cone said:
compare the residential commercial maintenance hassles associated with the existing infrastructure to installing brand new panels for the purpose of what exactly?
peak shaving?
I mean sounds good on paper but the reliable practical tech has got to be more than a few years out
We aren't even seeing yuppie money to burn early adopters
Solar panels on residential and commercial (especially warehouse) roofs aren't that rare anymore in some parts of the country. There are a few in my Texas neighborhood, and I see a lot more in places like Los Angeles. The bottom falling out of natgas took the steam out of the adoption rate, but the panels are also improving in reliability, efficiency, and price as subsidies decline.
Mostly though, I think associated gas is going to keep natgas so low that it's barely worth drilling for on its own in most basics, so any marginal reduction in demand hurts pretty badly. Gotta be a wet barrel.
As for the economic case, as more warm regions go to demand-based pricing, the peak shaving you mention makes more sense. Higher rates when it's hot, which is when you need more power for ac. Better financing plans, basically paying a subscription fee for maintenance and repair/replacement, will likely become more widespread over time. Improved battery tech and integrated gadgetry means you will be able to automatically store power you generate when it's sunny but $ rates are relatively low. No transmission loss.
I'm in O&G, none of this is good for me, but ultimately I think distributed "smart" solar is going to take a big bite out of power generation. However, if something like Dr. Doctor's distributed fuel cell generation takes off, that could be very good for natgas.