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I'm not Amish, but e-bikes actually make a lot more sense if you understand why the Amish rejected electricity in the first place. It's because, up until very r

I'm not Amish, but e-bikes actually make a lot more sense if you understand why the Amish rejected electricity in the first place. It's because, up until very recently, the only practical way to actually obtain and use electricity is to have your house wired up to an electrical grid that delivers on-demand power supplied elsewhere. This is a no-go for a religious community that views decentralization as the only path to holiness. Remember: the Amish don't hate new technology because it's technology and they want to live in a fantasy world. They hate technology because it's a centralizing force. What changed? Simple: solar. Solar is (mostly) decentralized electricity: once you buy solar panels you are dependent only on the continued existence of the sun for power. This actually fits into the Amish lifestyle extremely well for the same reason why it fits into the lifestyle of Nigerian Youtuber Africa Everyday, for entirely coincidental reasons[0]. [0] Most Nigerians would jump at the chance to have reliable centralized electrical infrastructure. The Amish are energy poor by choice.

lukan 3y ago
"once you buy solar panels you are dependent only on the continued existence of the sun for power" Or until the panels degrade too much or break down, and you have to buy new ones as you cannot make them. So it is still a dependency, but less strong.
- timschmidt 3y ago
  > Or until the panels degrade too much or break down Just one lifetime then? Last I checked most panels have 30 year manufacturer warranties and tend to last longer if taken care of.
  - lukan 3y ago
    I think most people live longer than 30 years and you will be still dependant on the manufacturer who can also go out of buisness.
    - Larrikin 3y ago
      Buy 3 sets all at once or buy from a different manufacturer, which will probably have cheaper and better panels after 30 years. 30 years is a long time to figure things out.
      - 082349872349872 3y ago
        > 30 years is a long time to figure things out. especially when compared to the usual alternative: (bi-)monthly billing in a contractual relationship with a power company.
- lolinder 3y ago
  That still doesn't contradict their point about decentralization. When the panels need replacing you replace them from whichever suppliers are available at the time and then you're good for another 20-30 years. If you're hooked up to the grid then you owe a specific entity money every month.
- kmeisthax 3y ago
  The Amish buying a bunch of old PV manufacturing equipment and accidentally kickstarting America's solarpunk revolution isn't exactly something I had on my 2020s political upheaval Bingo board, but...

lukan 3y ago

"once you buy solar panels you are dependent only on the continued existence of the sun for power" Or until the panels degrade too much or break down, and you have to buy new ones as you cannot make them. So it is still a dependency, but less strong.

timschmidt 3y ago
> Or until the panels degrade too much or break down Just one lifetime then? Last I checked most panels have 30 year manufacturer warranties and tend to last longer if taken care of.
- lukan 3y ago
  I think most people live longer than 30 years and you will be still dependant on the manufacturer who can also go out of buisness.
  - Larrikin 3y ago
    Buy 3 sets all at once or buy from a different manufacturer, which will probably have cheaper and better panels after 30 years. 30 years is a long time to figure things out.
    - 082349872349872 3y ago
      > 30 years is a long time to figure things out. especially when compared to the usual alternative: (bi-)monthly billing in a contractual relationship with a power company.
lolinder 3y ago
That still doesn't contradict their point about decentralization. When the panels need replacing you replace them from whichever suppliers are available at the time and then you're good for another 20-30 years. If you're hooked up to the grid then you owe a specific entity money every month.
kmeisthax 3y ago
The Amish buying a bunch of old PV manufacturing equipment and accidentally kickstarting America's solarpunk revolution isn't exactly something I had on my 2020s political upheaval Bingo board, but...