Friday, February 14, 2020

10 Rooftop Solar and Storage Predictions for the Next Decade

Don't expect a unifying app for all your home's energy systems any time soon, the author writes.
By Barry Cinnamon


Predicting the future is easy; getting the exact timing is very hard — especially with all the emerging technologies and requirements facing the solar and storage industry.

So this year I’m giving myself a whole decade to get these behind-the-meter energy system predictions mostly right.

1.Storage will be standard with solar....
Solar-only installations will become the exception rather than the rule. Changes with net metering, unreliable utility power, lower battery costs, grid-services capabilities and energy management features will drive customers toward selecting more full-service solar and storage offerings. By necessity, the skill set of solar contractors will expand to backup panel and communications cable wiring, as well as complicated commissioning and configuration procedures. Timeframe: now, accelerating over the next five years.

2. ...Which means new cost metrics will be needed
For 20+ years, the solar industry has been measuring costs based on dollar-per-watt capacity and dollar-per-kilowatt-hour generation. But adding batteries to a PV system increases the cost and confuses the energy savings calculations. I’m waiting for the gurus at NREL and LBNL to figure these new metrics out.


For the rest of the story visit: https:10-rooftop-solar-and-storage-predictions-for-decade