Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

AnonymousWritings t1_iy07kcm wrote

Reply to comment by Commisioner_Bush in News Release: NREL Creates Highest Efficiency 1-Sun Solar Cell - 39.5% efficiency by TimeSpentWasting

Only where utilities have idiotic net metering policies right now that let you effectively use your noontime summer production at any time of the year. Resulting in oversupplies if electricity during daylight hours.

Sensible policies that paid people differing amounts depending on what time of day electricity was released to the grid SHOULD be in place and would favor batteries.

10

Commisioner_Bush t1_iy0l9ql wrote

The energy grid is fundamentally a battery, it would be asinine to have distributed battery sources storing energy for individual units when literally everybody is connected by a giant battery. The fact that it's not super profitable to store energy isn't a failure of the energy system, but the economic system that the grid must adhere to.

−10

AnonymousWritings t1_iy1146o wrote

It's not a battery. It's a set of generation sources that have to be ramped up and down to meet demand. And ramping up variable sources to meet peak demand times tends to be expensive for the grid.

7

sjbglobal t1_iy27yfq wrote

If you live in a country with lots of hydro power then it kind of acts like a battery

0