05-03-2015, 10:07 PM
What most people don't realize, is that solar and or green energy starts with becoming more efficient in personal use of energy. So yea, if your a "great" customer of your local utility company, and want to switch to solar with out changing habits or upgrading appliances and such, then your going to pay more. So first step is lowering usage. ie, I swapped out my Hotwater heater about 3 years ago to a GE tech that is similar to a heat pump. The old unit was old old old. I've lived in this house almost 20 years and it was here when we moved in. My electric bill dropped close to 25%.
So the concept of 50k is a bit high. Even twice the cost on average.
The other thing that you have to realize is how the grid works. Most solar energy at a house is generated when the demand is the lowest. With out an ability to store it, it goes back to the utility at a wholesale cost, which is almost free. But if you can store the energy generated during lowest usage periods, you can use it when you need it, as opposed to buying the juice you sold back to the utility company for 2 or 3 times the cost.
The additional benefit is to the grid itself. Today the utility companies need to build out generation to the peak. They cant store energy like we can gas in a car. Its always on. I read a great white paper on the concept of electric cars sitting in parking lots could store energy, and be used by the grid. Meaning the 100s of millions of cars would be the storage devices and would feed the grid when not in use. You park at night, plugged in, and the electric company fills you up. your parked at work during the day during peak, and they draw from you plugged in car. This would allow for generation capabilities to be much lower because they could generate and store 24 hours a day. It could be huge.
I think Musk power wall is the same idea. During low usage electric companies could fill you up. During the day they could draw from it, while your solar panels are restoring it. From a design perspective its brilliant. But it requires a lot of people doing it. like 100s of millions of homes.
So the concept of 50k is a bit high. Even twice the cost on average.
The other thing that you have to realize is how the grid works. Most solar energy at a house is generated when the demand is the lowest. With out an ability to store it, it goes back to the utility at a wholesale cost, which is almost free. But if you can store the energy generated during lowest usage periods, you can use it when you need it, as opposed to buying the juice you sold back to the utility company for 2 or 3 times the cost.
The additional benefit is to the grid itself. Today the utility companies need to build out generation to the peak. They cant store energy like we can gas in a car. Its always on. I read a great white paper on the concept of electric cars sitting in parking lots could store energy, and be used by the grid. Meaning the 100s of millions of cars would be the storage devices and would feed the grid when not in use. You park at night, plugged in, and the electric company fills you up. your parked at work during the day during peak, and they draw from you plugged in car. This would allow for generation capabilities to be much lower because they could generate and store 24 hours a day. It could be huge.
I think Musk power wall is the same idea. During low usage electric companies could fill you up. During the day they could draw from it, while your solar panels are restoring it. From a design perspective its brilliant. But it requires a lot of people doing it. like 100s of millions of homes.
Maul, the Bashing Shamie
"If you want to change the world, be that change."
--Gandhi
![[Image: maull2.gif]](http://bengtel.com/maull2.gif)
"If you want to change the world, be that change."
--Gandhi