My issue with whole home battery is that economies of scale seem to say that solar farms and bigger battery banks would be more efficient than installing solar panels on already habituated areas.

[–] halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago

They are more efficient however distributed power is better for overall grid resiliency.

Not to mention having a solar system at home with a battery means having power if the grid goes down for any reason.

[–] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 months ago

Cobalt has always been the expensive part. But there are battery chemistries now without cobalt, so hopefully those can be cheaper.

[–] SquishyPandaDev@yiffit.net 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Just don't ask how it gets mined

[–] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 5 points 4 months ago

Lithium is surface mined from dried lake beds and oceans right? Big equipment pulls off the top layer of salt and soil from the ground? Cobalt is the one with open pit mines, horrible working conditions, and health concerns.