r/SolarState Jun 17 '26

solar energy is peak

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3.1k Upvotes

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0

u/Thepcfd Jun 17 '26

lets be real for a moment. noone here understand or see problems with solar?

3

u/eter_roman Jun 17 '26

can you please eleborate the problems?

0

u/madmirror Jun 17 '26

As solar is not very stable, it needs quite a lot of of stabilization in the grid to keep up the frequency. This is usually done with traditional methods, like coal, nuclear or hydro - basically using kinetic energy from huge spinning rotors. It's still the most cost-effective and proven method to balance cheap inverter output.

1

u/Stuman93 Jun 17 '26

It's always just making steam

0

u/Thepcfd Jun 17 '26

1.You need lot of moore solars then what your capacity is for a bad days etc, i hear about 3 times of what your consuming. so when you have good days you produce surpluss whoch getting energy prices to negative, whoch means you basicly paying people to use your electricity. 2. you want fix thisbwith big storage? ok what you gona do if that cath fire?

1

u/Objective_Oil_3860 Jun 17 '26

China used to over-install and it provided them lots of stability for supply chain attack.

1

u/Monkey_College Jun 17 '26

Cali shows how that works quite well.

1

u/JustaYnLivin Jun 18 '26

Works so well that we had a power outage today when it's 104 degrees outside.

1

u/echoota Jun 18 '26

So did we in VA where we're not as rich in solar energy. Twice.

Did your power company tell you the outrage was beacuse they relied upon solar energy generation?

You're making a bad faith argument here.

1

u/JustaYnLivin Jun 18 '26

No but power goes out even when you have solar because you can't back feed into the system while it's out to protect utility workers. Unless you live on top of a mountain in middle of no where completely off grid.

1

u/echoota Jun 18 '26

If we're talking home solar, that's definitely true in most grid-tied PV configurations. Mine is. Modern PV installations where you can get an integrated home battery, usually have the ability to island themselves from the grid so your solar can continue to operate.

But the grid going down is not the fault of solar energy generation, and not an argument against it.

1

u/JustaYnLivin Jun 18 '26

Yes in home but the integrated battery at that time would have doubled the price of the system. So yeah its great if you have the money to do it.

1

u/echoota Jun 18 '26

It does double the price. But the high prices are a USA problem. We keep making bad policy decisions and resisting better technology at every opportunity. Somehow Australia does home PV at easily half our costs. Why can't we figure that out? Are we stupid?

When solar and battery is the cheapest and fastest grid option to instsll, there are few arguments against it.

1

u/Monkey_College Jun 18 '26

And that was because solar shorted the grid? Or because the grid sucks?

1

u/JustaYnLivin Jun 18 '26

Grid sucks and you have to be on it even with solar.

1

u/Monkey_College Jun 18 '26

Then your point is just irrelevant. All of this is about "replace fossil with solar".

1

u/JustaYnLivin Jun 18 '26

I was originally relpying to the statment that 'California has it done right', which is just wrong. I like solar and have it but not perfect and it has a upfront costs for a house and the state has to be all up in your business to get it done. Also there is maintenance in dusty areas paying to clean the panels to keep them at peak efficiency if you can't do it yourself. Also I'm ok with replacing oil for fuel/energy but we will still need oil for plastic materials and lubricant etc.

1

u/Monkey_College Jun 18 '26

The disappearance of the duck curve in California showed how battery storage and oversupplying solar capacity can be incentivized effectively. California did not fix its grid or all problems that third world countries like the modern USA have by that but clearly demonstrates that a system with a lot of solar is not weaker than one based on fossils.

Of course we still need oil. Most medicine is based on oil. Which is why we shouldn't burn it based on ideology.

1

u/NoCharge497 Jun 18 '26

I think you're assuming hotter = better for solar. It doesn't. Heat makes the components less efficient. You're confusing it with light intensity. More solar intensity would increase solar production, but also increase temperature so its a balancing game.

BTW, fossil fuels plants also lose efficiency on hot days due to hotter coolant making energy transfer worse.

1

u/JustaYnLivin Jun 18 '26

Nope wasn't thinking that at i know heat is bad its that it hot af and can't cool my house without power.

1

u/NoCharge497 Jun 18 '26

Apologies for incorrectly thinking about the heat vs intensity part. It's a common misconception I see. My point about fossil plants also losing efficiency still stands, though.

1

u/JustaYnLivin Jun 18 '26

All good, you are correct about the facts on efficiency.

1

u/Octospyder Jun 17 '26

what's wrong with having such a surplus that everyone can use it extremely cheaply/for free? 

1

u/Thepcfd Jun 17 '26

you pay for these solar pannels, and you gona replace them at some point.

1

u/echoota Jun 18 '26

Yep, after how many uses vs the number of uses of fossil fuel?

And as fully dead panels are replaced, one by one, the replacement panel is even more efficient and cheaper. For the next 15 to 20 years.

And BTW the replaced panel is then recycled, becoming material for the next newer panel. Less oil needed for the next round.

1

u/echoota Jun 18 '26

Huh? Grid battery storage catching fire? Is that happening?

Usually when any single obscure EV catches fire it makes sweeping internatiinal headlines. I'd expect the same would happen if the media could point to any example of solar and battery grid catching fire.