Re:Solar Roof
by kcorbitt on Wednesday May 10, 2017 @07:24PM
(#14312635)
Energy prices have been mostly flat relative to inflation for 40 years, and there's a reasonably good chance that they will start dropping appreciably (at least during peak daylight hours) as solar continues to make major inroads.
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Re:Solar Roof
by matt_wulfeck on Wednesday May 10, 2017 @07:42PM
(#14312749)
That's true in a lot of places but not really in California, where there's a lot of customers for solar. I don't need to go into the reasons why. It's California.
Why so? California's climate is pretty optimal for solar generation and there's a lot of desert waiting to be covered in solar panels.
Solar is not going to have a similar impact on (say) Ireland in the next 30 years.
Re:Solar Roof
by kristofferR on Thursday May 11, 2017 @02:58AM
(#14314282)
More solar will likely result in higher grid energy prices, since people will buy a lot less energy while the grid costs the same to maintain.
Re:Solar Roof
by ZeroGravitas on Thursday May 11, 2017 @05:50AM
(#14314890)
Solar can also reduce grid costs, by e.g. shaving the yearly peak power demand, which is usually a summer afternoon so it's not clear cut.
Probably the bigger impact is bad incentives for the people building the grid, who are often able to do what they like and get a guaranteed percentage return on top, which pushes them to spend more than they need to. This has been particularly pronounced in Australia I believe.
Re:Solar Roof
by crdoconnor on Thursday May 11, 2017 @08:23AM
(#14315485)
Usually when there is additional competition (grid owners generate and supply electricity), markets respond by dropping prices.
This might also be why utility companies have been furiously lobbying against rooftop solar subsidies and Barclays have downgraded US utility bonds.