China emerged as one of the world’s top car exporters in 2023, powered by its massive push for electric vehicles. Buoyed by years of heavy government investments, subsidies, and manufacturing rebates, Chinese automakers have flooded overseas markets as global EV demand continues to rise. In Q4 2023, China’s BYD even outsold Tesla in sales volume for the first time.

A very detailed discussion on Apple Vision Pro. (Language in Chinese). Have fun here! If you are not able to see the video directly. Pls use the following link https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV137421N77x/?share_source=copy_web&vd_source=b7004425c125bcaf1ff9ff969bdbd213 (https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV137421N77x/?share_source=copy_web&vd_source=b7004425c125bcaf1ff9ff969bdbd213)

Batteries are everywhere - from electric vehicles to stationary storage to the device you're watching this episode on! And many of them come from the biggest battery company in the world, CATL - possibly the biggest and most important company, you've never heard of. In this episode, Elliot gets a world exclusive tour around one of the CATL gigafactories in China to find out how these innumerate batteries are made. We promise you, it will blow your mind!

magine creating solar panels without relying on materials in short supply and adopting an eco-friendlier production process. And at the same time boosting efficiency? Enter perovskite tandem solar cells—an innovation that has long held the promise of revolutionizing the solar energy landscape. But where are they in their development, and could they truly represent the future of solar panel technology?

Looking at the new SolarEdge Home Hub inverter and accessories for 2023.

A world of AI-assisted writing and reviewing might transform the nature of the scientific paper. By Gemma Conroy https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03144-w

https://pexapark.com/solar-power-purchase-agreement-ppa/?campaignid=7936848892&adgroupid=87758041091&creative=394868452700&keyword=power%20purchase%20agreement&matchtype=e&network=g&device=c&gclid=CjwKCAiAxKv_BRBdEiwAyd40N7yXs_Kdt-bHeLg0Y_bIcZd5dteTRQNUSzrV0DtYW3M2cQCuylmbxxoCV1sQAvD_BwE

https://www.solar.com/learn/nem-3-0-proposal-and-impacts-for-california-homeowners/ Updates regarding legal action seeking to overturn NEM 3.0: On May 4, 2023, three environmental groups filed a lawsuit (https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23796769/net-metering-lawsuit.pdf)claiming the CPUC failed to consider the full benefits of rooftop solar. The lawsuit seeks to overturn NEM 3.0 and have the CPUC devise a new solar billing policy. On September 14, 2023, California Appeals Court Presiding Judge Tucher agreed to hear oral arguments (https://www.scribd.com/document/671296149/2023-09-14-COA-Order-Granting-Petition-for-Writ-of-Review#)for this lawsuit. A date has not been set for oral arguments Please check back for updates. Following years of policy skirmishes, revisions, and a mad dash to grandfather systems into the previous net metering plan, a new solar billing structure — known as NEM 3.0 — is in effect for California’s three investor-owned utilities. NEM 3.0 features a 75% reduction in export rates (the value of excess electricity pushed onto the grid by solar systems), thereby reducing the overall savings and increasing the payback period of home solar. This new policy was designed, in part, to encourage homeowners to pair battery storage with their solar panels to become more self-sufficient and contribute to a more resilient electricity grid. While NEM 3.0 is undoubtedly less favorable to solar-only customers than previous net metering policies, it’s important to note that NEM 3.0 solar systems in California will still largely provide greater energy cost savings than in any other state, especially when paired with home battery storage. NEM 3.0 key takeaways: • Solar systems placed in service prior to April 15, 2023 will remain under their existing net metering policy for 20 years from their interconnection date • Solar systems under NEM 3.0 billing will earn, on average, 75% less for the excess electricity they push onto the grid • Under NEM 3.0, the payback period for solar and battery storage systems will be roughly equal to the payback period of solar-only systems In this article, we’ll break down: • What is NEM 3.0 solar billing?(https://www.solar.com/learn/nem-3-0-proposal-and-impacts-for-california-homeowners/#changes) • What does NEM 3.0 mean for solar in California?(https://www.solar.com/learn/nem-3-0-proposal-and-impacts-for-california-homeowners/#mean) • The utilities’ perspective(https://www.solar.com/learn/nem-3-0-proposal-and-impacts-for-california-homeowners/#utility) • When will NEM 3.0 take effect?