• MalReynolds@piefed.social
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    4 months ago

    The power companies primarily provide a grid, high availability and secondarily charge for power (which should be rapidly headed towards zero given renewable uptake). FWIW, I think the grid is a natural monopoly and should never have been privatized, and certainly the power companies are doing the the bare minimum of maintenance and bugger all expansion to cope with solar input and EV output. If they leave it get bad enough the Government will have to step in and do it for them, pure profit.

    The real threat to power companies is people with a big battery have the option to go fuck it, I’m getting a genset and some diesel and disconnecting, which means they no longer have the entire population over a barrel and might have to provide some value. The real solution is to cut the Gordian knot and re-nationailze the whole grid (instead of statewide as it was), which will also be easier with the weaker bargaining position they have with a large battery population.

    • ikt@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      I’m getting a genset and some diesel and disconnecting

      Worth looking into Ecoflows, I know they use them in Ukraine for portable power

      https://au.ecoflow.com/collections/portable-power-stations/products/ecoflow-delta-pro-3-portable-power-station-400wsp

      Even a 4kw with solar will do >50% of your daily power needs and added bonus you don’t have all the noise and fumes that come with a diesel generator, save that for emergencies

      https://au.ecoflow.com/collections/portable-power-stations

      • MalReynolds@piefed.social
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        4 months ago

        Isn’t that just a portable battery with a solar charger (MPPT) integrated ? We were talking about solar roof setups combined with large fixed batteries, which will largely cover all your needs most days. The diesel genset I used as a placeholder for reliable personal electricity generation from some other mechanism for the rare other / high usage days. Biodiesel is a good option, but there’s hydrogen (or LPG) fuel cells and a number of other options, you don’t have to put them in the same room as you either.

        Also kW is power, kWh is (stored) energy (kW you can deliver for an hour), units matter.