Track_Shovel5d ago

Supply and demand

https://slrpnk.net/post/35672427

Show threadchicken4d ago

Here’s the article this is responding to if anyone wants to read it. Here’s the study it’s reporting on.

I’d say the tweet is at least a little bit disingenuous because the article is not arguing against the adoption of solar power, rather the focus is on what the challenges to California’s solar goals are and what possible solutions might be. The tone is “economic constraints might slow down solar, how can that be addressed?” This is all from 2021, and it looks like since then the slowdown in solar capacity increase it cites as a concern has not materialized, still lots of consistent growth since then. I haven’t read enough to know whether this is because the study was wrong somehow, or that it’s premise that solar installation costs might not continue to drop just didn’t pan out, or that the increased subsidies it suggested came through, but it’s an interesting topic.

The lurking threat to solar power’s growth

Plummeting sunny day solar prices are undermining the economic case to build more solar farms – and putting climate goals at risk.

MIT Technology Review
Show threadNocturnalMorning4d ago
It’s colosally stupid to tie solar power generation to It’s economic value. We are quickly heading to a future with climate extremes without doing something different.
Show threadboonhet

Well there is one problem with negative electricity prices though. It’s that you’re gonna have to pay to produce electricity, charge batteries you might not have, or disconnect from the grid. I suspect fancy new inverters allow doing the latter automatically, but people with older setups will have to either do it manually by the hour when prices go negative, or upgrade their setup.

Good news is that negative electricity prices also apply to fossil fuels so there’s incentive to reduce production there too.

Mar 24 at 12:28amWeb
Show threadRamenJunkie4d ago

Here is an idea.

What if we do something becsuse its a net food, and who cares if there is a positive or negative price because tying everything ever to monitary value is cancer on society.

Show threadDeme4d ago
The reason the price goes negative is that there’s too much electricity being produced and not enough being used. The grid isn’t a magical electricity sink. Things will break if the frequency raises too much due to overvoltage. I hate money and capitalism as much as the next guy here, but this dynamic is based on material realities, not market scheming.
Show threadboonhet4d ago

Okay but you’re still free to do that. Put up solar panels and PAY for the privilege of producing electricity when there’s not enough demand.

If you do it on a large enough scale, you can probably bankrupt some coal plants or something.