(https://www.solar.com/learn/nem-3-0-proposal-and-impacts-for-california-homeowners/#effect) • Frequently asked questions about NEM 3.0(https://www.solar.com/learn/nem-3-0-proposal-and-impacts-for-california-homeowners/#faq) Let’s dive in with a quick review of how net energy metering works. What is Net Energy Metering (NEM)? Net Energy Metering (https://www.solar.com/learn/what-is-net-energy-metering-for-solar-2018/)describes a billing structure between utilities and homeowners with solar. Under net metering, solar owners earn credit for the excess electricity they push onto the grid when their panels produce more electricity than their home uses. This credit is used to offset the cost of the electricity they pull off the grid when the sun isn’t shining. Net metering policies have traditionally had a one-t0-one offset. That means the price of a kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity pushed onto the grid was equal to the price of a kWh pulled off the grid. Under this structure, solar owners with systems designed to produce the same amount of electricity as the household consumes essentially replace their utility electricity bill with a lower monthly payment on their solar equipment. Over the 25-year warrantied life of a solar system, this leads to energy cost savings in the tens — or hundreds — of thousands of dollars. What is NEM 3.0 solar billing? NEM 3.0 — also known as the Solar Billing Plan — is a new version of the net energy metering policy that took effect on April 15, 2023. It applies to utility customers in the territories of California’s three major investor-owned utilities (IOUs): • Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) • Southern California Edison (SCE) • San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) It’s important to note that NEM 3.0 is not retroactive. So, solar systems installed under NEM 1.0 or NEM 2.0 will remain under their current policy for 20 years from the date they received permission to operate (PTO). NEM 2.0 vs NEM 3.0 NEM 2.0 was the previous net metering policy offered by California’s investor-owned utilities. The biggest change between NEM 2.0 and NEM 3.0 is the value of export rates — i.e. the price of excess electricity produced by solar systems. Under NEM 2.0, the value of solar exports is based on retail rates, so a kWh of electricity pushed onto the grid was worth the same as a kWh of electricity pulled off the grid. Under NEM 3.0, residential solar export rates will be based on an “Avoided Cost Calculator” and are closer to wholesale rates for electricity (what utilities pay for electricity). We’ll explain how this works in a moment, but the big thing to know is, on average, NEM 3.0 export rates are around 75% lower than the export rates for NEM 2.0. Lower export rates mean longer payback periods and less bill savings for solar owners under NEM 3.0. Here’s how that looks based on actual bids generated on the solar.com (http://solar.com)marketplace. Payback period and savings under NEM 2.0 vs NEM 3.0 Scenario 1: Cash purchase of an average 7.6 kW system with 100% offset Scenario 2: 12-year loan for an average 7.6 kW system with 100% offset Scenario 2: 20-year loan for an average 7.6 kW system with 100% offset While the lifetime savings can be substantially lower for solar-only systems under NEM 3.0 billing, it’s worth noting that $60,000 to $75,000 is still among the best — if not the best — return on investments for home solar in the US. What does NEM 3.0 mean for solar? There are 5 basic takeaways for California IOU customers regarding NEM 3.0 solar billing. 1. It features a major reduction in the net metering value of solar electricity 2. There are no new charges or fees, commonly known as “solar taxes” 3. Pairing solar with battery storage will be more beneficial under NEM 3.0 4. Solar owners that are grandfathered into NEM 2.0 will be able to add battery storage later and remain on NEM 2.0 5. Home solar is still worth it under NEM 3.0 solar billing The first and most critical point is the changing rate structure that will reduce the value of solar energy. Lower solar export rates The biggest change from NEM 2.0 to NEM 3.0 is the rates at which solar owners are compensated for the excess electricity they put on the grid (known as export rates). Under most net metering policies, including NEM 2.0, solar owners are credited for the full retail value of each kWh of electricity they put on the grid. However, under the NEM 3.0, the value of solar exports is no longer based on retail rates. Export prices are based on the “Avoided Cost Calculator” and vary by month, day, and hour. Since this structure is even more complicated than it sounds, here’s an example of how people will be compensated for their excess solar production. The gray bars indicate what homeowners pay per kWh for grid electricity and the black bars indicate the rate at which they’ll be credited for excess solar production under NEM 3.0. Image source.(https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M498/K526/498526033.PDF) Clearly, they are not the same, and the price of exports is much lower than the price of imports. “The solar industry and clean energy supporters are still reviewing the  CPUC’s proposed decision, but based on an initial analysis, it would cut the average export rate in California from $0.30 per kilowatt to $0.08 per kilowatt and make those cuts effective in April 2023, resulting in a 75% reduction in the value of exports,” the California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA) said in a release. No new solar taxes There is a shred of good news in the version of NEM 3.0 adopted by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). A series of charges and fees for solar owners — casually known as “solar taxes” — did not make it into the approved version of NEM 3.0. These fees were, at one time, expected to add around $60 a month to solar owners’ utility bills. They are now off the table. A push for pairing solar and battery A major theme in the NEM 3.0 policy text is a push for pairing solar with battery storage. That’s because