Let's do this.

@TechConnectify Thank you!

Let's do this.

@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

Let's do this.

Let's do this.

@TechConnectify tl;dw?

Let's do this.

@pfriedma That's what I'm saying,you'd need to have a cutover interlock at the breaker box, AND you can't just plug panels into any random outlet (since you would be bypassing circuit protection). I know that much from living someplace where my neighbor generated all the power for like 3 households and dealing with that, and still have capacity left over and still had a cutover to sell back power to the electric co-op.

Or is this just explaining modular solar badly?

@f4grx @balkonsolar

@TechConnectify Amazing video. Absolute aces all around. Some meandering thoughts:

1- The starting discussion around Midwestern values around frugality and investing wisely kept echoing as a corollary of the Vimes Boots Theory of Socieoeconomic Unfairness that I expected it to get mentioned. I'm assuming you know what that is, but that leads right into my next thought...

2- Building off your statement "I kind of already assumed everyone knew what we were trying to do", plainly stating assumptions is one of the most useful tools for solving problems I have found in the past ten years. My day job is supporting some niche technology infrastructure, and when I get pulled into a problem it's because things are seriously, seriously weird. I've had multiple occasions where I've "walked the stack" out loud, and someone else chimed in to correct some component of pile which led to figuring out what was wrong and how to solve it.

I think there's a more advanced theory of mind issue around understanding and addressing the inherent assumptions other people make. I have no idea how that realization will help make better videos, but I'm excited to see it happen.

2a- While I agree that there's a massive capitalist interest in misleading people, my gut says the bigger challenge is people just... not reexamining assumptions that are years or decades out-of-date. Either because it's cognitively expensive (taking time and mental focus off of day-to-day work, which is also an opportunity capitalist interests are happy to exploit), or because they straight up lack the tools to approach the subject. Maybe that's wrong, and fraud/deception are really the impetus behind wasting time and money on disposable energy.

But I really think the Overestimate Short Term & Underestimate Long Term problem does a lot more heavy lifting in that regard. Humans in survival mode (as so many of us have been for the past 10-40 years) need to focus on the short term, and thinking about the long term is an unaffordable luxury.

3- Tangentially related to cognitive expense/load, I process information better with my eyes than my ears. Showing more of the math when you were running the numbers would have made that easier for me to grasp and process.

Yes, Excel is one of my most-used applications of all time. How did you know?

4- There was a dark, gallows laugh when you talked about the First Amendment rights and the press being declared enemies of the people as Donald Trump is racistly arresting four black journalists. (I'm not laughing because it's funny, I'm laughing because it's an easier emotional outlet than crying)

5- We've lost so much from caring too much about what billionaires and cult leaders say, and caring too little for our own neighbors. I don't know how we solve the big problem. I'll do my part with my skills, like the repair café I'm volunteering at next weekend. We need to build more, better fucking community, damnit.

(sorry for spammy edit/reposting. markdown is being an asshole with list formating)

@dns13 @TechConnectify

I'm just at the start section and all of the benefits of solar bits I'm going "OK, this video isn't for me, it's an education piece for the dumb portion of the Americans and the UK Reform voters" but looks like I really need to watch the rest!

Let's do this.

@cwilcox808 @mattesilver @TechConnectify that’s not universally true, though!

There’s a German electrician working on PV sites who’s documenting his attempts to repair a certain type of PV panel where the backside laminates deteriorate after only a few years… https://youtu.be/D-vWFO0gnUk to the point of complete loss of power generation because the isolation breaks down.

@techindepth27 @adlerweb @janeq
Makertube seems good indeed. I've not much experience with it so far, but helpful mods, limit of (I think) 2gb per day upload and lives also supported. Accepted my regular video file type.

Let's do this.

Let's do this.

Let's do this.

Let's do this.

@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/