I’ve seen a lot of cool satellite imagery in my day but this one is among the few that made me say “Wow!” out loud. I love this.

Field in North Carolina with aurora visible in the sky.

November snow flurries in NC

Snow last night, Aurora Borealis tonight. Somehow the #NC piedmont has turned into Scandinavia #aurora

Disclaimer: The raw usage numbers are from my EV and Solar apps. I used ChatGPT to calculate the percentages and come up with CO2 values for ICE cars and fossil fuel power plants. I didn’t double check its calculations so those values could be off. (13/12)

📣 Final Thought:
Solar and EVs are great steps forward, but they’re tangled up in systems and individuals whose goals don’t always align with what my vision of a better future is. But that’s true of pretty much *every* aspect of consumerism

It’s complicated. 🌍🛠️ (12/12)

But…
Solar isn’t for everyone. It’s an investment with long-term returns.

But if you care about reducing your reliance on the grid, lowering your carbon footprint, and future-proofing your energy costs—it’s worth a look. (11/12)

🤔 So, Is Solar Worth It?
For me: Yes.
• I’m saving money (slowly).
• I’m driving cheaper and cleaner.
• I’m reducing my carbon footprint.
• And there’s a certain satisfaction in knowing my roof powers my life.
• The battery backup means we don’t really worry about power outages. (10/12)

💸 The Societal Cost of buying that brand:
The cost of putting money in the pocket of someone I believe is harming the world through their wealth can’t be ignored—or easily quantified.

It’s something I struggle with every time I consider my energy & transportation choices. (9/12)

🚗 What About the EV?
• Model Y: 5.03 miles per kWh efficiency.
• Cost per mile: $0.026 (EV) vs $0.125 (Gas SUV)
• Carbon impact: 97% lower emissions than a fossil-fueled car.

It’s cheap. It’s clean. It works. (8/12)

🛠️ The Reality Check:
• Financial break-even on solar install is still many, many years away.
• Solar isn’t a “get-rich-quick” scheme.
• But it’s a cleaner, more resilient energy source, and the environmental benefits are immediate. (7/12)

📊 Home Energy Breakdown:
• 83% Grid (Nuclear, low carbon)
• 11% Solar
• 6% Battery (stored solar)

While the grid still plays a big role, solar covers key hours, reduces strain, and cuts my reliance on external energy. (6/12)

🌍 The Environmental Impact:
• My solar setup prevented 2.36 metric tons of CO₂ emissions—like driving 5,800 miles in a gas car.
• My car powered mostly by solar and nuclear grid, emitted just 2 g CO₂ per mile.
• Fossil fuels would’ve meant 80 g CO₂ per mile and more power plant emissions. (5/12)

💸 The Financials:
• I saved $628 on my electricity bill through solar (and battery).
• Charging my EV cost me $336 for 12,990 miles driven.
• An equivalent gas SUV would’ve cost $1,624 in fuel.
• That’s a savings of $1,288 just from driving electric.(4/12)

🔋 The Basics:
• I generated 5.9 MWh of solar energy in 2024.
• My home was 100% solar-powered for 1,928 hours (22% of the year).
• Solar and battery combined, I was self-powered 38% of the year.

🚗 EV Charging:
• Solar: 10.6% (274 kWh)
• Battery: 6% (154 kWh)
• Grid: 83.4% (2,157 kWh)(3/12)

First some background. I live just outside of Chapel Hill NC.
• My house has some trees around it and faces east/west.
• I have a 6.24 kW roof panel system with a battery backup.
• The battery and EV is made by that company that starts with T.
• Grid power is nuclear. (2/12)

🌞⚡ “How’s solar working out for you?” I get this question from friends sometimes. I’ve had solar panels on my roof since May 2023 + an EV since Dec 2022, I thought I’d post some data in case it would be helpful for anyone considering solar or an EV (or both). 🧵 (1/12) #solarpanels #EV #homesolar

Shot of aurora and some trees outside Chapel Hill NC.

Shot of the aurora, some power lines and trees outside Chapel Hill NC

A month ago the moon stepped in front of the sun and was all “who’s Mr. Big shot now?” The sun, as always gets the last laugh and says “oh yeah?” and shoots out a bunch of energy giving us this. #aurora #northcarolina