Solar City exits battery backup business:
SolarCity Freezes Energy-Storage Program as Grid Connections Lag - Bloomberg
SolarCity Freezes Energy-Storage Program as Grid Connections Lag - Bloomberg
Not surprised, they were complaining that it took 8 months for utility Co. inspection & final approval.
And during that speaker series event, the CPUC chair said that "it will not take that long after this meeting." California also has a battery storage mandate of 1.3GW (of the top of my head) by 2020.
I don't see why focus on 8kWh batteries. I am still waiting for that elusive $100/kWh cost that Elon said would happen by 2022. Start making 100kWh batteries for $10k, sell them for $20k and bypass the grid completely.
That is the future...
ecarfan
Well-Known Member
That explains why SolarCity refused to sell me one of those storage batteries recently.
The so called "public" utilities will do anything to block people from installing viable battery storage systems because it threatens their business model.
They remind me of car dealers...
The so called "public" utilities will do anything to block people from installing viable battery storage systems because it threatens their business model.
They remind me of car dealers...
At that event, it looked liked Elon was surprised at hearing of the 8 month delays, you would think he would be aware if problems like that...maybe I am wrong, the video wasn't very good.
Yes, Elon was shocked to find out it takes 8 months.
You would imagine that he should know these things.
smorgasbord
Active Member
This program is on hold: SolarCity Corp (SCTY) Halts Home-Battery Project As Utilities Balk
SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY) told Bloomberg that it has stopped installing and connecting systems in California as utilities have been reluctant to link them to the electric grid.
The big three investor-owned utility companies in California are stalling, SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY) says, in connecting the batteries to the grid. And they are charging a hefty fee of as much as $3,700 per customer to do so.
SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY) told Bloomberg that it has stopped installing and connecting systems in California as utilities have been reluctant to link them to the electric grid.
The big three investor-owned utility companies in California are stalling, SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY) says, in connecting the batteries to the grid. And they are charging a hefty fee of as much as $3,700 per customer to do so.
EarlyAdopter
Active Member
Yet another Elon Musk disruptive, innovative business stonewalled by rent-seekers.
This is really getting frustrating to watch. And here two years ago I thought we'd be battling the oil industry and car manufacturers.
Keep up the good fight Tesla and Solar City!
This is really getting frustrating to watch. And here two years ago I thought we'd be battling the oil industry and car manufacturers.
Keep up the good fight Tesla and Solar City!
Did Solar City really "halt" its battery storage initiative? This seems to be the impression of a lot of the articles I'm reading and I'm pretty sure that's not what happened. Doesn't it seem more likely that Solar City is working on doing something (getting new rules/laws put in place?) that will either end or allow them to bypass the insane stalling tactics being imposed by the utilities?
The Risks and Rewards of Energy Storage in California : Greentech Media
" The California Public Utilities Commission issued its formal proposal to add an unprecedented 1.325 gigawatts of energy storage to the state’s grid by 2020, with the first wave of procurements to come by the end of next year. Along with this proposed mandate, however, comes a requirement from the state law that created it (AB 2514) that any energy storage that the state’s utilities procure must be deemed cost-effective.
In fact, under last week’s proposal, while the state’s big three investor-owned utilities won’t be allowed to own more than half of the total storage capacity they’ll be required to procure, they can defer up to 80 percent of their biannual procurement targets if they can’t find enough cost-effective projects on offer. That’s not a free pass for utilities to delay, however."
Assembly Bill No. 2514
"Under existing law, the governing body of a local publicly owned electric utility is responsible for implementing and enforcing a renewables portfolio standard for the utility that recognizes the INTENT of the Legislature to encourage renewable resources, while taking into consideration the effect of the standard on rates, reliability, and financial resources and the goal of environmental improvement. "
The Risks and Rewards of Energy Storage in California : Greentech Media
" The California Public Utilities Commission issued its formal proposal to add an unprecedented 1.325 gigawatts of energy storage to the state’s grid by 2020, with the first wave of procurements to come by the end of next year. Along with this proposed mandate, however, comes a requirement from the state law that created it (AB 2514) that any energy storage that the state’s utilities procure must be deemed cost-effective.
In fact, under last week’s proposal, while the state’s big three investor-owned utilities won’t be allowed to own more than half of the total storage capacity they’ll be required to procure, they can defer up to 80 percent of their biannual procurement targets if they can’t find enough cost-effective projects on offer. That’s not a free pass for utilities to delay, however."
Assembly Bill No. 2514
"Under existing law, the governing body of a local publicly owned electric utility is responsible for implementing and enforcing a renewables portfolio standard for the utility that recognizes the INTENT of the Legislature to encourage renewable resources, while taking into consideration the effect of the standard on rates, reliability, and financial resources and the goal of environmental improvement. "
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Like Elon has done with Tesla and SpaceX, I think Lyndon(and Elon) is beginning to do with SolarCity... and that is get in the media, stir up controversy relating to anti-innovation-free market-monopoly-protectionalism, and get people "mad as hell." If SolarCity can become another rally point for consumer rights, then "shutting down" the battery storage program has been a huge success.
If CPUC turns this around and gets things straightened out, I'm sure SolarCity will have no problem getting things rolling for it's already thousands long waiting list...
If CPUC turns this around and gets things straightened out, I'm sure SolarCity will have no problem getting things rolling for it's already thousands long waiting list...
I read in one of the articles that the program is still operational, they just aren't taking more customers until the utilities work through the backlog (but who knows how long that will take).
It does sound like it will take legislative action to get the utilities to start approving them.
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