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In Lebanon, solar power is booming

sapiens.org

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Re: In Lebanon, solar power is booming

#2
A summary:

* due to political instability and mismanagement the economy is unstable and unable to support fuel imports for the grid

* the same economic instability makes it hard for private actors to import fuel for generators as well

* Solar doesn’t require ongoing imports of fuel priced in foreign currency

Re: In Lebanon, solar power is booming

#3

A summary: * due to political instability and mismanagement the economy is unstable and unable to support fuel imports for the grid * the same economic instability makes it hard for private actors to import fuel for generators as well * Solar doesn’t require ongoing imports of fuel priced in foreign currency

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Re: In Lebanon, solar power is booming

#4
I’ve heard a few stories of panels not being installed properly and flying off roofs and hitting cars below.

Unfortunately most lebanese live in apartments, and if a resident or two already called dibs on the roof, you’re out of luck.

Tangent, price of fuel/diesel used to be fixed by gov subsidies. Most of our (very tiny) amount of money left has been smuggled across the border to Syria. Same applies to bread, flour etc..

Is there a precedent for this happening in the US, i think insulin is way cheaper in mexico but I dont hear stories about it being smuggled to the states

Re: In Lebanon, solar power is booming

#6

I’ve heard a few stories of panels not being installed properly and flying off roofs and hitting cars below. Unfortunately most lebanese live in apartments, and if a resident or two already called dibs on the roof, you’re out of luck. Tangent, price of fuel/diesel used to be fixed by gov subsidies. Most of our (very tiny) amount of money left has been smuggled across the border to Syria. Same applies to bread, flour…

> i think insulin is way cheaper in mexico but I dont hear stories about it being smuggled to the states

Plenty of cases like this:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/03/06/this-cou...

Re: In Lebanon, solar power is booming

#7
post #5

Same for South Africa. Thanks to the grid being severely mismanaged upper middle class and beyond are installing home solar where possible to maintain some semblance of normalcy

Seems somewhat similar to the situation where cellphones/handiphones took off in infrastructure poor regions quicker than in many advanced economies?

Re: In Lebanon, solar power is booming

#8
post #7
post #5

Same for South Africa. Thanks to the grid being severely mismanaged upper middle class and beyond are installing home solar where possible to maintain some semblance of normalcy

Seems somewhat similar to the situation where cellphones/handiphones took off in infrastructure poor regions quicker than in many advanced economies?

That a pretty common thing, the last to modernize have more modern tech. Kind of like skipping levels in CIV. Interesting to think that the USA is bring back and build out nanoscale chip fabs, speculation is that we will be at this nanoscale for a long time.

Re: In Lebanon, solar power is booming

#10
This article kind of has the: “Obesity rates are plummeting as cancer rates increase” feel to it.

Basically, a really shitty situation is driving something that you are seeing as good. Lebanon at this point is pretty close to a failed state. The solar power boom is basically the populace losing faith in the government to provide basic infrastructure.

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