Solar and batteries can power the world • Hacker News Board

Re: Solar and batteries can power the world

#471

Post by blackcatsec » Tue, Apr 07, 2026, 3:40 PM UTC

caseysoftware wrote: post #152

declan_roberts wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And in my experience as someone who is actually trying to DO something, is exactly right. But to be clear, it's less about night vs day and more about summer vs winter.

^ This. I had a 20kWh array and 18kWh of batteries in Texas and it was GREAT in the summer. It'd start charging by 6am and be charged by 9am, even with simultaneous usage. Then we'd live off solar for the day (even with HVAC), go back on batteries around 9pm and they'd be out around 4am. No problem. But during an overcast winter day, the stack wouldn't get power until 8/9, not make it to 50%, start discharging by 4/5…

To be fair, though, electricity is usually cheaper at night. So discharging solar charged batteries well into the evening is still a net benefit for the grid (and your wallet).

Re: Solar and batteries can power the world

#472

Post by locallost » Thu, Apr 09, 2026, 8:24 AM UTC

jwr wrote: post #195

j23n wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this sells the German energy mix short - fossil fuel has been on a steady decline in the energy mix for about 2 decades now. Comparing 2020[^2] to 2025[^1]: - renewables (solar+wind) went from 181 TWh to 219 TWh - fossil (coal+gas) stayed constant (177 TWh and 179 TWh) So I'd say we switched from nuclear (60TWh in 2020) to renewables & imported nuclear - but the long-term trend is towards renewables. [1]: htt…

I realize there is a lot of verbal gymnastics going on around this issue, and the word "renewables" is being used a lot, but my point still stands. Another way to look at your numbers is that had the nuclear plants not been turned off, fossil (coal+gas) could have been reduced by 60TWh. But they weren't reduced. They remained the same. From the point of view of the fossil fuel industry: WIN!

Your point does not stand since you are completely wrong. Germany uses less coal and gas for electricity now than at any point in the 21st century. The majority of the nuclear plants were shutdown in 2011. They produced 230TWh from coal in 2011 and less than 100TWh last year. Talk about verbal gymnastics to call that a shift from nuclear to coal and gas! Outrageous.

Re: Solar and batteries can power the world

#473

Post by locallost » Thu, Apr 09, 2026, 8:38 AM UTC

jmyeet wrote: post #255

This comment section is so weird. This seems like a decent analysis to me. It also backs up what's been pretty obvious for some time: solar is the future. Yet we have: - Pointing out the corn ethanol scam. Ok, that's fair. We would be better of spending money on renewables. No argument there; - Multiple people arguing that solar hasn't goten more mature, more effective and that battery technology really hasn't gotten…

I am big fan of renewables, but I disagree on your conclusion. The main reason is purely financial, the incumbenta do not want to lose their investment so they spend a lot of money on manipulation and lobbying. Another big reason is that politicians simply can't know everything, so they rely on advisors whose opinions are influenced by lobbyists. There is a clear lack of vision in the western hemisphere on how to move forward and see the transformation not as a cost but as an advantage. So they let their opinions and decisions be massaged by people whose intentions are to protect the status quo.