I would give it about 3-5 years before electric cars become viable options. The battery life expectancy is a big problem and very expensive. Give it a little more time for development. As for solar, research CIGSS solar cells. They have the potential to be cheaper than grid power in the near term. I looked into biodiesel a little while ago and was going to do a Mercedes Benz Type W123 300TD ( 3 liter turbo diesel wagon from 1979-85) on filtered WVO and kerosene. It was not worth it. Unless you work in the industry and can get an ample supply ( I work for Pizza Hut) easily, it is difficult to find anyone willing to just give it to you any more. This is because there is a developing economy for this commodity, and commercial refining of the WVO is making it worth something. Plus, when you factor in the time it takes to do it, you would make more money for your time by just making fries at Mc Donalds than using that time to "save" money by making Biodiesel from their old oil. I drive around 40k a year, so in my case it would seem an economy of scale would take over, but mathematically is made no sense. You basically end up living to make fuel when you actually go through the process of collection, distillation, titration (if wanting to make real B100 and not just cut down WVO), etc. Some people spend 10-20 hours a week on it to save $50-100. It is also dangerous to make B100 as the caustic chemicals like lye will give you serious chemical burns should you make a mistake. Plus, you have to dispose of the glycerin by-product, and also run the risk of blowing the injector pump if you do it wrong. If you seriously want to save money and are willing to take a chance, buy an old non-turbo Golf Diesel 5 speed. Expect 35-60 mpg depending on how you drive it and a cheap car to boot.
