Get access to global coverage at an exclusive 20% discount at https://economist.com/moneymacroFurther reading mentioned in video: Goodbye oil: https://www.ec...
I’ve wondered about this too but it depends on how the utilities choose to structure pricing. Traditionally, negative energy prices have mainly existed in the wholesale market, not for individual energy consumers. But if that situation becomes more common, there may be incentives to adjust pricing structures.
That said, it utilities stand in the way and solar becomes cheap enough, it might start to make sense for energy-hungry customers who have the space to just build out their own system on site.
I am really hoping this can be a game changer for desalination because water shortages are already a major issue in arid places and those problems are not getting better any time soon.
I think the first place that will switch seriously to solar will attract a lot of energy-heavy industries that can have intermittent production but I suspect it will just be a bonus for the first country to do it.
I’ve wondered about this too but it depends on how the utilities choose to structure pricing. Traditionally, negative energy prices have mainly existed in the wholesale market, not for individual energy consumers. But if that situation becomes more common, there may be incentives to adjust pricing structures.
That said, it utilities stand in the way and solar becomes cheap enough, it might start to make sense for energy-hungry customers who have the space to just build out their own system on site.
I am really hoping this can be a game changer for desalination because water shortages are already a major issue in arid places and those problems are not getting better any time soon.
I think the first place that will switch seriously to solar will attract a lot of energy-heavy industries that can have intermittent production but I suspect it will just be a bonus for the first country to do it.