I'm so excited about DIY

For the first time ever the grid is not so centralized. Everyone either off-grid of contributing to distributed generation. This has driven so much innovation in the area of power generation that the traditional power companies are struggling to keep up. YouTube and social media basically make us all instant electricians with cookie cutter solutions. Some of us branch out into advanced topic through curiosity. I don't see a lot of disasters caused by the unwashed masses of DIYers. I think multiple point generation will make the grid more resilient.

One of the first thing the grid guy said after coming to my site is "muh islanding". No you don't know much. Linemen assume the lines are hot. Expecting them to be cold is relying on equipments to work flawlessly and that's not a good strategy. Look at this Faraday Cage video .

Can use batteries, more convenient

now weld battery easy

You either pay and maintain your own battery or you use the grid "battery". I think when costs is accounted for the result is the same. The distinguishing factors are then merely convenience and control - you control your own power source, etc.

With Group Net Metering, you can share your power with friends. I want to volunteer and giving them power credit is volunteering (the way I think about it).

altenergy20 said:

"muh islanding". No you don't know much. Linemen assume the lines are hot. Expecting them to be cold is relying on equipments to work flawlessly and that's not a good strategy.

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If everyone had your attitude, then all the lines actually would be hot, and any slipup or equipment failure would be fatal.

Linemen also are not the only ones endangered by fallen wires. A few months back I drove home in a terrible storm that knocked our power out for days, and, I found out after the storm, that I had driven right past a half dozen or more downed power poles. That was in a residential area, where those wires had likely fallen around/on homes.

What we are going to see more of is towns installing microgrid systems using solar, wind and small hydro.

The town people will install solar panels and feed that to the microgrid and own their own utility company.

This is already happening and even HOAs are on board with doing that.

You can have a power storage system at your home for backup but the excess all goes to the microgrid reducing power outages from main grid interruption and you are part of a co-op that own the towns microgrid.

This was common back in my folks day and they were part owners of a small hydro power station in our area. That is how many small towns started and became cities.

The Energy Economy.

Solarcabin Channel said:

What we are going to see more of is towns installing microgrid systems using solar, wind and small hydro.

The town people will install solar panels and feed that to the microgrid and own their own utility company.

This is already happening and even HOAs are on board with doing that.

You can have a power storage system at your home for backup but the excess all goes to the microgrid reducing power outages from main grid interruption and you are part of a co-op that own the towns microgrid.

This was common back in my folks day and they were part owners of a small hydro power station in our area. That is how many small towns started and became cities.

Click to expand...

This is what would have already happened if the big cats had allowed it.

In Italy this is not in the near future. If you want to trade your energy production you have to pay a premium on the system (no diy allowed for on grid), and give most of the profit to the electrical companies to the point of you will be lucky to make back your money in maybe 15 years.

I would be so happy to live in a society where we produce our energy together with no big brother chopping 90 percent for himself. The solar energy market would explode in such society, and we would be much more energy independent.

Global Power systems are in the process of rapid evolution. The vast majority of Grids are of a Backbone Topology which relies on centralized generation and distribution. This model is no longer effective nor even practical anymore. The conversion to a "Cellular topology" (similar to how cell towers are distributed to cover zones) is the grand shift in many places by incorporating Small, Mini & Micro grids which are interconnected yet independent. When 1 cell is damaged the others can continue independently or be rerouted around the failed segment.

One Continent that this is really taking off, is within Africa. Simply because they have a LOT of sun which is enabling solar and many regions have good wind resources as well. Without all the Hyper-Protectionist and ridiculous duties & fees that "some" use to slow progress, they are taking advantage of the best deals out there. There are current initiatives where older decommissioned Wind Turbines are being refitted & updated and then being redeployed across the world... Australian Mining firms are using them as are several nations in Africa because they can get these for cents on teh dollar compared to teh latest & greatest new tech.