Comment by gregable

Comment by gregable 12 hours ago

4 replies

Rooftop solar doesn't require additional land to be purchased, reduces the need for more transmission lines, and reduces transmission losses. I don't know how big these all are but it seems plausible they make it a better deal than industrial solar.

Batteries on the other hand feel like they take less space and thus could be colocated near consumption without having to be on consumer property. Warehouse size within the city. Transmission costs would be minimal.

__alexs 8 hours ago

It doesn't do any of these things.

I can't put PV on my neighbours house, I have to buy land to put it on. My home still needs a grid connection so all that infrastructure still needs to exist. Except now it's even more complex.

PV and energy generation in general benefits massively from economies of scale. Home generation doesn't have that.

Scoundreller 12 hours ago

The obvious point is that roofs have been built unnecessarily strong for decades.

  • bronson 11 hours ago

    Unnecessarily strong? 2kW of solar weighs about the same as one roofer.

    If your roof can't hold up solar, it also can't hold up the people that need to work on it.

  • Kon5ole 11 hours ago

    Because they can carry solar panels?

    Roofs have to handle several tons of wind pressure, snow, people walking on them and so on. They can handle solar panels no problem - which is why it's such a good idea to put solar panels on them.