Probably True Solar Stories

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Two teenagers are having a private moment in the hills above a utility substation when suddenly they happen upon a terrorist intent on bringing down their local grid. Will the teens escape and defeat the terrorist? Yes, but only with the help of modern-day cleantech resources...

True Solar Takeaways

• Terrorists have been attempting to disrupt the grid by firing rifle shots at the transformers of utility substations. Here are some news clips about these incidents:
  • FBI thwarts neo-Nazi plot to attack Baltimore Gas & Electric substations, ‘completely destroy’ city 
  • Mass power outage in North Carolina caused by gunfire, repairs could take days
  • Attacking the grid
• Yes, indeed. There is a "Smart Summon" mode on your Tesla, but you need to be close by. Behold. 
• The smart homes of the future are here, not in the future. There are many, many companies that offer app connections that can control just about anything in your house through wi-fi and smart plugs, including the coffee maker, the TV,  lights, stereos, and of course garage door openers. Pretty much everything. 
• If you've only installed solar on your roof, you will generally not be able to use the solar generation, even if the blackout occurs when the sun is shining. That's because your solar power will backfeed into the grid and endanger the line-people who are fixing transmission wires, so your inverter will cut off your solar production. There are a few inverters that will "island" and route power to your home and not the grid. Check with your installer.
• If you want your solar power to back you up, day or night, you'll need to install a battery. 
• However, whole home backup is rare--and expensive. Instead, you can tell your solar+battery installer about the "critical loads" that will be available during a blackout, and he'll configure your battery to keep those things running. Typically, it's the lights, refrigerator, and other small appliances. The size of your battery will partly determine how many hours those things will stay on. Of course, the more things you use during a blackout, the fewer hours of backup battery usage you'll have. Also, if you include high-intensity loads like air conditioning or a pool pump, you'll quickly use up your battery power in very few hours.

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There's a new superhero in town. His name is Solar Man, and he's here to help the world, but not in the way you might think. To defeat his arch-nemesis, Solar Man reluctantly decides to join the Ultra League of Super Defenders, a band of superheroes that are beyond the law.  But will Solar Man be able to show his Super Solar strengths and pass the audition?

True Solar Takeaways

• The U.S. solar industry installs the equivalent of a residential solar installation every 39 seconds. 
• All solar projects require some type of local permitting and utility connection ("interconnection") approvals.
• Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) are the catch-all name for the county, city, and utility approval bodies that oversee solar permitting.
• A "PE" is a licensed Professional Engineer. Some AHJs require their review of a solar installation design. Some don't. 
• Sadly, there are no national standards or building codes for installing solar on a home, business, or utility-size project. Each county, city, and state has its own special rules, regulations, codes, and official requirements. 
• As a result of different permitting codes and standards, solar's installation and interconnection processes can get slowed down. Local differences also increase the costs and time to install solar.
• AHJs and utilities can also be slow to approve projects due to the increasing number of solar projects being installed. AHJ staff need to be updated on the latest solar and battery products and new technologies.

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A solar installer thinks he hears a gunshot while performing a drone solar site survey. The shot--if it was a shot--came from the ranch house of his ex-fiancé. Can the solar installer’s drone footage solve the gunshot mystery? And even if it does, will anyone believe him?

True Solar Takeaways

• Drones are an increasingly common tool for inspecting and designing residential solar systems.
• A "POI" is an acronym for a drone circling program. It stands for "Point of Interest."
• Solar design software incorporates drone footage and photos. The software then sizes and designs the solar system and a visual sales proposal.
• When preparing a solar design, the installer will gather information about your electric service panel and sometimes inspect your roof's rafters from your attic.
• As mentioned, this episode incorporated characters from a 10-minute play that Tor wrote, called "Harrison's Choice." It's part of an anthology of 10-minute plays that Tor published in 2008 called "Just Give Me 10 Minutes."

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On the next Probably True Solar Stories, you’ll hear a new Probably True Solar Song that was inspired by the relentless climate action and advocacy of Greta Thunberg.

True Solar Takeaways

• We loved this song so much that we made a music video version. Check it out at: https://youtu.be/T69fNdXsS9g
• Listen to the original solar music pioneers and their real solar music written and sung by humans:
  • Christie McCarthy & Jam Session - "Rise and Shine" - Watch it here.
  • Cell Test Dummies - "Pure Energy (The Solar Song)" - Watch it here.
  • The ReVisionistas - "Cover of the Solar Pro" - Watch it here.
• All Probably True Solar Songs were created through a music AI program with human prompts and editing.
• The Kilowatt Club, Solar Fredwena, and the Probably True Solar Band are as fictional as our usual silly stories. Therefore tickets, drinks, and membership to the club are free! But as always, please drink your imaginary alcohol responsibly.

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On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we return for our second Probably True Solar Song about a woman who decides to break up with her utility and fall in love with solar power.

True Solar Takeaways

• This solar breakup song was inspired by my friend, "Solar Rosana" Francescato's blog post. 
• Solar can and does reduce utility bills, but your payback time and ROI will vary on many factors. With some utility rates, your best option is to install solar with batteries.
• Check out the original solar music pioneers and their real solar music written and sung by humans:
  • Christie McCarthy & Jam Session - "Rise and Shine" - Watch it here.
  • Cell Test Dummies - "Pure Energy (The Solar Song)" - Watch it here.
  • The ReVisionistas - "Cover of the Solar Pro" - Watch it here.
• All Probably True Solar Songs were created through a music AI program with human prompts and editing.
• The Kilowatt Club and the Probably True Solar Stories "media empire" are as fictional as the Probably True Solar Band and our usual silly stories. Therefore tickets, drinks, and membership to the club are free.

