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I thought about getting solar panels 8 years ago. The thinking was that working from home during the day I could offset some of my consumption. I did the numbers and it didn't add up in my case money wise. My understanding is that solar would work if it was deployed solely as solar farms upstream and dispatched through the existing grid as high voltage not downstream on people's roof at low voltage. The purpose of the grid is to mutualise the distribution banking on the fact that noone will turn all of their appliances at the same time. It is by far the cheapest, most economical and efficient way to distribute power. The grid has a fixed cost and that is a factor in electricity prices. Solar adds to that cost as capital investments are needed on top of existing costs. People who have solar might reduce their dependance on the grid but not their consumption. Given they use less electricity from the grid and that cost is already fixed then the electricity unit price as a whole will rise and we'll all pay for it in the end. The current system is on its head.
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