I have lived in an Off Grid house in Orkney for seven years.
Firstly I believe ALL new houses should be required to have solar PV fitted from around 2025.
The current efficiency of solar PV is 20%.
However in the near future this should increase to 40% due to technological advances.
Electric cars will slowly become standard.
If these are used to "Smart Charge" the car and be used to put electricity back into the grid then inverters will be needed.
Once this is accepted then it is a small step to having a small battery installation in every house to help power the home and put excess power back into the grid.
If this was extended to the existing housing stock there could eventually be 30 million small generators helping to balance demand.
Literally power to the people.
Please don't think small systems like this are expensive. My entire system of solar PV, small vertical axis wind turbine, batteries (gel not lithium) and inverter cost £5,000 fitted.
If people work from home more then electricity demand will increase through the day.
If people are encouraged to buy small electric city cars for local commuting or perhaps mopeds and bicycles then a home that generates its own power becomes even more worthwhile.
29 July 2021