Zero Emission Green Lawn Care Service

[copyright1997reloaded]

I can do my lawn 3 times before recharging.

What size is your yard. I have both a gas mower and electric (battery powered). When I use the battery powered mower I need to change batteries at least three times to do my yard. I have a bunch of batteries, so not a super big deal but in no universe could I use such a system to do 5-10 yards of my size a day. My lot is a little over an acre, about 1/3 wooded.

 

[ERD50]

I've thought that maybe compressed air might be solution for landscapers? Now, compressed air isn't so great for passenger cars/trucks, the efficiency isn't great - compressing the air heats it up, and after sitting a long while, it cools down, you lose all that energy. But for short runs it might make sense. A piston air engine would be very reliable, and refilled quickly.

The truck that tows the mowers and trimmers could have an air compressor on it, and keep a smallish tank refilled as the mowers are out working. There'd need to be some kind of connection to the engine for the compressor, you figure the mowers are tens of HP, the compressor would need to keep up with that to refill in the time they can mow. So some kind of drive that's good for 20-30 HP or so? Though I guess it would be refilling the tank on the drive over, and while they load/unload equipment, so the average HP could be lower (but also need to make up for eff% loss, so maybe a wash?).

-ERD50

 

[OldShooter]

WADR, none of this nutsy-boltsy stuff matters until @oldmedic determines whether there is a large enough market within his served area and what the market will pay. The market will tell him what it expects to see in a "zero-emission" scenario and whether such a claim will justify higher prices that he will probably need to get.

At some point he may have an engineering problem, but right now his problem is a marketing one.

 

[Zathras]

What size is your yard. I have both a gas mower and electric (battery powered). When I use the battery powered mower I need to change batteries at least three times to do my yard. I have a bunch of batteries, so not a super big deal but in no universe could I use such a system to do 5-10 yards of my size a day. My lot is a little over an acre, about 1/3 wooded.

Just over 1/4 acre, which is why I mentioned the importance of variables, such aa yard size.
Obviously, if the OP’s target area is 1/2 acre lots, his battery needs will be less (per yard) than if they are 1 or 2 acre lots.

Newer equipment can likely cover a lot more ground per battery. Yours sound like they last about long enough to cover my yard once.
This brings up a great point of selecting the brand of equipment carefully.

 

[Music Lover]

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

+1

 

[Music Lover]

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

Unless you know how and where the batteries are made and how they are charged (some electricity is created by coal) then you don't know if it's cleaner, or even if harmful extraction techniques for the raw materials or if child labour is involved.

I use battery tools because they are quieter and more convenient, but I'm under no illusion that they're emission free.

 

[old medic]

Thanks for everyone's reply. I will admit it is more of a gimmick than being world saving. But its like the guy selling toothbrushes at the airport. Who doesn't wish they jumped on the Tesla bandwagon in 2010? With some states outlawing ICE for lawn care, seems possibly like a good idea. We are in a rural area, so not much close would fall into this, but several cities withing 25 miles that are growing in leaps and bounds.

 

[Bruizer]

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.

If I don't have to listen to another gas-powered, unmuffled mower or blower, I would definitely. All my lawn equipment is battery powered just for the convenience and quietness. I could care less about the so-called positive impact on the climate.

 

[Zathras]

Thanks for everyone's reply. I will admit it is more of a gimmick than being world saving….

This may bee the bigger issue for you.
“Saving the world” or “zero emission” claims will typically turn me off the company. I’d think they were greenwashing.
My reason for getting my own equipment was the quiet, convenience, and the pollution from the trucks hauling around the equipment as much as the pollution from the equipment itself.

Who doesn't wish they jumped on the Tesla bandwagon in 2010? …

I don’t (as I did).