OK, it hasn’t taken over the world yet, but the arc is now pretty clear.
I can’t recommend this 9 minute report from Australian Broadcasting highly enough.
It’s a thumbnail history of the solar revolution, and no surprise, highlights Australian researcher’s considerable contributions – but there’s some really great archival footage of solar satellites, and how the US space program kept the technology percolating thru the oil soaked 60s.
Another reminder of just how far we’ve come, and how divorced from reality today’s fossil bound leadership in Washington really is.
A few additional illustrative graphs here:
Apropos. In the state of South Oz, claimed and probably is, roof top solar land. My 16 yo 1.5Kw system, with the beautiful mandated input tariff of %100 – %200 of commercial Kw cost, has shat itself. Noticed when the last electricity bill doubled. Repair had ‘difficulties’. Has taken awhile, but within the next month am installing 101/2 Kw on my 70 yo terracotta roof with a 24 KwH battery. As everything is manufactured in China, exchange rates are relevant. Cost is circa $A29.000, a significant expense which should be recovered in 5 -10 years depending. Government subsidy reduces this by $A8,000 which is a Very Effective motivation.
General takeaway. CAN BE DONE! For much of the year, renewables are producing so much electricity here that they cannot, literally, give it away! Recently, for 10 minutes, the entire state ran entirely on rooftop solar, with commercial solar and wind shut down. (On second reading noted no reference to gas turbine production but decided not to carp about unknown details.)
Anyway, individual example, in a small state. Rest of the country is rapidly following.
It works and can be done.