Quote Originally Posted by TheGrey View Post
Fossil fuels (like gasoline and diesel) are running out
Uh, what??? Lol... Hurray for stupid people and useless propaganda.

Anyway, on to the discussion of solar stuff.

This is intriguing, but still not ideal...

Lithium-ion isn't the best thing to use for solar. The way a LI battery works, their most efficient and useful portion is from ~95% charged to ~50% charged, then repeat. That extra 5% from 95 to 100 isn't actually a good thing to push for, which is exactly what a solar array does.

Who knows, Musk and his engineers are smart, so maybe they have accounted for this with a truly smart solar controller, but it will remain to be seen if the limits of LI batteries can be overcome. I see the future of batteries being in the drop of the price of super-caps. They eliminate the charge/discharge life cycle (effectively), and are the perfect solution for something that will see charging (even minimal charging) everyday. Yes, everyday. Solar panels still charge even on very cloudy days.

As for solar itself, it is certainly mainstream ready with the current cost of panels being ~$.50 per watt. The batteries are the bigger issue for cost and replacement, but with proper design, implementation, and maintenance, off grid solar is not only reliable, but it does make financial sense. My brothers and I just got done with a 6kw system for my parents. No more grid power except for the 2 220V circuits that have the welders, and other heavy equipment. The solar can run these, but why do it, unless necessary. We didn't grid tie it, but instead installed a separate panel next to the grid tie, and pulled everything but those circuits off. No need for grid tie permits or insurance, greatly reducing the unnecessary overhead.

The whole "lease" option makes absolutely zero sense to me. If you are going to pay for solar, split your house from the grid, and install solar to run some portion of the house. You instantly start saving money, and you can either "pay" yourself back for the initial investment, or you can roll the savings into growing your solar install, to move more circuits later. Literally, install a second panel, and move the circuits that you want to solar. Allows for a slower swap, and you can build your panel/battery banks as funds/needs allow.