The Remarkable Progress of Renewable Energy

[ZiprHead]

It might save him money, or cost him money, depending on where he lives, what subsidies he gets, and how the panels are sited (amongst other factors). But money isn't the issue here.

Where he is having them placed isn't great. Lots of tall trees on the western side of the building, unless he's planning on cutting them down.

 

[bilby]

It might save him money, or cost him money, depending on where he lives, what subsidies he gets, and how the panels are sited (amongst other factors). But money isn't the issue here.

Where he is having them placed isn't great. Lots of tall trees on the western side of the building, unless he's planning on cutting them down.

There was a big debate here between the power companies and homeowners about panel siting. The power company wanted people to install west-facing panels, to generate electricity during the afternoon peak of demand, but homeowners wanted north-facing panels to maximise electricity output, and thereby maximise feed-in tariffs.

The vast majority of panels here face north, so I guess the homeowners won that battle.

Meanwhile, most of our electricity in Queensland is still coming from burning coal and gas.

 

[bigfield]

My brother is getting twelve solar panels installed on his house. I'll report back his result.

I have 40 panels/7.6kW (installed by previous owner). They're west-facing.

So far in 2022:

• Exported 6925kWh of solar @ 5c/10c per kWh.
• Bought 2332kWh from the grid @ ~31c per kWh.

Yet even though we've generated about 3 times as much as we use, we still get pretty large electricity bills every quarter, because our household uses most electricity in the evening when our rooftop solar isn't able to supply any of our demand.

 

[steve_bank]

No battery storage a or DC to AC inverters?

There are ;ighs and appliances designed to work off of DC. You can run a lot directly off DC from batteries.

 

[Tigers!]

My brother is getting twelve solar panels installed on his house. I'll report back his result.

I have 40 panels/7.6kW (installed by previous owner). They're west-facing.

So far in 2022:

• Exported 6925kWh of solar @ 5c/10c per kWh.
• Bought 2332kWh from the grid @ ~31c per kWh.

Yet even though we've generated about 3 times as much as we use, we still get pretty large electricity bills every quarter, because our household uses most electricity in the evening when our rooftop solar isn't able to supply any of our demand.

Do you have an electric car? That will change significantly your electrical use profile esp. if you charge it at night.

 

[bigfield]

My brother is getting twelve solar panels installed on his house. I'll report back his result.

I have 40 panels/7.6kW (installed by previous owner). They're west-facing.

So far in 2022:

• Exported 6925kWh of solar @ 5c/10c per kWh.
• Bought 2332kWh from the grid @ ~31c per kWh.

Yet even though we've generated about 3 times as much as we use, we still get pretty large electricity bills every quarter, because our household uses most electricity in the evening when our rooftop solar isn't able to supply any of our demand.

Do you have an electric car? That will change significantly your electrical use profile esp. if you charge it at night.

Can't afford one yet. But yes, I would guess that the vehicle would need to charge at night unless we only charge it on weekends or WFH days.

 

[bigfield]

No battery storage a or DC to AC inverters?

There are ;ighs and appliances designed to work off of DC. You can run a lot directly off DC from batteries.

Two DC to AC inverters. Pretty sure our whole house needs 240V AC.

No batteries. Can't afford them yet and uncertain if they will pay for themselves. I only have the panels because they came with the house.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

No battery storage a or DC to AC inverters?

There are ;ighs and appliances designed to work off of DC. You can run a lot directly off DC from batteries.

Batteries cost even more than the 31 cents/kWh he's paying for power.

 

[steve_bank]

And there I was thinking batteries are free. Learn something new every day.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

And there I was thinking batteries are free. Learn something new every day.

The point is batteries are not an economic replacement to buying power off the grid when the sun isn't shining.

 

[TV and credit cards]

A major economic bill headed to the president has “game-changing” incentives for the nuclear energy industry

I think most people here and hopefully many more across the country are coming to the realization that this is the way it has to be.

Do hurry.

 

[Swammerdami]

This YouTube video has a more optimistic view of energy storage than seen in this thread. It mentions the Northfield Mountain Reservoir in New England which can power 2 million houses when in output mode, but gives special attention to the iron-air battery being developed by start-up Form Energy. Iron is much cheaper than lithium (and air even cheaper still!) The battery unrusts the iron when it's storing energy, and rusts the iron to release energy.

The video mentions nuclear power only twice. It states that it was nuclear's non-throttlability that led to the building of the Northfield facility many decades ago, and the unexplained fact that nuclear power "is in decline."

I'm reporting on this video in case it interests some Infidels. Please address any complaints to Form Energy investors or whoever, rather than to me.