons but rather for noise. Gas tools are too loud for me to tolerate. I pay the extra cost for battery powered equipment but since money is tight if I had to pay for a weekly service I would go with whatever is cheapest as long as the quality is reasonable.

 

[old medic]

Do they come around with goats and leave them for the day? Then again, I guess even they (goats) have "emissions".

CopyRight.... you owe me the beer that just shot out my nose.... And yes thats something you can rent around here...

 

[old medic]

We already own equipment to tackle any landscaping job. Tractor with bushhog or finishing mower, 54 inch zero turn, push mowers, weed eaters, blowers, chainsaws... Not wanting to WORK, but considering the idea of building a business that the grandson could take over in the future...

 

[OldShooter]

As a probono business mentor with SCORE, my first suggestion to anyone with a question like this is to talk to as many potential customers as possible. Script is roughly: "I am thinking about starting a lawn service with a zero emission goal, is there any advice you can give me?" then the closer "Thank you for your time, can you suggest anyone else who might have advice for me." Concentrate on people you don't know. Family, friends, and ER friends will tend to be nice and supportive regardless of what they really think.


Another thing to do is to find people not in your market, faraway cities, with similar business and ask them for advice. If you are not perceived as a potential competitor and they are willing to spend the time, you will get advice that's worth gold.


Have fun!

 

[tryan]

Some what related ... I use a battery powered Toro snow blower. Works great until the battery dies in the middle of a storm. "No problem" I say, just buy a second battery. They are back ordered and cost nearly as much as I paid for the whole snow blower. So I am supposed to buy a second snow blower to get a second battery.

Can't make this stuff up!

 

[aaronc879]

Some what related ... I use a battery powered Toro snow blower. Works great until the battery dies in the middle of a storm. "No problem" I say, just buy a second battery. They are back ordered and cost nearly as much as I paid for the whole snow blower. So I am supposed to buy a second snow blower to get a second battery.

Can't make this stuff up!

My 2 stage EGO snow blower came with 2 7.5Ah batteries and that is still not enough for a big storm of heavy wet snow. I have to use the batteries from my lawn mower to finish the job. Or I could just do the part that needs to be done to get my car out then charge the batteries and finish the rest later. Lower the auger speed to extend battery time.

 

[homestead]

If they went all out and bought an EV truck to haul the equipment they could probably use the truck to recharge the equipment during the day and then recharge the truck overnight.
With all the extra expenses of going all electric they would probably have to charge more.

 

[ERD50]

With the save the world ideology going around, would you be more inclined to hire a company that was dedicated to this approach? Following a discussion with a local Co-operative extension agent this idea started growing. Looking at equipment possibilities, even thought about putting solar panels on the truck to help push the idea.

To be blunt (hang in there, there's some positive follow up...), "Zero Emission" lawn care service is BS, it's just magic marketing words with zero meaning. And in terms of opportunity cost (diverting from meaningful action), it may be a net negative.

Demonstrated by "putting solar panels on the truck to help push the idea.". If one is serious about being 'green', a truck is one of the last places you'd put a solar panel (OK, maybe better than trying to build them into roads). A solar panel should be placed where it will be in the sun all day, at the best angle to capture the most energy possible. Putting it on a truck just wastes that potential - you might not even ever recover the energy used to make the thing, so it could be a net negative (though opportunity cost is very real as well). The weight and air drag of that panel will lower the MPG or "MPGe" of the vehicle, wasting more energy that could be used by the equipment. It's a stupid idea.

OK, the positive - If by "zero emissions" you mean battery powered (which is NOT zero emission, it just moves it to the power plant), well, there is a good case for it. Those small engines used in lawn equipment put out a lot more pollution than a modern car (esp hybrid). Cars can afford cat converters, fuel injection, computer control, variable vale timing, etc. Those technologies do not scale down to a small engine. So I do believe (that unlike EVs), replacing these small engines with batteries is a good move for the environment, because the small engines are so bad. Even a fossil fuel plant, coupled with losses to the battery, will be cleaner than that lawn equipment.

But labeling it "zero emissions" is BS, and I wouldn't trust any business that tried to pawn that scam off on me, and that had solar panels on their truck as some sort of "virtue signalling".