generating solar electricity in California isn’t the issue; the problem is storing and using it since peak solar production doesn’t align with peak energy consumption. If we go back to our handy import/export price graph, you’ll see that export prices skyrocket from 7-8 pm because energy demand is peaking while solar generation is winding down for the night — which is a problem throughout the state. In fact, the NEM 3.0 export rates can be as high as $3.32 per kWh during peak demand hours in September. According to an analysis by solar.com,(http://solar.com) homeowners with battery storage under NEM 3.0 can earn ~$200 per week by storing solar electricity generated during the day and exporting it to the grid during these high-value windows. In July 2023, Electrum (which powers the solar.com (http://solar.com)marketplace) released calculations for two new battery discharge modes specifically designed to maximize savings in NEM 3.0 billing. These industry-leading calculations show that many homeowners can in fact achieve 100% electricity bill reduction (https://www.solar.com/learn/new-nem-3-0-savings-calculations-show-path-to-maximum-bill-reduction/)(aside from certain non-bypassable charges) by pairing solar and battery storage. Furthermore, many homeowners have the potential for Day 1 savings, in which their monthly solar and battery payments are lower than their average electric bill. An analysis of binding quotes on the solar.com (http://solar.com)marketplace revealed that IOU customers who purchase solar and battery systems with cash can expect bill offsets of 70-90% and payback periods between 5-7 years under NEM 3.0. That’s far greater savings potential and a shorter payback period than almost any other place in the country. In addition to the 30% federal tax credit, there will be an additional $900 million in funding available for the Self Generation Incentive Program (https://www.solar.com/learn/sgip-info-battery-storage-rebate-up-to-100-percent/)(SGIP) available in 2023. SGIP provides battery storage rebates for SCE, PG&E, SDG&E, and SoCalGas customers. NEM 2.0 customers can add battery storage later Another important nugget of the NEM 3.0 decision is that NEM 2.0 customers can add battery storage and retain their NEM 2.0 status. There are two common scenarios where this comes into play: 1. If you currently have a solar system in California, you won’t be transitioned into NEM 3.0 if you add battery storage after April 14, 2023 2. If you grandfathered a new system into NEM 2.0 before the April 14, 2023 deadline, adding battery storage later will not change your NEM 2.0 status There are several advantages to pairing solar and battery (https://www.solar.com/learn/solar-battery/)in California, so being able to add energy storage later and remain in NEM 2.0 is a big win for Californians. Home solar is still worth it with NEM 3.0 solar billing Now that NEM 3.0 is in effect, many Californians are wondering if home solar is still worthwhile. And the answer is that home solar is still absolutely worthwhile and there are strategies to increase the savings of a NEM 3.0 system.(https://www.solar.com/learn/is-solar-still-worth-it-with-nem-3-in-california/) In fact, even under NEM 3.0 billing, solar systems in California will still largely provide more energy cost savings than systems in any other state. The Golden State is essentially going from being the best state for solar by a longshot to being the best state for solar by a somewhat close margin. It’s also important to note that energy cost savings are not the only benefit of home solar. There is also: • Increasing your home value • Reducing carbon emissions • Contributing to a more resilient grid • Providing backup power for outages (if you have battery storage) • Setting a good example for your friends, family, and neighbors If anything, NEM 3.0 exposed just how expensive grid electricity is in California. Because even after the drastic reduction in export rates, home solar is by far the more affordable way to buy electricity. The Utilities’ Perspective Utilities are responsible for providing reliable, safe, and affordable energy to all users of the electric grid. They have been concerned with potential cost shifts from solar customers to non-solar customers including many low-income customers who are less financially capable of adopting distributed energy resources including onsite solar and energy storage.  Further, utilities cite their proposal as an incentive for customers to pair storage with their home solar system. As outlined in their initial proposal,(https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/nemrevisit/) NEM 3.0: “Provides a storage incentive through non-tiered cost based TOU rates and ensures customers pay for costs incurred to serve them through a customer charge.” In practice, this means that customers who add a battery storage system will be able to avoid some of the higher rates associated with pulling power from the grid in the evening when time of use (https://www.solar.com/learn/time-of-use-rates/)rates are higher.  