I read an article from Bloomberg.com that dealt with the subject of solar technology reaching what is referred to as “grid parity.” The “grid” part of “grid parity” refers to the electric grid; the network; physical infrastructure, that supports and delivers electric power to the homes, institutions and businesses of a given country. Parity, is a reference to the relative cost equivalence of disparate energy sources, in this case, fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas versus photovoltaics; solar power.
I find this article and subject compelling from several perspectives. Chiefly among these are the economic implications vis-à-vis the transition from oil; the impact on personal sovereignty financially, ergo socially and geographically; and the woefully understated and ill-appraised boon that it represents to nature.
Some highlights from the article:
- “-it’s a technology, not a fuel. As such, efficiency increases and prices fall as time goes on.”
- “solar will soon reach price parity with conventional electricity in well over half the nation: 36 states”
- “Solar has already reached grid parity in 10 states that are responsible for 90 percent of U.S. solar electricity production.”
- Solar will be the world’s biggest single source of electricity by 2050
These advances in renewable, clean, energy production, coupled with commensurate gains in stationary energy storage (batteries) represent a profound opportunity to alter the literal and metaphorical trajectory of our species in nearly every metric. In the brief and common parlance of certain ‘citizens’ of our increasingly Socratic world: I am excite.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-10-29/while-you-were-getting-worked-up-over-oil-prices-this-just-happened-to-solar