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Decentralized doesn't work so well for places that require a high ratio of electrical power to solar radiance - like refineries, factories, medium and high dens

Decentralized doesn't work so well for places that require a high ratio of electrical power to solar radiance - like refineries, factories, medium and high density housing, electric vehical fast chargers, low density housing in places that get cold in winter, and more. So a large fraction of society will need to import some energy from somewhere (either from the grid or a fuel like hydrogen). Fully decentralised solar + battery might be the best option for rural / semi-rural settings, but even low-density suburbia somewhere sunny could likely benefit from having all those batteries and panels working together via the existing grid.

badtension 4y ago
> Decentralized doesn't work so well for places that require a high ratio of electrical power to solar radiance Yeah, another example that comes to mind are flats - the roof is a bit small to cover all residents' energy needs. As always in life it seems that "it depends" but I think you are right about remote places. It is of course always better to have electrical grid since you shift the maintenance to someone else (as long as the power delivered is reliable and cost effective). The one issue I can think of is current grid may not be able to handle many small energy producers - they can be cut off when peak power is a problem. In those cases individual prosumers would benefit from having a local battery storage system that fit their needs, even when connected to the grid.
pasttense01 4y ago
Remember the goal to electrify everything. For the home owner this includes space heating. So if you live in the snowbelt you need to have the battery capacity to handle a two week Polar Vortex with temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit with very little sun with your fully decentralized solar system. This will require a very expensive battery system!

badtension 4y ago

> Decentralized doesn't work so well for places that require a high ratio of electrical power to solar radiance Yeah, another example that comes to mind are flats - the roof is a bit small to cover all residents' energy needs. As always in life it seems that "it depends" but I think you are right about remote places. It is of course always better to have electrical grid since you shift the maintenance to someone else (as long as the power delivered is reliable and cost effective). The one issue I can think of is current grid may not be able to handle many small energy producers - they can be cut off when peak power is a problem. In those cases individual prosumers would benefit from having a local battery storage system that fit their needs, even when connected to the grid.

pasttense01 4y ago

Remember the goal to electrify everything. For the home owner this includes space heating. So if you live in the snowbelt you need to have the battery capacity to handle a two week Polar Vortex with temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit with very little sun with your fully decentralized solar system. This will require a very expensive battery system!