Quote:
Originally Posted by edslunch
There’s also a geopolitical aspect to it. Install renewables and they produce independently for a reasonable period of time (some maintenance obviously) but rely on O&G and your energy supply is at the whim of the markets.
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Yes, that is a part of what makes watching Japan's innovation in the solar panel space so interesting. They want to win back the crown from China and their answer to do so is coming out of
Canon (printers) who was able to solve the perovskite deterioration problem.
These solar panels that will have significantly lower cost and higher longevity with more diverse applications (they are bendable and able to be transparent) which presents massive opportunities to turn anything into a solar panel... windows or wall coverings on skyscrapers, stadiums, bus stops, vehicles, houses, etc. Imagine how easily a building could be "net-zero" if the entire exterior was a solar cell.
Then there are the perovskite/silicon hybrid panels that are able to hit 27-33% energy capture. That is a massive leap.
Either of these innovations has the ability to put a massive dent in O&G consumption but there are actually multiple groups racing to bring these products to mass production. It is really just a matter of 'when'.
Then you have CATL, the largest battery manufacturer in the world, quietly starting mass production of sodium-ion batteries and already installing them in multiple Chinese EV models.... This solves a huge problem with lithium being the king of big batteries for cars and homes. Lithium does not like cold climates but sodium-ion batteries eliminates that problem, as well as the cost, carbon cost, and rarity of mining lithium. Sodium is ... everywhere.
The dotted lines between cheap solar panels and cheap large battery storage will be a massive disruptor to the energy market. CATL is moving fast with the batteries, so the question is really just how far behind on the next gen solar?