Related reading: The Pros and Cons of Going Solar(https://www.solar.com/learn/solar-energy-pros-cons/) When Will NEM 3.0 Take Effect? IOU customers that submitted interconnection applications on or before April 14, 2023 can be grandfathered into NEM 2.0 for 20 years. Customers that submit interconnection agreements on or after April 15, 2023 will be billed under NEM 3.0. The NEM 3.0 timeline proceeded as follows: 1. California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) released the draft proposal on November 10, 2022 2. The release kicked off a minimum 30 day public comment period 3. CPUC voted to approve NEM 3.0 on December 15, 2022 4. The vote kicked off a 120-day grandfathering window for NEM 2.0 5. NEM 3.0 took effect in April 15, 2023 Related reading: Is Solar Still Worth It With NEM 3.0 in California? 5 Ways To Maximize Your Savings(https://www.solar.com/learn/is-solar-still-worth-it-with-nem-3-in-california/) Did NEM 3.0 Pass? Yes, on December 15, 2022 the CPUC unanimously voted to approve NEM 3.0, also known as the Solar Billing Plan. The policy took effect on April 15, 2023 following a 120-day grandfathering period. The decision followed a public commenting period that lasted more than three hours and featured heavy public disapproval over NEM 3.0

https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/generative-ai-act-two/ Scientists, historians and economists have long studied the optimal conditions that create a Cambrian explosion of innovation. In generative AI, we have reached a modern marvel, our generation’s space race. This moment has been decades in the making. Six decades of Moore’s Law has given us the compute horsepower to process exaflops of data. Four decades of the internet (accelerated by COVID) has given us trillions of tokens’ worth of training data. Two decades of mobile and cloud computing has given every human a supercomputer in the palm of our hands. In other words, decades of technological progress have accumulated to create the necessary conditions for generative AI to take flight. ChatGPT’s rise was the spark that lit the fuse, unleashing a density and fervor of innovation that we have not seen in years—perhaps since the early days of the internet. The breathless excitement was especially visceral in “Cerebral Valley,” where AI researchers reached rockstar status and hacker houses were filled to the brim each weekend with new autonomous agents and companionship chatbots. AI researchers transformed from the proverbial “hacker in the garage” to special forces units commanding billions of dollars of compute. The arXiv printing press has become so prolific that researchers have jokingly called for a pause on new publications so they can catch up. But quickly, AI excitement turned to borderline hysteria. Suddenly, every company was an “AI copilot.” Our inboxes got filled up with undifferentiated pitches for “AI Salesforce” and “AI Adobe” and “AI Instagram.” The $100M pre-product seed round returned. We found ourselves in an unsustainable feeding frenzy of fundraising, talent wars and GPU procurement.  And sure enough, the cracks started to show. Artists and writers and singers challenged the legitimacy of machine-generated IP. Debates over ethics, regulation and looming superintelligence consumed Washington. And perhaps most worryingly, a whisper began to spread within Silicon Valley that generative AI was not actually useful. The products were falling far short of expectations, as evidenced by terrible user retention. End user demand began to plateau for many applications. Was this just another vaporware cycle? The AI summer of discontent has sent critics gleefully grave dancing, reminiscent of the early days of the internet, where in 1998 one famous economist declared “By 2005, it will become clear that the Internet’s impact on the economy has been no greater than the fax machine’s.” Make no mistake—despite the noise and the hysteria and the air of uncertainty and discontent,  generative AI has already had a more successful start than SaaS, with >$1 billion in revenue from startups alone (it took the SaaS market years, not months, to reach the same scale). Some applications have become household names: ChatGPT became the fastest-growing application with particularly strong product-market fit among students and developers; Midjourney became our collective creative muse and was reported to have reached hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue with a team of just eleven; and Character popularized AI entertainment and companionship and created the consumer “social” application we craved the most—with users spending two hours on average in-app. Nonetheless, these early signs of success don’t change the reality that a lot of AI companies simply do not have product-market fit or a sustainable competitive advantage, and that the overall ebullience of the AI ecosystem is unsustainable. Now that the dust has settled for a bit, we thought it would be an opportune moment to zoom out and reflect on generative AI—where we find ourselves today, and where we’re possibly headed.  Towards Act Two Generative AI’s first year out the gate—“Act 1”—came from the technology-out. We discovered a new “hammer”—foundation models—and unleashed a wave of novelty apps that were lightweight demonstrations of cool new technology.  We now believe the market is entering “Act 2”—which will be from the customer-back. Act 2 will solve human problems end-to-end. These applications are different in nature than the first apps out of the gate. They tend to use foundation models as a piece of a more comprehensive solution rather than the entire solution. They introduce new editing interfaces, making the workflows stickier and the outputs better. They are often multi-modal. The market is already beginning to transition from “Act 1” to “Act 2.” Examples of companies entering “Act 2” include Harvey,(http://harvey.ai/) which is building custom LLMs for elite law firms; Glean,(http://glean.com/) which is crawling and indexing our workspaces to make Generative AI more relevant at work; and Character (http://character.ai/)and Ava,(https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ava-your-digital-friend/id6446257579) which are creating digital companions.  