dpb wrote:
....
Same thing w/ the biodiesel cycle--if you don't count the entire cycle
including useful byproducts you haven't done a fair comparison but
biased the study ground rules to produce the expected/desired result.
....
That is, in a real implementation/deployment there will be markets for
every useful byproduct and energy extraction or other value from those
can't be conveniently ignored in a relative cost/value comparison to
alternative technologies.

That's why the market is so effective--if there is a gross inefficiency
in a process that will show up as a high real cost as long as it isn't
artificially subsidized or the convenience/utilitarian factors offset a
higher cost. That is, if ranges are only 50-60 miles for electric
vehicles but it's 200 miles to the nearest large airport, needless to
say it isn't going to be a choice to take that to go catch a plane if
have to stop 3-4 times on the way for recharging. (And, no, that's not
made up; that's reality here in round numbers--it's 180+ to Amarillo,
210+/- to Wichita)

--