05-07 Elon Musk

Pay attention world. High winds in California have required the state utility company to shut down operations cutting off 2 million people from power. Something big is happening.
Apparently, power lines thrown down by high winds are responsible for wildfires that cause billions of dollars in damage. Climate change stuff.
My California relatives have been busy buying surplus propane for their barbeques, canned goods, batteries and candles. It is chaotic, but something that will be part of California’s future.
My first reaction when I heard the news was to reflect on the Powerwall battery developed by Elon Musk. The stock of that company will obviously get a shot in the arm.
This is the kind of battery you want if you decide to go off the grid and go solar. The Powerwall is designed to take surplus energy produced by your PV solar panels and make it available during the evening.
In California a lot of people will be going off the grid regardless of cost. Power outages are too disruptive to worry about costs. And it is the batteries that are expensive.
We are not talking about basic PV solar which is becoming very competitive cost wise, everywhere a consumer can link his solar energy system to the grid. No batteries needed here.
But what if the grid is not stable. Suddenly, those mandated solar energy systems in your new San Francisco home will not work unless you add battery storage.
What is so interesting about the Tesla battery, is that it is an example of an auto maker going into the battery business. Today, we have Tesla, Mercedes-Benz and BMW producing batteries for their electric cars and for solar powered homes.
We are all familiar with the lead acid battery in our car, but the newer more expensive Lithium ion battery is better for storing solar energy. These batteries are lighter, more compact and last longer.
And the good news, researchers around the world are not just developing new solar cells, new inverters that convert direct current to alternating current used by your appliances, but new lower cost batteries.
In the future anticipate not just homes but whole communities going off the grid. It is a bloody revolution. Hope they remember the leaders like Elon Musk.