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This is an interesting issue because it's something I thought would happen at some point, but I just don't see how and why it would be applied to California. G
by belval 5y ago
This is an interesting issue because it's something I thought would happen at some point, but I just don't see how and why it would be applied to California.
Grid-tied solar has an issue because they feed energy to the grid when the sun is shining which for a lot of northern states/Canada, does not make sense because it is unrelated to when there is actually peak demand (the evenings).
In California though, a lot of energy goes to AC, and AC is most needed when the sun is shining bright so I don't understand why it would be an issue?
- JoeAltmaier 5y agoFolks aren't home during peak sunshine. They're home in the evening. They may turn on the AC then to cool off the house from a day of heat accumulation. Just when the solar has tapered off.
- Kon-Peki 5y agoI'm up in the north central US. People around here have started putting solar in an east-west orientation rather than due south. They are trading peak power generation for peak usefulness.
- blitzar 5y agoI am fortunate enought to have a south west facing roof, not fortunate enough to have sunshine. Obviously the peak solution is just to to track the sun across the sky all day - smartflower.com
- belval 5y agoThis is addressed in the "Common misconception" of the "California Duck Curve" article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_curve https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_curve > California's annual demand peaks usually occur around 3 pm to 5 pm, when solar power output is still substantial. The reason that California's annual peak tends to be earlier than the daily peak is that California's annual peak usually occurs on hot days with large air conditioning loads, which tend to run more during midday. TLDR: The overall peak is between 3 and 5PM.
- JoeAltmaier 5y agoWhich isn't peak sunshine. That's at around noon? At 2PM your solar panels are producing about half of what they could.
- belval 5y agoTrue, but that's a bit like turning the problem on its head, the important part is that solar panels do help during California's peak, which wouldn't be true in most other places because the peak would be happening much after 5PM.
- JoeAltmaier 5y ago...and the solar panels would help better if placed optimally - in the open with no residential shade trees or neighboring houses; grouped for efficient maintenance and electrical conversion; on the ground where they could be adjusted as needed for time of year. Residential roofs are about the worst place to put a solar panel imaginable.
- petertodd 5y ago> Folks aren't home during peak sunshine. Work-from-home is certainly changing that. Not to mention stay-at-home parents, etc.
- yumraj 5y agoWhy not let the AC run during the day so that it remains cool on free electricity, and you don’t need AC at night.. No?