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California requires[0] new construction to have solar now, so while you might not have to worry about installing it you very well may be stuck with a system if

California requires[0] new construction to have solar now, so while you might not have to worry about installing it you very well may be stuck with a system if you move. I'm not sure I agree with your assertion that increased solar installs will leave less money for grid infrastructure. With the moves away from gas for heating and cooking and the proliferation of electric cars, it seems that demand for residential power is only going to go up with solar offsetting it, so demand on the grid should stay fairly steady with increases in areas that solar doesn't work as well. Higher density housing will also increase energy demands with limited ability to offset the demand with solar. Overall, that should mean income to maintain the grid should hold steady or even go up, though I suppose only time will tell. [0]https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2018-05/energy-commission-adopts-standards-requiring-solar-systems-new-homes-first https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2018-05/energy-commission-ado...

hedora 5y ago
Yes, but the proposed interconnect rates include a monthly fee if you connect to the grid. The fee is approximately 100% the price of the panels, spread out over 30 years. I'll hopefully be grandfathered in for 20 years, but after that, I plan to just stop paying my electric bill. I imagine such "cord cutting" for new installs will become more common. As a middle ground, I might just opt out of net metering, and pay for gross usage and the line connection. That forces PG&E to take the electrons, which at least screws over the natural gas peaker plants they're building out. However, if current equipment price trends continue it will only make sense to do that out of charity/spite.
- zbrozek 5y ago
  I have no idea if you're allowed to push the energy back on the grid. You may be better off with batteries to store your excess and use it yourself later. I did that, but I got the batteries for free and did the install myself for less than a hundred dollars.
sagarm 5y ago
The California requirements can be met with off-site solar, though this is currently being litigated.
kelnos 5y ago
> With the moves away from gas for heating and cooking and the proliferation of electric cars, it seems that demand for residential power is only going to go up with solar offsetting it I see your point with EVs, but the utility (at least here) that provides gas and electric is the same. So a shift from gas to electric for cooking and heating won't really change the amount of money or where it goes (unless electric costs more than gas). Hell, if heating/cooking shifts more toward electric, people could power those off solar, so that shift would be a net negative for the utility's revenue. I don't think I could give up my gas stove, but if I did get solar at my current place, I would likely replace my hot water heater with an electric one the next time it needs replacing, and run it off the panels. Ditto for the furnace, though those tend to have longer replacement cycles than hot water heaters. Certainly if everything moves from gas to electric, then the utility can just stop providing gas entirely, and start dismantling that infrastructure, so sure, over a long time, that would save them money. But I honestly can't see that happening, even in a place like CA, for... a century? More? I think any legislature that mandated people replace their gas appliances with electric would get voted out in a heartbeat. Then again, who knows how popular attitudes will change in the coming decades.

hedora 5y ago

Yes, but the proposed interconnect rates include a monthly fee if you connect to the grid. The fee is approximately 100% the price of the panels, spread out over 30 years. I'll hopefully be grandfathered in for 20 years, but after that, I plan to just stop paying my electric bill. I imagine such "cord cutting" for new installs will become more common. As a middle ground, I might just opt out of net metering, and pay for gross usage and the line connection. That forces PG&E to take the electrons, which at least screws over the natural gas peaker plants they're building out. However, if current equipment price trends continue it will only make sense to do that out of charity/spite.

zbrozek 5y ago
I have no idea if you're allowed to push the energy back on the grid. You may be better off with batteries to store your excess and use it yourself later. I did that, but I got the batteries for free and did the install myself for less than a hundred dollars.

sagarm 5y ago

The California requirements can be met with off-site solar, though this is currently being litigated.

kelnos 5y ago

> With the moves away from gas for heating and cooking and the proliferation of electric cars, it seems that demand for residential power is only going to go up with solar offsetting it I see your point with EVs, but the utility (at least here) that provides gas and electric is the same. So a shift from gas to electric for cooking and heating won't really change the amount of money or where it goes (unless electric costs more than gas). Hell, if heating/cooking shifts more toward electric, people could power those off solar, so that shift would be a net negative for the utility's revenue. I don't think I could give up my gas stove, but if I did get solar at my current place, I would likely replace my hot water heater with an electric one the next time it needs replacing, and run it off the panels. Ditto for the furnace, though those tend to have longer replacement cycles than hot water heaters. Certainly if everything moves from gas to electric, then the utility can just stop providing gas entirely, and start dismantling that infrastructure, so sure, over a long time, that would save them money. But I honestly can't see that happening, even in a place like CA, for... a century? More? I think any legislature that mandated people replace their gas appliances with electric would get voted out in a heartbeat. Then again, who knows how popular attitudes will change in the coming decades.