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Vermont replacing power plants with home batteries

389 points · 304 comments · devonnull

  1. whartung · · focus · HN ↗
    We have this in CA. I have Tesla batteries and they promote wanting me to enroll my batteries into a larger grid so their capacity can be used during higher load events.

    I thought it was a novel idea when I heard about it.

    1. thelastgallon · · focus · HN ↗
      Tesla Electric customers report making as much as $150 a day: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;electrek.co&#x2F;2023&#x2F;07&#x2F;05&#x2F;tesla-electric-customers-report-making-150-day&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;electrek.co&#x2F;2023&#x2F;07&#x2F;05&#x2F;tesla-electric-customers-repo...
      1. senectus1 · · focus · HN ↗
        there is something really wrong with the economics of this.

        it shouldnt be celebrated.

        1. beering · · focus · HN ↗
          What is wrong with this?
          1. senectus1 · · focus · HN ↗
            for single individuals to earn as much as (i assume US$) 150 a day means that the grid is horrendously unbalanced.

            hell if I emptied my 30kw into the grid in my state&#x2F;country at the most expensive time I&#x27;d earn AU$21.00

            to earn US$150 means either HUGE battery capacity (and transmission capacity) or utterly rediculous power pricing... both mean really lousy power supply and grid design. I&#x27;m all for indipendance but the reality is we live in communities and count on the collective to rise us all up together.

            that sort of profit is a clear warning sign of a broken community.

            1. epistasis · · focus · HN ↗
              It depends a lot on the market, but before there were lots of batteries this was extremely typical in the Australian grid. You probably just weren&#x27;t exposed to it as a consumer! Massive price fluctuations were the impetus for one of the first large scale grid batteries in Australia, and the batteries worked really well to solve it. It doesn&#x27;t happen often, and nobody is getting paid $150 every day for their home battery. It&#x27;s just for the extreme events.

              As more and more batteries are deployed the price swings will decrease.

              It&#x27;s not a &quot;broken community&quot; it&#x27;s just end consumers being able to help out in times of great grid need and getting compensated fairly for it.

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