Market Map Our updated generative AI market map is below.  Unlike last year’s map, we have chosen to organize this map by use case rather than by model modality. This reflects two important thrusts in the market: Generative AI’s evolution from technology hammer to actual use cases and value, and the increasingly multimodal nature of generative AI applications. In addition, we have included a new LLM developer stack that reflects the compute and tooling vendors that companies are turning to as they build generative AI applications in production. Where do we stand now? Generative AI’s Value Problem Generative AI is not lacking in use cases or customer demand. Users crave AI that makes their jobs easier and their work products better, which is why they have flocked to applications in record-setting droves (in spite of a lack of natural distribution).  But do people stick around? Not really. The below chart compares the month 1 mobile app retention of AI-first applications to existing companies.  User engagement is also lackluster. Some of the best consumer companies have 60-65% DAU/MAU; WhatsApp’s is 85%. By contrast, generative AI apps have a median of 14% (with the notable exception of Character and the “AI companionship” category). This means that users are not finding enough value in Generative AI products to use them every day yet. In short, generative AI’s biggest problem is not finding use cases or demand or distribution, it is proving value. As our colleague David Cahn writes, “the $200B question (https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/follow-the-gpus-perspective/)is: What are you going to use all this infrastructure to do? How is it going to change people’s lives?” The path to building enduring businesses will require fixing the retention problem and generating deep enough value for customers that they stick and become daily active users. Let’s not despair. Generative AI is still in its “awkward teenage years.” There are glimpses of brilliance, and when the products fall short of expectations the failures are often reliable, repeatable and fixable. Our work is cut out for us.  Act Two: A Shared Playbook Founders are embarking on the hard work of prompt engineering, fine tuning and dataset curation to make their AI products good. Brick by brick, they are building flashy demos into whole product experiences. And meanwhile, the foundation model substrate continues to brim with research and innovation. A shared playbook is developing as companies figure out the path to enduring value. We now have shared techniques to make models useful, as well as emerging UI paradigms that will shape generative AI’s second act. The Model Development Stack • Emerging reasoning techniques like chain-of-thought, tree-of-thought and reflexion are improving models’ ability to perform richer, more complex reasoning tasks, closing the gap between customer expectations and model capabilities. Developers are using frameworks like Langchain (http://langchain.com/)to invoke and debug more complex multi-chain sequences. • Transfer learning techniques like RLHF and fine-tuning are becoming more accessible, especially with the recent availability of fine-tuning for GPT-3.5 and Llama-2, which means that companies can adapt foundation models to their specific domains and improve from user feedback. Developers are downloading open-source models from Hugging Face (http://huggingface.co/)and fine-tuning them to achieve quality (https://www.anyscale.com/blog/fine-tuning-llms-lora-or-full-parameter-an-in-depth-analysis-with-llama-2)performance. • Retrieval-augmented generation is bringing in context about the business or the user, reducing hallucinations and increasing truthfulness and usefulness. Vector databases from companies like Pinecone (http://pinecone.io/)have become the infrastructure backbone for RAG. • New developer tools and application frameworks are giving companies reusable building blocks to create more advanced AI applications and helping developers evaluate, improve and monitor the performance of AI models in production, including LLMOps tools like Langsmith (https://www.langchain.com/langsmith)and Weights & Biases (http://wandb.ai/) • AI-first infrastructure companies like Coreweave,(http://corweave.com/) Lambda Labs,(https://lambdalabs.com/) Foundry,(https://mlfoundry.com/) Replicate (https://replicate.com/)and Modal (https://modal.com/)are unbundling the public clouds and providing what AI companies need most: plentiful GPUs at a reasonable cost, available on-demand and highly scalable, with a nice PaaS developer experience. Together, these techniques should close the expectations vs reality gap for models as the underlying foundation models simultaneously improve. But making the models great is only half the battle. The playbook for a generative AI-first user experience is evolving as well: Emerging Product Blueprints • Generative interfaces. A text-based conversational user experience is the default interface on top of an LLM. Gradually, newer form factors are entering the arsenal, from Perplexity’s generative user interfaces (https://twitter.com/alexgraveley/status/1659276299091812353)to new modalities like human-sounding voices from Inflection AI.  • New editing experiences: from Copilot to Director’s Mode. As we advance from zero-shot to ask-and-adjust (https://thezbook.com/ask-adjust-the-future-of-productivity-interfaces)(h/t Zach Lloyd), generative AI companies are inventing a new set of knobs and switches that look very different from traditional editing workflows. Midjourney’s new panning commands and Runway’s Director’s Mode create new camera-like editing experiences. Eleven Labs is making it possible to manipulate voices through prompting. • Increasingly sophisticated agentic systems. Generative AI applications are increasingly not just autocomplete or first drafts for human review; they now have the autonomy to problem-solve, access external tools and solve problems end-to-end on our behalf. We are steadily progressing from level 0 to level 5 autonomy.  • System-wide optimization. Rather than embed in a single human user’s workflow and make that individual more efficient, some companies are directly tackling the system-wide optimization problem. Can you pick off a chunk of support tickets or pull requests and autonomously solve them, thereby making the whole system more effective? Parting Thoughts As we approach the frontier paradox (https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/ai-paradox-perspective/)and as the novelty of transformers and diffusion models dies down, the nature of the generative AI market is evolving. Hype and flash are giving way to real value and whole product experiences. At Sequoia we remain steadfast believers in generative AI. The necessary conditions for this market to take flight have accumulated over the span of decades, and the market is finally here. The emergence of killer applications and the sheer magnitude of end user demand has deepened our conviction in the market. However, Amara’s Law—the phenomenon that we tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run—is running its course. We are applying patience and judgment in our investment decisions, with careful attention to how founders are solving the value problem. The shared playbook companies are using to push the boundaries on model performance and product experiences gives us optimism on generative AI’s second act.

Ternary lithium battery (e.g. NCM, NCA) and lithium iron phosphate battery have different characteristics, and the main contradiction focuses on “energy density” and “safety”. Ternary lithium batteries have higher energy density, but their safety is often questioned. Although the energy density of lithium iron phosphate battery is small, it is said to be safer. 1. Is lithium iron phosphate battery safe? Lithium iron phosphate battery refers to a lithium-ion battery using lithium iron phosphate as the cathode material. The cathode materials of lithium ion batteries mainly include lithium cobalt oxide, lithium manganate, lithium nickel oxide, ternary materials, lithium iron phosphate, etc. The P-O bond in lithium iron phosphate crystal is stable and difficult to decompose. Even at high temperature or overcharge, it will not collapse and heat like lithium cobalt oxide or form strong oxidizing substances, so it has good safety. 2. Advantages of lithium iron phosphate battery Lithium iron phosphate battery has long service life and cycle life of more than 4000 times(in the condition of 80%DOD). Under the same conditions, the lithium iron phosphate battery can be used for 10 to 15 years. Safe to use. Lithium iron phosphate battery has passed strict safety test and will not explode even in traffic accidents. Fast charging. Using a special charger, the battery can be fully charged after charging at 1.5C for 40 minutes. Lithium iron phosphate battery is resistant to high temperature, and the hot air value of lithium iron phosphate battery can reach 350 to 500 ℃. Lithium iron phosphate battery has large capacity. Lithium iron phosphate battery has no memory effect. Lithium iron phosphate battery is green, non-toxic, pollution-free, with a wide range of raw materials and low price. 3. Is ternary lithium battery safe? 3.1 Ternary lithium battery is a safe cathode material for lithium ion battery at present. It does not contain any heavy metal elements harmful to human body. Oxygen in its olivine structure is difficult to precipitate, which improves the stability of the material. 3.2 The production process of ternary lithium battery is roughly the same as that of other lithium battery varieties, and its core processes include: batching, coating, rolling, film making and winding. In the batching process, the conductivity of ternary lithium material is relatively poor. Therefore, the particles are generally made smaller. The objective effect of this is that the internal arrangement is more uniform, which promotes it to form a balanced voltage platform, and can maintain the stability of the battery during operation. 