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The fact that balcony solar has such short payback periods really emphasizes the scale of the failure. Why can't utility scale operators use bulk purchases of t

The fact that balcony solar has such short payback periods really emphasizes the scale of the failure. Why can't utility scale operators use bulk purchases of the exact same panels, in a more optimal installation (south facing, unshaded etc) to achieve similar or better payback periods? Balcony solar is a whole lot like Uber, a way to side step onerous regulators, landlords that won't permit/invest in rooftop installations, planning approvals, transmission bottlenecks (eg. SuedLink [1] being forced to use underground cables) etc. The German government tolerates it because it keeps voters happy and helps reduce dependence on foreign gas. At the end of the day though balcony solar is better than nothing, so let's not let perfect be the enemy of the good. 1. https://www.jacobs.com/projects/Germany-SuedLink https://www.jacobs.com/projects/Germany-SuedLink

morsch 1y ago
> Why can't utility scale operators use bulk purchases of the exact same panels, in a more optimal installation (south facing, unshaded etc) to achieve similar or better payback periods? Utility scale operators added about 17 GW (peak) solar in 2024, so about 20x as much. https://strom-report.com/photovoltaik/ https://strom-report.com/photovoltaik/
- grumpy-de-sre 1y ago
  Exactly! Wind expansion has been going great as-well. I guess the more fundamental question is why these expansions haven't led to savings for energy consumers and why the economics of these micro-systems are so attractive.
  - morsch 1y ago
    Wind expansion isn't that great actually. https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Branchen-Unternehmen/Energie/Erzeugung/Tabellen/bruttostromerzeugung.html https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Branchen-Unternehmen/Energ... https://www.wind-energie.de/fileadmin/redaktion/dokumente/publikationen-oeffentlich/themen/06-zahlen-und-fakten/20250115_Status_des_Windenergieausbaus_an_Land_Jahr_2024.pdf https://www.wind-energie.de/fileadmin/redaktion/dokumente/pu... Looking at who's responsible for policy now, I don't see things improving. Happy to be proven wrong though.

morsch 1y ago

> Why can't utility scale operators use bulk purchases of the exact same panels, in a more optimal installation (south facing, unshaded etc) to achieve similar or better payback periods? Utility scale operators added about 17 GW (peak) solar in 2024, so about 20x as much. https://strom-report.com/photovoltaik/ https://strom-report.com/photovoltaik/

grumpy-de-sre 1y ago
Exactly! Wind expansion has been going great as-well. I guess the more fundamental question is why these expansions haven't led to savings for energy consumers and why the economics of these micro-systems are so attractive.
- morsch 1y ago
  Wind expansion isn't that great actually. https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Branchen-Unternehmen/Energie/Erzeugung/Tabellen/bruttostromerzeugung.html https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Branchen-Unternehmen/Energ... https://www.wind-energie.de/fileadmin/redaktion/dokumente/publikationen-oeffentlich/themen/06-zahlen-und-fakten/20250115_Status_des_Windenergieausbaus_an_Land_Jahr_2024.pdf https://www.wind-energie.de/fileadmin/redaktion/dokumente/pu... Looking at who's responsible for policy now, I don't see things improving. Happy to be proven wrong though.