I have a modest set of solar panels on an entirely ordinary house in suburban London. On average they generate about 3,800kWh per year. We also use about 3,800kWh of electricity each year. Obviously, we can't use all the power produced over summer and we need to buy power in winter. So here's my question: How big a battery would we need in order to be completely self-sufficient? Background …
There’s this thing that writers do called “thought experiments”. It is a form of intellectual exercise to examine what happens at extremes.
It helps us explore an idea by future gazing and, yes, getting a little ridiculous. Imagine someone in 1975 saying “what would the world be like if we all had Gbps Internet?”
There was nothing of that speed available for domestic use, but thinking about an “impractical” technology means they can ask “would video conferencing disrupt the travel industry?”
That’s what I’m doing. 25 years ago home solar was too expensive to be practical. 25 years ago having a 5kWh battery in your home was close to impossible.
In 25 years time will batteries be cheap enough for us each to have a MWh in the loft? I reckon so. What does the world look like when every home has the ability to be energy self-sufficient using solar?
I’m sorry you didn’t read my article. If you had, you would have seen me say…
And
And
At no point did I say it was a reasonable idea. I went out of my way to demonstrate how impractical it was.
I accept your admission that you didn’t read my post means you are stupid rather than evil etc.
But there are sensible paths to going off grid. Why you would write about an impractical fantasy path was my puzzlement.
There’s this thing that writers do called “thought experiments”. It is a form of intellectual exercise to examine what happens at extremes.
It helps us explore an idea by future gazing and, yes, getting a little ridiculous. Imagine someone in 1975 saying “what would the world be like if we all had Gbps Internet?”
There was nothing of that speed available for domestic use, but thinking about an “impractical” technology means they can ask “would video conferencing disrupt the travel industry?”
That’s what I’m doing. 25 years ago home solar was too expensive to be practical. 25 years ago having a 5kWh battery in your home was close to impossible.
In 25 years time will batteries be cheap enough for us each to have a MWh in the loft? I reckon so. What does the world look like when every home has the ability to be energy self-sufficient using solar?