Solar power companies are vigourously promoting - a) the installation of houshold solar PV systems with battery energy storage; b) the benefits of ‘distributed generation’; and c) the false propositions that -   • this is the path to 100% renewable energy and an end to fossil-fuel generation, • inter-connecting household PV systems will provide reliable power, and this • ‘distributed grid’ will replace the current ‘centralized grid’. However, solar power and wind power are weather-effected and both unreliable and intermittent. Analysis of weather pattern data shows that vast areas will be impacted by weather patterns at the same time for extended periods. ‘Distributed Generation’ with a ‘Distributed Grid’ based on weather-effected renewable energy sources would require households on one side of the continent to substantially increase their renewable generation and storage capacity to supply households on the other side of the continent. This will greatly increase the size and cost of household renewable energy systems. Also power distribution capacity must increase across the network because at any time  regions with high generation must supply other areas with low renewable generation. Local small-capacity, inter-household connections will not carry the amount of energy required nor for the distances required and so must connect to a two-way bulk-power transmission system, that is the national grid after two-way transmission and capacity upgrades.

Distributed Grid Tidal v Solar/Wind v Fossil

© 2016 InfraTidal Pty Ltd

If all fossil-fuel generation on the national grid was replaced by reliable, non-intermitent renewable generation (tidal, geothermal) we could achieve guaranteed, continuously available 100% renewable energy without the hugh cost of re-engineering the grid. The cost to reenginerring the grid for unreliable renewables is directly proportional to, and the cost attributable to, the capacity of unreliable, intermittent renewables connected to the national grid.                                                                                     ___________________________ Note: Many fans of solar/battery based ‘household’ renewable energy systems and a national ‘Distributed Grid’ also consider that they can simply go ‘off-grid’, which is an option, but few of them understand the costs (see Off-Grid Costs) and the real consequences for industry, essential services and tax and insurance costs if everone decides to do this.