I agree SW, micro grids are operational and the domestic...

I agree SW, micro grids are operational and the domestic packages work very well. Dropping a 5 x 3 Tesla battery into your garage and connecting it to some solar panels on the roof is perfect for a 3 bedroom house running lights and a few electrical appliances. The tech works, and I have no doubt that the whole scale it up to suit is very do-able, but at what cost?

For a large scale industrial processing plant in the middle of nowhere requiring huge capacity, we're talking massive investment in solar panels, massive investment in batteries, some serious investment in land acquisition to build the solar farm and enormous logistical challenges to make it happen....can it be done, absolutely it can, but all of that adds up to very very expensive. And after all of that, if they have a few overcast days their multi billion dollar processing plant will shut down once the 5 minute battery storage runs out. Big corporates don't like risk, especially if it comes with a huge price tag.

Yes the technology is proven and doesn't require any R & D, it works very well and is economically viable.....in a domestic environment. I just don't think scaling it up is quite as simple as it sounds.