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The article missed one very critical element: depending on the tariffs it may be a net zero sum game for a consumer, but solar energy is super tricky grid wise. When clouds pass over the country, when it is night, when it is winter there is no abundance of energy in the grid. Winter could be baseline compensated by nuclear but the variations summer and winter beyond buffers have to be compensated by energy sources can startup very quickly. And that is mostly natural gas.

So while I can totally follow the article positiv argument (as a proud owner myself I experience the same sentiments), in the larger picture, that feeling only works in summer daylight and only if the grid is already on 100% renewables at the given time (which in parts of Europe we are).




The problem is just that the grid is to small. The sun shines 24/7 with almost consistent energy hitting earth all year.




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