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The systems discussed in the article aren't necessarily selling excess power back to the grid, but they are sending it back to the grid (possibly for free). Bec
by gpm 1y ago
The systems discussed in the article aren't necessarily selling excess power back to the grid, but they are sending it back to the grid (possibly for free). Because they work by pumping power into a wall socket.
They do so responsibly (fancy electronics that turn them off when the grid goes down). But it is the case where you are acknowledging that extra regulatory criteria make sense.
- AnthonyMouse 1y agoBut in that case the regulations would only have to apply to plugging in something that doesn't do that. There shouldn't be any forms or approvals or fees for someone who buys a product that does.
- gpm 1y agoI agree there shouldn't be, but I don't think it's surprising that in many places there are. It takes active work for the regulator to look at the product and say "this design is sound, we're sure it won't kill anyone".
- AnthonyMouse 1y agoIt takes active work to do that but not to manually approve zillions of individual installations?
- kragen 1y agoThe zillions of individual installations probably aren't actually getting approved, manually or otherwise.
- AnthonyMouse 1y agoNot if the purpose of the regulations is to thwart them, no. But those are the rules that ought not to be.
- kragen 1y agoPurpose, ought, shouldn't, shouldn't, sense. These are words of minimal relevance to regulations and bureaucracy, which have internal incentive structures that rarely align with any kind of human morality.
- AnthonyMouse 1y agoSuppose that it isn't literally impossible to affect what the rules are and then if we're going to attempt it we need to determine what they ought to be.
- kragen 1y ago"Need."
- AnthonyMouse 1y agoIf you want the rules that exist and the rules that ought to exist to get closer together, do you not need to reckon what they ought to be?
- kragen 1y agoWell, if you don't have any such compass, your efforts will be at best ineffectual. But an even more likely reason your efforts will be ineffectual is that the change you want to make is to a point outside the possibility space determined by the internal incentive structures of the institution. Analogously, you might reckon that the best place for a nickel mine would be on 16 Psyche, because that's where the largest surface nickel deposits are. Or you might reckon that it would be good for an interpreter to give an error when the user attempts to run an infinite loop. But, lacking an interplanetary spaceship or a solution to the Halting Problem, these calculations are of little value. The most effective response I've found to regulations that harm me is to leave.