@TechConnectify Rent-free energy is here — we collect it, we store it, and in my case, sell it: I make $100pm as an energy producer, instead of spending $150pm being an energy consumer. [update: my inflation stats need increasing haha]

No literally, cash in the bank. I assist the grid via reverse auction, and push down the tariffs of my neighbours. And green the grid.

It’s an “energy trilemma” — in reverse now! I can choose to maximise for reliability, profit or carbon reduction.

Here are my last several power bills in dollaridoos — the “positive dollars” on the last one was just deducted from earlier larger profits.

@TechConnectify Best one ever, both the part about renewable and the bonus about politics.

@mattesilver

> six solar systems installed between 1987 and 1993 that have been in continuous operation since, and found most panels still producing more than 80% of their original output after nearly four decades.

https://electrek.co/2026/01/28/how-long-do-solar-panels-last-new-study-shows-its-longer-than-you-think/
@TechConnectify

@TechConnectify
This video is a great example of why YouTube remains valuable despite its problematic corporate ownership. Now you just need a condensed version for the people who can't manage the (gulp) feature-film-length runtime.

@Madagascar_Sky @utf_7 @TechConnectify you had me at hello

@TechConnectify Absolute banger of an episode!

@rexi @TechConnectify perhaps https://freetubeapp.io/#download helps?

@TechConnectify thank you ️

@utf_7 @TechConnectify not too long. Take the time, please.

@TechConnectify The entire length is so good! It resonates with me so much and honestly it's amazing how much everything connects.

@BalooUriza @balkonsolar no, the panels have a built-in inverter that only works as long as it detects a healthy grid supply. This was specificly designed as a safety measure to prevent backfeeding of disabled circuits.

They are also limited in power to ensure that they can't defeat circuit breakers in detecting overcurrent through house wiring.

(This toot only applies to the situation in Germany)

@BalooUriza @ysbreker @TechConnectify no, thats Aging wheels, but they're friends. He made an appearance in the Brown video and Alec participated in a recent Aging Wheels (electric towing) video too.

@dontony @rexi @TechConnectify It's such an important video that I've downloaded it, ping me if you want the link tomorrow but I'm sleeping now.

@dontony @rexi @TechConnectify ffs

@makdaam @TechConnectify The journey from affordability of solar panels to the poem on the Statue of Liberty may seem surprising to some, but Alec really presented it in a way that highlighted the obviousness of their Connection.

@TechConnectify I still think it's absolutely crazy how cheap solar panels are

I got my 500w panels, new and unused, for 50-60 a piece, without buying in bulk.

That's cheaper than standard plywood. It's literally CHEAPER to build a house out of SOLAR PANELS than it is to build out of low grade PLYWOOD.

They've gone up a little bit in price since but not much, you can still get 500w panels for around 70 euros a piece, example here: https://www.solar-outlet.nl/zonnepanelen/

@BalooUriza @balkonsolar a grid tie inverter is synchronized to the grid and has to stop if the grid goes down, because otherwise it would loose sync and suddenly supply 100% of the load.

These imverters are designed to inject current in your home mains by using a voltage slightly higher than the grid, so it is consumed first.

@TechConnectify Just happened onto this on YT, had no idea you're here.

Making great points throughout the entire video there and it's nice to see people active in ostensibly far-removed fields to find such clear words.

@vogelchr @TechConnectify hallo from your neighborhood country (Tschechien), i hope that by "us" you mean whole Europe, that's what is getting weaker, because you have bot much to complain . It started in Hungary and we have now ultra-populists party leading too in CZ - this time with two true fascist parties in coalition. Germany is far more stable and better!

@mattesilver @TechConnectify it's still better than single use fuel.