The only reason solar generation is viable for small consumers (houses and smaller businesses) are that the rest of the users are subsidising it. This cannot last as already the electrical generation industry is feeling the ill effects of the solar installation in that it forces base load generators to reduce output and operate at less efficient conditions than ideal causing higher green house gas generation than otherwise possible per generated unit of energy. The large generators cannot reduce their committed capacity because the solar input could disappear at any moment due to cloud and/or a multitude of other causes.
On purely a cost verses benefit situation there is no way to support a solar generation installation without the gross subsidy that the majority of electricity users presently contribute to prop up the extremely high price paid per KWH of solar generation. In NSW the payment was reduced from 60c/KWH to 30 or 40c but ‘normal’ system prices paid are only 12-24c/KWH from other sources. If the solar scheme was run by say ‘Woolworths’ then everyone would be saying it is ridiculous.
There are also serious questions about the life of the inverter systems (DC – AC) and synchronising systems as these are among the most complex of electronic devices.
The short answer is that if you can get on the subsidy gravy train then it is possibly OK but how long can it last.
Walter suggests that the whole thing leads to energy nirvana but this is only possible due to higher cost to other users. Sorry Walter but there is no free lunch. If everyone gets on the subsidy ride then who pays? We still need a fully operational genertion systems as Solar can not replace them, in case people had not noticed it is dark for almost half the day
