8thGenFarmer
Well-Known Member
Not only that but batteries are quite toxic. Heavy metal laden. And the energy used to mine things like lithium is intense.Storage is expensive, very inefficient and itself needs replacement at substantial cost. Why not use the grid instead? Generate enough energy to offset your own use and sell/accrue credit for future use when you make extra. The grid then delivers that power to its closest user in order to minimize transmission costs.
It makes sense as a stepping stone strategy, as well; paying your own power use directly reduces your bill, highest tier first.
Not sure why there an obsession about being off grid completely when the benefits are so many and the drawbacks so few.
Did you know every ton of coal contains a couple grams of uranium? Where does that go when we burn it? That's right, up the stack! There's also lead in there too! We've spread more uranium into the atmosphere by burning coal than through all the nuclear accidents and weapon tests done so far.
Millions of tons per year, even at a tiny rate of grams per ton you end up with tons of uranium coming down in our rain. Coal needs to go first imho.