Solar Passes 100% of Power Demand in California [Updated] (opens in new tab)

(cleantechnica.com)

54 pointsnathandaly1y ago16 comments

16 comments

It's awesome to see the duck curve finally easing in an area with a lot of battery storage. I'm looking forward to seeing what the next few years brings -- hopefully fossil fuel demand in California get decimated. 2024 consumption of natural gas for electricity consumption should see a large decline once the full data is out.

matthewdgreen1y ago

And then this needs to spread to other states. The ones with lots of sunshine first, and then the ones with lots of wind and offshore wind (we're starting to see major buildouts off the East Coast.) It gives me a lot of faith in humanity that we're making real progress on these problems.

cmxch1y ago

Good luck trying to get it in the Appalachians or like minded states. You’ll have to use some appeal other than science to get any traction.

1 more reply

Gibbon11y ago

The logistics of containerized batteries is hard to overstate.

You have a near commodity item produced in volume. That can be shipped anywhere via standard means. And installed where convenient. As in next to existing power infrastructure and where the permits and land use are grandfathered in. Bonus, generally quiet and don't pollute.

jimbobthrowawy1y ago

I'm still waiting for the day I can easily find them online with a more explicit price than "contact us".

mistrial91y ago

agree this is awesome and congrats to all.. electric vehicles are just starting however as a percentage of road miles. Expect electricity demand to continue to increase steeply?

conjecTech1y ago

Norway's vehicle fleet is now 25% EVs and their per capita electricity usage is the same it was a decade ago[1]. Oil infrastructure uses a ton of electricity, and California refines most of the oil it consumes because of its geography and unique fuel blend. EVs may actually reduce California's overall electricity usage.

[1] https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/08313

1 more reply

peter4221y ago

The good news is that electric car charging will be mostly done whenever power is cheapest and demand is lowest so it should be the easiest possible extra demand for the grid to support.

1 more reply

opwieurposiu1y ago

You can DIY store 10kWh+ of solar in your water heater:

https://www.pvh2o.com/

When I plug data for LA into the simulator I get a payback of 1.4 years.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

16 comments

LUmBULtERA1y ago

matthewdgreen1y ago

cmxch1y ago

Good luck trying to get it in the Appalachians or like minded states. You’ll have to use some appeal other than science to get any traction.

1 more reply

Gibbon11y ago

The logistics of containerized batteries is hard to overstate.

jimbobthrowawy1y ago

I'm still waiting for the day I can easily find them online with a more explicit price than "contact us".

mistrial91y ago

agree this is awesome and congrats to all.. electric vehicles are just starting however as a percentage of road miles. Expect electricity demand to continue to increase steeply?

conjecTech1y ago

[1] https://www.ssb.no/en/statbank/table/08313

1 more reply

peter4221y ago

The good news is that electric car charging will be mostly done whenever power is cheapest and demand is lowest so it should be the easiest possible extra demand for the grid to support.

1 more reply

opwieurposiu1y ago

You can DIY store 10kWh+ of solar in your water heater:

https://www.pvh2o.com/

When I plug data for LA into the simulator I get a payback of 1.4 years.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse