As a solar punk, I have solar panels, some batteries, and all my stuff runs off USB or 12v. I don't pay utilities
this post was submitted on 28 Apr 2025
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This is probably part of why PG&E is desperate to stop paying for rooftop solar that people tie into the grid.
Solar is at it's most cost effective on buildings that use a lot of power during the day, such as factories and office buildings.
That way, you're using most, if not all, of the power you generate, rather than selling it to the grid at a lower cost.
Ughh, no, negative prices aren't some weird "capitalism" thing. When the grid gets over loaded with too much power it can hurt it. So negative prices means that there is too much power in the system that needs to go somewhere.
There are things you can do like batteries and pump water up a hill then let it be hydroelectric power at night.
I feel like having a colossal battery pack could help with that problem.
Absolutely. The hydro thing is really just a water battery, it's just stored in potential kinetic energy instead of chemical energy. But sodium cells are starting to look like a good option for chemical energy too.
It can, but people need to build it.
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But it doesn't say "it can generate too much energy and damage infrastructure", they said "it can drive the price down". The words they chose aren't, like, an accident waiting for someone to explain post-hoc. Like, absolutely we need storage for exactly the reason you say, but they are directly saying the issue is driving the price down, which is only an issue if your not able to imagine a way to create this infrastructure without profit motive.
Yeah mate. The people writing here are economists not engineers, and that's the professional language for what they're talking about in their field. It's like if a nuclear engineer said "oh yeah, the reactor is critical" which means stable.
I hear the point your making and the point OP made, but this is how really well trained PhDs often communicate - using language in their field. It's sort of considered rude to attempt to use language from another specialty.
All of that context is lost in part b.c. this is a screenshot of a tweet in reply to another tweet, posted on Lemmy.
The way it's supposed to work is the economist should say "we don't know what this does to infrastructure you should talk to my good buddy Mrs. Rosie Revere Engineer about what happens."
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Economists think in terms of supply and demand. Saying it drives prices down or negative is a perfectly good explanation of a flaw in the system, especially if you're someone on the operating side.
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this feels like someone just looking for an argument.. having negative pricing is a problem, and yes there are solutions like hydro and battery... hopefully this encourages that infrastructure to be created!
Yep, and the cost difference between those times should make this very cost effective.
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Obviously any business model's problems should be blamed on whatever breaks it.
Never forget the plot of space balls is that they figured out how to monopolize the air.
It was released in 1987.
Mel Brooks is the goat.
I'm going to a screening of this movie on May 4th actually. :)
Great comments in here that understand the actual issues, instead of, ya' know, the usual.
Something I haven't seen in the thread: Can someone address the costs of keeping the infrastructure maintained? Free power sounds great, but it can never be free. Entire industries must be paid to manufacture pylons, wire, transformers, substations, all that. Then there are the well paid employees who are our boots on the ground. (Heroes to me!)
How is solar disrupting the infra costs?
All/almost all net metering plans will still charge access and/or infrastructure fees.
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That's exactly why i want it, but i can't in our appartment...other than a single mobile panel on our balcony and a mobile battery, which will cost about €1000 and will only allow me to partially run some electric devices.
Hear me out: pump the excess solar power from the sunny side of Earth via maser into space at a geostationary microwave mirror array that reflects and focuses power back at a ground station on the dark side of Earth.
