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Solar Delivers Far More Than Renewable Energy
- howard941 7y agoSome media (not greentech which is pretty good) have a hard time explaining the problem from the utility side. There are valid utility side issues much as I hate the electric company as much as everyone else. This piece missed an opportunity to deal with these utility-side problems. How to pay for the grid side modernization that's needed to prevent grid destabilization as intermittent producers start to exceed the 5% figure most utility people find is the point where grid instability becomes a real problem. Forward-looking states like California and Hawaii, particularly California by way of Rule 21 [0], seem to have found the proper technical balance by requiring new producers to install equipment that provides "grid support" power intelligently with constant 2 way communications rather than looser "grid interactive" standards where if the grid is on frequency and the voltage is within tolerance it's like an open spigot. What remains are problems to solve at the utility side. Who'll pick up the tab for the utility-side communications and dispatch enhancements needed effect use of the grid support features? How to incentivize the utilities to quicken adoption of these enhancements, given that utilities never plan on timelines shorter than 10 years? [0] for ex https://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/equipment/inverters.php https://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/equipment/inverters.php