Do Residential Batteries Increase Pollution? It’s Complicated

source: http://feeds.greentechmedia.com/~r/GTM_Solar/~3/WpZLy9TWT3U/is-storage-plus-solar-bad-for-the-planet

Solar-plus-storage is a potential sweet spot for customers in a post-net-metering world. But does it also come with a pollution cost?

This week, we're talking with Dr. Robert Fares about his study on the emissions impact of pairing batteries with solar PV.

Dr. Fares was the lead author on a study published a couple weeks ago in the journal Nature Energy, called “The Impacts of Storing Solar Energy in the Home to Reduce Reliance on the Utility.” The study looked at what happens to energy consumption and carbon emissions when you add batteries to a residential PV system in Texas.

The short answer: They both go up.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that storage is bad. Nor does it mean storage can't be used as an emissions-reduction tool.

We'll dissect the complex impact of residential batteries on the electric grid.

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