3.3 Charge and discharge are two basic working states of lithium battery. When the ternary lithium battery is charged and discharged, because the oxidation capacity of iron ion is not strong and oxygen will not be released, it is naturally difficult to have redox reaction with electrolyte, which makes the charging and discharging process of ternary lithium battery in a safe environment. Moreover, it is difficult for ternary lithium batteries to undergo severe redox reaction in the process of high rate discharge or even overcharge and discharge. At the same time, after lithium is de intercalated, the lattice change will reduce the cell volume, which just offsets the increased volume of carbon negative electrode in the reaction. Therefore, during charge and discharge, the ternary lithium battery can maintain the stability of physical structure and eliminate the hidden danger of battery burst caused by volume increase. Ternary lithium batteries are unreliable in terms of safety. In a car accident, the impact of external force will damage the battery diaphragm, resulting in a short circuit, and the heat generated during the short circuit will cause the battery heat to get out of control and quickly raise the temperature to more than 300 ℃. The thermal stability of ternary lithium battery is poor. Oxygen molecules will be decomposed when it is less than 300 ℃. When it meets the combustible electrolyte and carbon materials in the battery, the generated heat will further aggravate the decomposition of the positive electrode and deflagration will occur in a very short time. In contrast, another widely used lithium iron phosphate battery can adhere to 700-800 ℃, and will not decompose oxygen molecules, so its safety is much higher.   4. Who is safer, lithium iron phosphate battery or ternary lithium battery? The so-called “safety” difference is mainly in the cathode material. Both materials will decompose when reaching a certain temperature, and the ternary lithium material will decompose at about 200 degrees. Moreover, the chemical reaction of ternary lithium material is more intense, which will release oxygen molecules, and the electrolyte will burn rapidly under the action of high temperature. Lithium iron phosphate will decompose at 700-800 degrees, will not release oxygen molecules like ternary lithium materials, and the combustion is not so intense. To put it simply, ternary lithium materials are easier to catch fire than lithium iron phosphate materials. Note that we are only referring to “materials”. The final decision is the safety of the whole power system. Due to the characteristics of lithium battery, BMS battery management system must be provided. The main functions include overcharge protection), over discharge protection, over temperature protection, over-current protection and other functions. Once an accident occurs, the current can be cut off immediately. Therefore, it is not appropriate to simply think that ternary lithium battery is unsafe. Ternary lithium materials are easy to pyrolyze, but it does not mean that ternary lithium batteries are unsafe; Lithium iron phosphate material is not easy to pyrolyze, but it does not mean that lithium iron phosphate battery is safe. In fact, we should pay more attention to how to prevent failed battery cells from harming other cells. Limited by the process level, it is impossible to maintain the consistency of all battery cells at 100%. The above is the safety comparison between lithium iron phosphate battery and ternary lithium battery.

One of the most important aspects of living more sustainably is addressing our energy use. While there’s only so much we can do about reducing our consumption, we can instead consider the source. And this is where renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, come in. Did you know you can put solar panels on a balcony? Whether this is new information or not, you’ll find everything you need to know about balcony solar panels below. We’ll go over what to know about balcony solar panels, the pros and cons of balcony solar panels, the costs, and how to get one.  Understanding Balcony Solar Panels Just so we’re all on the same page, let’s start by understanding what a solar panel is. In short, a solar panel captures sunlight and converts it into electricity using photovoltaic cells. Depending on how the panels are wired up, this energy is either stored in a battery or converted from DC to AC and fed back into the power grid. If your solar panels capture enough sunlight and are connected directly to your home’s energy supply, they can essentially feed electricity back into the grid. Depending on your local regulations, this could lead to a rebate on your energy bills. Types of Balcony Solar Panels There are 2 overall types of balcony solar panels: 1.     Full-size panels.These are the same as any other solar panels, except they’re fitted on a balcony rather than a rooftop. Normal solar panels are rated for up to 400W. 2.    Mini solar panels. These are mini units (such as this 1(https://www.amazon.com/TP-solar-Battery-Controller-Brackets-Mounting/dp/B085XYMZ7S/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=solar+panel+battery+charger&qid=1686217817&sprefix=solar+panel+ba%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-9)00W trickle charger panel (https://amzn.to/43x3Dlt)or this from EcoFlow)(https://us.ecoflow.com/products/delta-2-max-portable-power-station?variant=40548220174409) that come with stands so they can be set up on any flat surface. Due to their size and technology, the rated wattage is much lower – the EcoFlow, for example, is 110W. The average 400W solar panel (https://a1solarstore.com/solar-panels/400-watt-solar-panels.html#:~:text=The%20dimensions%20of%20an%20average,between%2048%20and%2050%20lbs.)measures