That said, most people haven't looked into it at that level, and fall for the virtue signalling hook-line-and-sinker, so as a business move, it could work. I'd prefer the business be honest about what they are doing, as there still is an advantage - why be manipulative about it?

-ERD50

 

[Sunset]

Will the truck be solar powered as well ?

I wouldn't pay extra, and those places that simply charge more to "buy" carbon offsets is (IMHO) false way to be "green" as the pollution still happens.

The equipment isn't there yet. I'm still using a gas chainsaw as I need to cut down "real" trees and the battery powered ones, while nice, quiet and convenient just don't last long enough for me.

 

[rk911]

With the save the world ideology going around, would you be more inclined to hire a company that was dedicated to this approach? Following a discussion with a local Co-operative extension agent this idea started growing. Looking at equipment possibilities, even thought about putting solar panels on the truck to help push the idea.

nope. not buying into the hyperbole.

 

[troutnut1]

I would call you a kook and ask you politely to get out of my driveway. It seems obvious to me that you would tick off a decent % of potential customers. Maybe lose existing ones.

 

[aaronc879]

I would call you a kook and ask you politely to get out of my driveway. It seems obvious to me that you would tick off a decent % of potential customers. Maybe lose existing ones.

Anyone who would be "ticked off" by having someone use cleaner, quieter equipment isn't worth having as a customer.

 

[Walt34]

It wouldn't work around my neighborhood. Too many acres to mow. Your batteries would run out long before solar recharged;<snip>

This is the problem I have with requiring the use of battery powered equipment. It sounds loverly, but isn't practical. I have lots of battery powered outdoor tools, but I'm only doing one yard a week. For a crew doing many yards a day, battery powered gear isn't even close to prime time. The energy density of a gallon of gasoline far exceeds any battery in production.

For commercial use, I think you'd lose your shirt.

 

[Zathras]

This is the problem I have with requiring the use of battery powered equipment. It sounds loverly, but isn't practical. I have lots of battery powered outdoor tools, but I'm only doing one yard a week. For a crew doing many yards a day, battery powered gear isn't even close to prime time. The energy density of a gallon of gasoline far exceeds any battery in production.

For commercial use, I think you'd lose your shirt.

I can do my lawn 3 times before recharging.
Am I saying he could do 3 of anyone’s lawn? No, of course not.

I do believe this will be viable, if not already, very soon. A lot will depend on the yard sizes, equipment setup (can you recharge from the vehicle and how long to recharge). Yard sizes (or number of yards).

How much are you spending on gas currently? How much will charging cost?
In my case, charging equipment would cost me $0.015/kWh. Fuel runs about $3.50/gallon. Then you need to figure out how many kWh it takes to mow as much as a gallon of gas.

If you are including chainsaw work in your lawn service, then the capabilities of electric chainsaws should be a high concern. They do have less power now, but that is changing. If you are looking at trim work, battery power saws will probably work fine. If you are chopping up trees, or cutting them down, perhaps not.

Here is one such company in South Carolina.
https://quietlawn.com/services/lawn-mowing/

 

[jazz4cash]

The quiet lawn marketing is more attractive to me than the green lawn pitch. I am amazed how many homeowners on my block pay to have their 1/2 acre lots cut. The pros are using noisy, dusty, overpowered zero turn machines. One crew cuts most of the lawns on our block. We hear them all day all around us, down the block and the next block over. It would be lovely if they were using quiet electric mowers.

 

[ERD50]

Anyone who would be "ticked off" by having someone use cleaner, quieter equipment isn't worth having as a customer.

I don't think anyone is against cleaner, quieter equipment (at least I hope not!) - it's the questionable marketing (virtue-signalling?) that is objectionable/offensive.

-ERD50

 

[MichaelB]

There’s an assumption here by some that the lawn care service offered by the OP will be “green” in name only. If the service does offer some positive conservation that distinguishes itself from competing services it may be a worthwhile venture.

 

[MarieIG]

No.

I am however, looking to avoid certain pesticides.

Edit - quiet is a positive, but I do not know that we would pay extra for it. (DH and DS take care of the yard.)