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On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we introduce our music division: Probably True Solar Songs. You'll also learn about our new solar-themed dive bar, meet the band, and hear our first future hit solar song, "The Solar Coaster Life."

True Solar Takeaways

• Check out the original solar music pioneers and their real solar music written and sung by humans:
  • Christie McCarthy & Jam Session - "Rise and Shine" - Watch it here.
  • Cell Test Dummies - "Pure Energy (The Solar Song)" - Watch it here.
  • The ReVisionistas - "Cover of the Solar Pro" - Watch it here.
• All Probably True Solar Songs were created through a music AI program with human prompts and editing. 
• The Kilowatt Club is as fictional as the band and our usual silly stories.
• Thin film, TOPcon, PERC, HJT, and Perovskite are different types of solar panel chemistries.
• Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) inspect and approve solar and energy storage projects according to local codes and regulations.

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(The following is an encore episode from 2022, but all the info is still "probably true.")

On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we imagine how the AI and robots of the future could affect solar sales in the year 2040. On the surface, it seems great, but there's a bit of a twist at the end...

NOTE: This Probably True Solar Story does reference when two people fall in love, yada, yada, yada. So you should probably listen to this one when young kids aren't listening and it's just you and your significant other...

True Solar Takeaways:

• Ideally, your solar panels should face South in the Northern Hemisphere. If designing a home, Sothern exposure can also provide energy-saving natural lighting and heating benefits.  
• You need to make sure that any trees are trimmed below the solar panels
• Your home's wiring and fuse box may need an upgrade.
• If you're getting new air conditioning, consider a heat pump, which both heats and cools the air.
• Get all solar quotes in $/DC watt so that you can compare apples-to-apples pricing. In other words, "$3.00/DC watt" could be one quote. $3.25/DC watt is another quote. If all have quality equipment and good online reviews, select the least expensive one.

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On the next Probably True Solar Stories, a psychic predicts a sunny future for a struggling solar installer and the entire California solar industry. But when the installer doesn’t believe her, the psychic makes a bet that could cost him a free solar installation. Can the psychic really change the installer's future or the CPUC?

True Solar Takeaways

• Recent decisions by the California Public Utilities Commission have resulted in 17,000 solar job losses in California, and there could be more.
  • https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/solar/rooftop/california-nem-3-0-layoffs-and-closures-set-in-six-months-after-controversial-ruling/
• Studies show that rooftop solar is a net cost benefit to all ratepayers.
  • https://vibrantcleanenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/VCE-CCSA_CA_Report.pdf
  • https://www.bu.edu/articles/2016/solar-energy-advantages/
• Under Net Energy Metering 3.0 (NEM 3.0), solar consumers receive a bill credit at the "avoided cost" or wholesale rate. To improve solar's ROI and payback, homeowners essentially have to buy a battery, increasing the upfront cost of solar and making solar less desirable in California.
• Retail electricity bills from California's three major utilities increased by at least 47%, with San Diego Gas & Electric experiencing a spike of 104%. 
  • https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2023/08/30/california-electricity-pricing-exploded-in-the-last-three-years-far-outpacing-inflation/
• California's Governor appointed the current CPUC commissioners and can influence them to review their recent misguided and devastating decisions for the rooftop and community solar industries. 

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On the next Probably True Solar Stories., we imagine what a fictional President Biden --a.k.a. "Dark Brandon"-- could have said at his 2024 State of the Union to bring more urgency about our global climate crisis and current solar and clean energy solutions.

True Solar Takeaways

Climate Crisis and the Urgency to Act
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has consistently reported the urgency of acting on climate change to avoid catastrophic impacts. 

• https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/

Solar and other renewables are the leading sources of new U.S. power generation

• https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=55419

Solar and battery costs have come down since 2010
Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s (BNEF) analysis reveals that solar module costs have plummeted by 89% since 2010, forecasting a further reduction by 63% by 2050. Battery prices have also dropped by 84% since the 2010s.

• https://heliushub.com/solar-costs-have-dropped-89-since-2010/#How_Much_has_the_Price_of_Solar_Decreased_Over_Time

Solar and other renewables are now the least expensive energy source.

• https://www.iea.org/news/massive-expansion-of-renewable-power-opens-door-to-achieving-global-tripling-goal-set-at-cop28 

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have created over $649 Billion in private investments, including $161 Billion for EVs and battery manufacturing. Here are the stats and maps: 

• https://www.whitehouse.gov/invest/?utm_source=invest.gov

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes funding for EV infrastructure and expanding public charging stations across the United States.

• https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/02/15/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-new-standards-and-major-progress-for-a-made-in-america-national-network-of-electric-vehicle-chargers/

How does your representative vote on climate action? Check their voting record here at the League of Conservation Voters

• https://scorecard.lcv.org/

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On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we revisit the story of how Winnie-the-Pooh went solar, but this time, with a certain Pooh character who wasn’t part of the public domain… until now. 

True Solar Takeaways

• As Christopher Robin mentioned, you should always get at least three solar quotes before selecting a solar installer.
• The typical solar system consists of the solar panels, the inverter, and the racking.
• An inverter converts the solar panel's direct current (DC) electricity into the alternating current (AC) electricity that's used by home electronics and appliances.
• A microinverter is installed behind every panel.
• A string inverter is installed on a home's wall, but the "string" part refers to the inverter's copper wires that connect to the solar panels.
• Before installation, every solar system in the U.S. must be permitted--approved by building, fire, and other city and county departments. Their goal is to make sure the design is safe, so they can be picky. ... Sometimes, too picky.
• The utility also needs to inspect and approve the installation before it gets turned on.
• Solar can be stored in batteries. They're most often lithium-ion batteries today. In the past, they were lead acid.

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