around 79” x 39” and can weigh up to 50lbs. Unless you have a massive balcony, this could prove impractical. Mini solar panel systems are much smaller and lighter, but are often little more than glorified battery chargers. However, they’re easier to set up, take up less room, and can still help you reduce your mains power usage. What Can You Power with Solar Panels? Annoyingly, the capacity of a solar panel isn’t its direct expected output. The ratings given are based on peak sun – the best conditions for producing that output. This is combined with the panel’s efficiency to come up with the wattage rating. For example, if you have a 2kW solar panel system, you could expect it to produce up to 2,800 kWh a year. Market Watch has a helpful table and atlas (https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/home-improvement/solar-panel-wattage/#:~:text=Residential%20solar%20panels%20have%20typical,kWh%20of%20electricity%20per%20day.)to help you understand your potential output for solar panels. Considerations Before Installing Balcony Solar Panels You can install solar panels on a balcony, although you might need HOA permission depending on how big they are, where they’ll be located, etc. Other than that, there are a few considerations: Size and Weight Solar panels are quite heavy for their size. As mentioned, a 400W solar panel can weigh up to 50lbs., and you’d want several to get a decent amount of energy. However, you’ll be limited by the size and weight capacity of your balcony. Typically, roof-mounted solar panels require reinforcement, so something similar could be possible. Lifespan and Durability Full-size solar panels are fairly durable and can withstand pretty much any weather condition. Portable solar panels are less durable, but you could take them down when the weather isn’t great. The expected lifespan of a solar panel is 25 years. After this point, their efficiency can drop and the technology becomes outdated. However, you can continue using them until they stop working. Maintenance Solar panels need cleaning regularly to keep them efficient. That’s pretty much all you need to do if you’ve invested in a reliable setup. Aspect and Setup Solar panels should be installed at a south-facing aspect (https://balconyboss.com/inspiration-and-decor/tips-and-tricks/which-direction-should-my-balcony-face/)for peak efficiency. East- and west-facing panels have an average efficiency reduction of 15%. North-facing panels aren’t even worth considering. Although you could install solar panels on a covered balcony, it wouldn’t really be worth it. They’d still capture energy, as they do when it’s cloudy, but you could expect a massive reduction in efficiency.(https://www.solaralliance.com/how-do-clouds-affect-solar-panels/#:~:text=On%20a%20cloudy%20day%2C%20a,and%20the%20cloud%20coverage%20level.) Ideally, you’ll want a south-facing open balcony. Cost and Financial Payback Period Now we get to the important part: cost. The price of a solar array varies wildly. According to Forbes, an average solar panel setup costs (https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/solar/cost-of-solar-panels/#:~:text=Solar%20panels%20cost%2C%20on%20average,you%20can%20plan%20a%20budget.)around $16,000, but this can be higher or lower depending on the tech and federal rebates. If you’re setting up [b]balcony solar panels[/b], the cost will be less because you won’t have as many. However, you’ll need to balance the number of panels against their cost and the amount of energy they can produce. Fewer panels and less energy will make the financial payback period longer. It’s probably obvious what this term means. For clarity, the financial payback period is how long it’ll take you to recoup the cost of the panels. Say a balcony solar panel system had 360W of capacity (creating 540kWh of energy) and cost $2,000. Using average grid prices, it’ll take about 25 years to recover your cost, by which point you might need to install a new system! However, in sunnier and more efficient years, the period can be as little as 12 years. Pros and Cons of Balcony Solar Panels You can probably pick up on the benefits and drawbacks of balcony solar panels already, but let’s recap: Benefits of Balcony Solar Panels Having solar panels on your balcony helps with: • Reducing your reliance on fossil fuels • Cutting down your energy bill • Feeding power back into the grid • Possibly improving your property’s value (depending on the buyer) Drawbacks of Balcony Solar Panels However, there are some drawbacks: • Balconies aren’t the most efficient spaces for full-size panel arrays • Mini systems only generate enough power to recharge batteries • The payback period is pretty long, even for full-efficiency systems • They take up a lot of room and are heavy, meaning you’ll likely need structural improvements Balcony Solar Panels: Are They Worth it? So, are balcony solar panels worth it? The answer ultimately depends on your intentions. For a full-size array that powers your home, probably not. The payback potential isn’t worth it for the size and setup cost. But for a battery-charging array (even a small one like this one)(https://amzn.to/45VETF5), it’s absolutely worth the cost. Of course, if you’re committed to investigating full-size solar panels for your balcony, consider speaking to local solar engineers to get specific advice on your balcony’s potential. They can tell you whether it’s worth the cost.