Technology Ramblings

  A few years back I published a 2 Part post discussing Solar Energy systems.  The discussion focused on all the due diligence and prep work needed and what were some of the key considerations around designing and implementing a solar system. One of the discussion points was around solar storage or batteries.  What were the use cases for batteries and if they were a good investment and should you incorporate them into your design. Back in 2020 - the math around batteries said no - that you wouldn't be able to break even on the cost of a storage system over its normal warranty life of 10 years. So here we are three years later and so I figured it was time to revisit.   There are two primary uses cases for solar storage.    First is what's called peak offset or peak shifting.  This is a concept where you utilize stored solar generation to run your home during what many utilities call Peak Periods that are part of a general category of rate plans known as Time of Day (TOD) plans.

Like many of you, I have a portfolio of PCs, Laptops, Tablets, Phones, etc.  The challenge often is as these devices age, they have a harder time supporting the latest OS revisions from the major OS makers.   So then - you refresh a laptop let's say - but the old one still runs fine, albeit maybe slower or maybe doesn't support the latest OS (Windows 11 for example) so you start asking your self - how do I keep this device alive, but still current.. For many years - I would install a Linux distro like Linux Mint or Clear Linux as an alternative OS.  99% of the time those OS would install perfectly, support all the internal devices like WiFi, Bluetooth, Sound, etc and so great you kept that device running.   Linux on the desktop has come a long ways - the UIs now are excellent, there is a good selection of apps and they run on older hardware great.   But if you were trying to do a hand me down of that device to another family member - Linux can sometimes be just a little too for