Solar power: What happens when we start producing more electricity than we can consume?

[rangerrebew]

Solar power: What happens when we start producing more electricity than we can consume?
AM
By David Lipson

Updated about 5 hours ago
 

While Australia leads the world in the use of rooftop solar power, some experts say there could soon be too much power coming online — and governments will have little choice but to cut subsidies.
 
Government figures show 3.5 million solar panels were installed on Australian rooftops last year, an average of almost 10,000 every day.

That is a 41 per cent increase on the previous year, driven by the twin incentives of cheaper solar panels from China and rising power bills.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-07/solar-power-what-happens-when-theres-too-much/9522192

[Sanguine]

And, the answer is:  "governments will have little choice but to cut subsidies."

[Joe Wooten]

And, the answer is:  "governments will have little choice but to cut subsidies."

There is another choice.....subsidize increased consumption of electricity, say like running the AC with a window open......A government would be more likely to adopt another insane subsidy than stop an existing insane subsidy.

[DB]

Nah, they'll just ban LED and florescent lights while requiring incandescent replacements... To save material and landfill space...

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

BITCOIN!

[IsailedawayfromFR]

There is another choice.....subsidize increased consumption of electricity, say like running the AC with a window open......A government would be more likely to adopt another insane subsidy than stop an existing insane subsidy.

Opening the window to get warm rather than turn down the AC is describing how I used to use my all-bills-paid apartment in my college days.  Shameful, but we sometimes did not open the window but simply put more wood in the fireplace. 

Oh for the good old days.