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Sure, but is that slowing down installations or just setting us up for a correction some time in the future when people install solar anyway? It seems to me tha

Sure, but is that slowing down installations or just setting us up for a correction some time in the future when people install solar anyway? It seems to me that the market for rooftop solar is in any case supply constrained, not demand constrained. And I can't imagine this being very popular with homeowners or the politicians that represent them, regardless of their political color. So, there might be some backlash against this as well at some point.

toomuchtodo 4y ago
Correct. Legislation to disincentive rooftop solar works until battery economics improve sufficiently, at which point the install velocity accelerates because you can sidestep unfavorable net metering or time of day pricing. You’ll then consume your own solar during production, consume it from batteries when not producing, and relying on the grid for shortfall. The next fight will be the legal ability to disconnect from the grid and be self sufficient when they attempt to make connection charges onerous and mandatory. Tangentially, at scale, this is referred to as a utility death spiral. https://eepower.com/news/71-of-u-s-utilities-see-the-utility-death-spiral-as-a-possible-future-scenario/ https://eepower.com/news/71-of-u-s-utilities-see-the-utility...
- throwaway2037 4y ago
  The future of some electrity giants is "peaking" (cloudy / windless days and nights) and electricty transfer. They need to adjust for the future, instead of cry like big babies.
- kragen 4y ago
  you could imagine governments charging a yearly tax for having solar panels installed, analogous to the property tax many charge on real estate
  - toomuchtodo 4y ago
    Spain tried something similar and reversed course eventually. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-politics-electricity-idUSKCN1MF1T0 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-politics-electricit...
    - kragen 4y ago
      that's good, i'd only heard about the initial boneheaded policy

toomuchtodo 4y ago

Correct. Legislation to disincentive rooftop solar works until battery economics improve sufficiently, at which point the install velocity accelerates because you can sidestep unfavorable net metering or time of day pricing. You’ll then consume your own solar during production, consume it from batteries when not producing, and relying on the grid for shortfall. The next fight will be the legal ability to disconnect from the grid and be self sufficient when they attempt to make connection charges onerous and mandatory. Tangentially, at scale, this is referred to as a utility death spiral. https://eepower.com/news/71-of-u-s-utilities-see-the-utility-death-spiral-as-a-possible-future-scenario/ https://eepower.com/news/71-of-u-s-utilities-see-the-utility...

throwaway2037 4y ago
The future of some electrity giants is "peaking" (cloudy / windless days and nights) and electricty transfer. They need to adjust for the future, instead of cry like big babies.
kragen 4y ago
you could imagine governments charging a yearly tax for having solar panels installed, analogous to the property tax many charge on real estate
- toomuchtodo 4y ago
  Spain tried something similar and reversed course eventually. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-politics-electricity-idUSKCN1MF1T0 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-politics-electricit...
  - kragen 4y ago
    that's good, i'd only heard about the initial boneheaded policy