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Supply and demand
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this post was submitted on 23 Mar 2026
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The system still has physical hardware that has to be maintained, the company has to charge it's customers to pay for this maintenance at the very minimum. As well as any other cost to deal with the excess power, although I don't see why that couldn't be mitigated by simply disconnecting excess panels from the system. That price should never be negative. It makes no sense. A negative price would mean they're paying their customers. For what?
Livin where it was an actual thing - they actually "paid" in the form of counting returned power as borrowed. So when you powered the grid, supplier counted energy you supplied and then promised to return the same amount when you needed.
They backed off of it but my friend caught that version and he was pretty hyped about it. Even when his solar panels will die, he's gonna be set for at least next decade on that payment lol.
In general you're correct, it's just that currently this is how the system is. Grid operators in general don't want their grid to be destabilised by oversupply to the point where they will pay you take the energy of their hands. Yes, disconnecting excess panels from the system would solve the issue, except that for most farms or households that was never a concern and solar panel owners have no incentive to care, so companies are now trying to push what are essentially smart plugs to let the solar panels be turned on / off on demand.