Rooftop Solar's Emissions Math is Changing
As clean energy grows, the limits of how it's measured are also expanding. A new study in Nature Climate Change warns that rooftop solar's emissions impact is shrinking as the grid becomes cleaner.
The initial solar panels significantly reduced coal's presence in the grid. However, progress in this area doesn't simply solve fossil-fuel problems, but rather reshapes them. As solar energy dominates and clean energy matures, new complexities arise, including managing abundance, balancing the grid, and redefining progress.
The paradox is simple: the cleaner the grid becomes, the harder it is for each new clean megawatt to make a difference.
California serves as a prime example, with increasing solar curtailment due to daytime generation pushing wholesale electricity prices to zero or even negative. This pattern, where an abundance of solar power creates economic and operational challenges, is emerging globally in solar-saturated grids. Nevertheless, in California, this trend is starting to shift.
Author's summary: Rooftop solar's impact is changing as the grid gets cleaner.
More News
- Billie Eilish Calls on Billionaires to Do More for People in Need
- QUICK RECAP: Devils 2 at Sharks 5 | New Jersey Devils
- GAME RECAP: Rangers 4, Oilers 3 (OT) | Edmonton Oilers
- Sharks score 3 straight to open 1st period, cruise past Devils | NHL.com
- The End of Eurobike? Who Will Lead the Bike Industry Now?
- Quick start, steady goaltending propel Sharks to first home win of season
- Miller scores in OT, Rangers rally past Oilers | NHL.com
- Editorial: Movable bike barrier a good step for Richmond Bridge
- ANZ flags $1.1b hit; Atlassian CFO exits; From prince to pauper