On one hand, Peltan and Musk are betting on the narrative that solar = civilization, even if that means rewriting how intermittency, land use, and storage inefficiencies are framed. On the other, critics like Jaime Jessup are pointing out what many engineers already know: density matters, and no amount of rhetorical shine can turn a parking lot panel into baseload power.
That said, I think it’s too easy to write off rooftop solar or modular solar-integrated infrastructure (like farm shelters or warehouse roofs) just because grid-scale solar is flawed. What bothers me more is that Musk, who built a lithium-ion empire, still avoids real talk about what it takes to store solar power at meaningful scales. No one mentions that for every terawatt of renewables, we’ll need a massive companion industry in long-duration storage or overbuild plus curtailment strategies.
As for Hodl Ranch,if they’re pulling sub-$0.03/kWh pricing thanks to overbuilt ERCOT wind and no corporate taxes, good for them. But let’s be honest: that’s arbitrage, not a roadmap for global energy transition. And it won’t last if the grid gets tighter, subsidies shift, or crypto crashes again.
Elon knows better. He just likes to be in the limelight.
On one hand, Peltan and Musk are betting on the narrative that solar = civilization, even if that means rewriting how intermittency, land use, and storage inefficiencies are framed. On the other, critics like Jaime Jessup are pointing out what many engineers already know: density matters, and no amount of rhetorical shine can turn a parking lot panel into baseload power.
That said, I think it’s too easy to write off rooftop solar or modular solar-integrated infrastructure (like farm shelters or warehouse roofs) just because grid-scale solar is flawed. What bothers me more is that Musk, who built a lithium-ion empire, still avoids real talk about what it takes to store solar power at meaningful scales. No one mentions that for every terawatt of renewables, we’ll need a massive companion industry in long-duration storage or overbuild plus curtailment strategies.
As for Hodl Ranch,if they’re pulling sub-$0.03/kWh pricing thanks to overbuilt ERCOT wind and no corporate taxes, good for them. But let’s be honest: that’s arbitrage, not a roadmap for global energy transition. And it won’t last if the grid gets tighter, subsidies shift, or crypto crashes again.
Excellent commentary! I like the phrase "rhetorical shine".
Uh...suddenly this word popped up in my mind, haha