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So basically their point is a major driver of solar installations is that in low-wage countries with unreliable electricity grids solar is now by far the cheape

So basically their point is a major driver of solar installations is that in low-wage countries with unreliable electricity grids solar is now by far the cheapest backup power. And once they have it they use it. That certainly sounds reasonable. In developed countries installation and mounting costs are a significant cost driver for solar installations, but in the third world you can do that a lot cheaper, and beating a diesel generator on cost isn't hard

nicoburns 2y ago
> solar is now by far the cheapest backup power If you're prepared to deal with it's unreliability (when the sun is not shining), then it's by far the cheapest power full stop. In countries with unreliable grids that looks a lot more attractive. Especially as in many of those countries it is reliably sunny.
- epistasis 2y ago
  Even the cost of battery storage is getting ridiculously cheap, too. Small off-grid installations, even in the US, can be had for $200/kWh capacity, with lifetimes > 3000 cycles. So lets say <$0.07/kWh for storing it. That's about the average cost of transmission & distribution for a kWh across the US.
- chgs 2y ago
  The sun comes up every day. If it doesn’t we’ve got bigger problems.
  - silvestrov 2y ago
    Britain and Svalbard would like a word with you.
    - chgs 2y ago
      Sure above/below 66 degrees. That’s are edge cases. I can assure you the sun comes up every day in Britain.
      - nicoburns 2y ago
        It comes up every day, but it also goes down every night. Of course you can solve this with storage, but then the solution is no longer the cheapest available energy source (yet).
epistasis 2y ago
It's not expensive in all developed countries though... In the US, we pay $3/W for residential installation, but in Australia it's literally 1/10th the cost at $0.3/W. The $3/W is a choice that we made in our political system, by 1) keeping highly fractured and inconsistent local permitting processes rather than a more efficient higher-level rule making, 2) letting utilities exercise control over the process such that they can minimize installations (why isn't your electricity bill going down even though electricity generation is getting cheaper with the new technology? Same reason: regulatory capture of your Public Utilities Commission).

nicoburns 2y ago

> solar is now by far the cheapest backup power If you're prepared to deal with it's unreliability (when the sun is not shining), then it's by far the cheapest power full stop. In countries with unreliable grids that looks a lot more attractive. Especially as in many of those countries it is reliably sunny.

epistasis 2y ago
Even the cost of battery storage is getting ridiculously cheap, too. Small off-grid installations, even in the US, can be had for $200/kWh capacity, with lifetimes > 3000 cycles. So lets say <$0.07/kWh for storing it. That's about the average cost of transmission & distribution for a kWh across the US.
chgs 2y ago
The sun comes up every day. If it doesn’t we’ve got bigger problems.
- silvestrov 2y ago
  Britain and Svalbard would like a word with you.
  - chgs 2y ago
    Sure above/below 66 degrees. That’s are edge cases. I can assure you the sun comes up every day in Britain.
    - nicoburns 2y ago
      It comes up every day, but it also goes down every night. Of course you can solve this with storage, but then the solution is no longer the cheapest available energy source (yet).

epistasis 2y ago

It's not expensive in all developed countries though... In the US, we pay $3/W for residential installation, but in Australia it's literally 1/10th the cost at $0.3/W. The $3/W is a choice that we made in our political system, by 1) keeping highly fractured and inconsistent local permitting processes rather than a more efficient higher-level rule making, 2) letting utilities exercise control over the process such that they can minimize installations (why isn't your electricity bill going down even though electricity generation is getting cheaper with the new technology? Same reason: regulatory capture of your Public Utilities Commission).