There are two main types of batteries that matter: high capital cost per kWh stored with high roundtrip efficiency, and low capital cost per kWh stored with low roundtrip efficiency.
Technologies and teams in both battery categories will be working to reduce their respective costs over time.
Renewables paired with batteries are seen as the future of electricity, with different battery types serving distinct roles in the energy grid.
Public-facing writing on climate and clean energy faces challenges due to varying levels of expertise and intent in the audience.
It's important to focus on questions like under what conditions assertions are true and how things may change in the future for better reporting and thinking on energy topics.
The author aims to use their platform to clarify their thinking on energy-related topics by focusing on key questions often not covered by others.
Terraform Industries aims to produce cheap, carbon-neutral methane by using solar energy, air, and technology, potentially transforming global energy markets.
Terraform's business model is highly leveraged on decreasing costs of utility-scale solar PV, making it an audacious and potentially game-changing venture.
Early demand for Terraform's product may come from sectors willing to pay for carbon-neutral gas and those with lower electricity costs, creating a diverse customer base.
The future of energy is shifting towards modular systems, which can streamline planning and design, reduce construction time, stabilize risks, and optimize costs.
Modular clean energy solutions benefit from more homogeneous resources and allow for repeated deployment at scale, driving down costs and increasing efficiency.
The focus on modularity spans from specific parts of subsystems to entire systems, creating opportunities for standardization, cost reduction, and widespread deployment.
Lower upfront costs for an efficient electrolysis system may not always lead to overall cost-effectiveness compared to a more expensive system that is cheaper to run over time.
The choice between efficient yet expensive electrolysis systems and cheaper but less energy-efficient ones is influenced by factors like energy costs, utilization rates, and capital investments.
The growing focus on green hydrogen production, powered by renewable energy sources like wind and solar, is reshaping the energy landscape by making low-cost electrolysis approaches increasingly competitive.
The transition to NEM 3.0 in California initially caused short-term decline in solar installations, but aims for a healthier market in the long term.
NEM 3.0 shifts towards an 'Avoided Cost Calculator' for new solar installations, aiming to better reflect underlying energy costs and values, especially for peak times.
While NEM 3.0 impacts the value of PV-only systems, the installation of PV + BESS systems can still hold significant value and be beneficial, leading to the next phase of distributed energy management growth in California.