Journal
Blog
Notes on solar, storage, and when the investment still pays.
01 · Self-supply
Off-grid, yes or no?
When a stand-alone system makes sense, and when a hybrid on the grid is the better answer.
3 min readRead more →
02 · Use
What good is solar when it rains?
In heavy rain the panels nearly stop. Across the year the bill still falls, if you know when you use power.
03 · Grants
Grants for EV chargers
A summary of the call for private charge points: amounts, deadlines and technical requirements.
04 · Investment
Solar is no longer worth it. Or is it?
A hybrid sized to real use still pays. A worked example of one household shows the numbers.
05 · Hybrid
Hybrid solar — what, how, why, and for whom
Panels, a hybrid inverter, a battery and monitoring. Use it by day, store the rest, draw it in the evening.
06 · Decision
Is solar a rip-off?
Sometimes. When the array is too big, too small, badly installed, or sitting on a roof that cannot take it.
07 · Industry
G-Max: solar storage for industry and business
215 kWh in one cabinet, for sites where an outage or a peak costs more than the battery.
08 · Storage
Why store electricity
A battery moves the sun into the evening, flattens the peak, and stays on when the grid does not.
09 · Basics
Pros and cons of using solar energy
Solar is renewable and cheap to run. It is not constant, the roof must last, and the first invoice is not small.
10 · Fox ESS
Resolutions you can measure
A smaller footprint starts when surplus is not thrown away and heating is not only on the grid.
11 · Winter
Energy independence, including in winter
Winter raises demand and makes outages hurt more. Storage keeps the building on when the grid does not.
12 · How it works
How does a solar system work? Does it work in winter?
Panels make DC, the inverter makes AC, and the battery moves energy into the hours when power is expensive.
13 · Storage
Storing solar energy
Midday surplus can stay in the house. The battery releases it at night, in an outage, or in the expensive block.
14 · History
People have used the sun for centuries
From passive heating and solar cookers to the electricity we now keep in a battery.
15 · Roof
Should I cut trees that shade the panels?
Midday shade on a south roof costs more than morning shade. Sometimes a cut is justified, sometimes an optimizer.