tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8861605.post3389795665894115786..comments2024-02-20T13:32:06.704-05:00Comments on Resource Insights: Taxing the sun: The Koch brothers find a tax they likeKurt Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05330759091950742285noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8861605.post-87796156989076676722014-06-05T17:36:21.561-04:002014-06-05T17:36:21.561-04:00Solar will make AC easier to support on the grid, ...Solar will make AC easier to support on the grid, since the solar output only slightly leads AC demand. Some conventional types of storage should allow for a good match of solar output and AC demand.<br /><br />Utilities will have to rethink system operations for the new solar resource.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8861605.post-19956941094175944352014-05-22T11:31:25.696-04:002014-05-22T11:31:25.696-04:00The problem is of course we first have to build th...The problem is of course we first have to build the solar infrastructure before we can use it. And i don't know if the batteries (storage) part in the plan will turn out doable.<br />And of course no substitute for oil yet.<br />So: mixed to little optimism.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8861605.post-78314704430149020922014-05-12T13:19:56.516-04:002014-05-12T13:19:56.516-04:00Unless and until they charge higher prices per KWH...Unless and until they charge higher prices per KWH for consumption at peak-demand times, the "net metering" setup is a subsidy to those who use air conditioning, at the expense of those who do not. Solar power is just the excuse for doing that. The grid is not a battery, and those net metering customers get paid back with electricity on winter nights, which may come from fossil fuels.Moshehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02661118835517288164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8861605.post-70788402718836530162014-05-11T16:38:16.788-04:002014-05-11T16:38:16.788-04:00Therein lies a can of worms. Yes if we could agree...Therein lies a can of worms. Yes if we could agree on a 'fair' price that would be great. Unfortunately fair is hard to define.<br /><br />Your suggestion of a netmetering rebate based on the avoided energy cost at the substation plus fixed costs sounds OK to me, but I suspect that not everyone would agree.<br /><br />In our case the state legislators made the decision for both netmetering and the increase in cost for everyone. <br /><br />Even though almost all our power comes from hydro, it was decided that hydro was not a renewable resource so we got a tax to support 'real' renewable resources.<br /><br />BTW: I have looked into solar for us but it seems like really stupid idea to go solar in western Washington state where we hardly see the sun for 8 months out of the year. Yet we have lots of real renewable resources in terms of hydro.<br /><br />OldTechhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10168775200930828906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8861605.post-22196122831950402652014-05-11T13:44:16.955-04:002014-05-11T13:44:16.955-04:00But you do need to think a bit differently about t...But you do need to think a bit differently about the electric system. Undo the historic vertical integration, and you have 3 pieces, the generation, transmission, and distribution of the power. The real value to the coop of solar power is the cost of the energy on the substation busbar where it changes hands to the distribution provider.<br />So instead of the full retail price of energy, the netmetering rebate should be the avoided energy cost at the substation. <br />In addition there may be some fixed costs such as extra system protection etc needed on the distribution system, so perhaps a fixed fee. But the first part makes all customers equal and does not charge the non solar customers for the solar customers systems.Lylenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8861605.post-72428721804186617012014-05-11T13:13:19.982-04:002014-05-11T13:13:19.982-04:00I hate to say it but the utilities have a point.
...I hate to say it but the utilities have a point.<br /><br />The real problem is how we use electricity. We expect it to be available 7 x 24 on demand. This means that the electric utilities now have to meet that demand with alternate sources. If we would only use electricity when the sun was shining or if we had reasonable storage then solar could work.<br /><br />As it now stands I now have to support neighbors who have solar (I know of none in our area) with higher rates in our coop utility. It costs us about $0.01 per KWH for this. This is true even though almost all of our electricity comes from hydro. OldTechhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10168775200930828906noreply@blogger.com