Standing on the cornerstone, criticizing the cornerstone: the technical irony under the wave of solar inverters
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solar joeyoung
May 19, 2025, 2:43:29 AM5/19/25
to JOEYOUNG Inverter
I remember that when I posted on the forumof a China inverter manufacturer, I was always criticized. Many emerging technology enthusiasts criticized me for being too "conservative" and "unprogressive", and bluntly said that traditional old-fashioned technology ignored the needs of distributed energy.
I won't say that the supporters of new technologies "betrayed their profession" because this accusation is stupid and not what a true traditional engineer would say. I can only say that I can guess that the thoughts of these new technology enthusiasts will be similar to those of "progressives", and they are very similar to the "progressives" in the United States at that time.
During the Cold War, on the front line of the struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, a group of "progressives" were inspired by the Soviet spirit and took to the streets to shout for their idealism and denounce the corruption of American bureaucrats. But these people didn't know that the reason why progressives could shout on the streets was precisely because they were born in the United States. If they were born in the Soviet Union, they would have been sitting on the bench at this moment.
"Progressives" are like this. Although they are avant-garde in thought, they always like to act like a spoiled child to those gentle managers. The reason why they can shout is precisely because the ruler they accuse is too gentle and will tolerate these people. Progressives are like spoiled children. But if they encounter a truly rude ruler, they would have fallen into the abyss long ago.
In the past, those inverter technology enthusiasts who criticized the traditional power engineering culture for ignoring the needs of distributed energy may not have realized that it is precisely this old-fashioned traditional technology culture that defends the bottom line of power grid operation and allows them to freely explore new technologies.
Imagine: What if these new technology enthusiasts really master the entire system? In fact, if these new technology enthusiasts mastered everything, they would have been sitting on the bench long ago. Because if they mastered the overall situation, they would face the challenge of how to make a variety of new technologies compatible and stably connected, and lack the guidance of traditional cornerstones. The disputes over different technical routes and standards between them have long been judged as "route struggles" in the technology industry for many years. Their struggles with the so-called "standard party" and "architecture party" are so fierce that even forums can see their mutual attacks.
This is the irony of these new technology enthusiasts: they criticize conservative technology from the standpoint of distributed energy because of "progressivism", but in fact, if it were not for the foundation laid by these conservative technologies, they would have been criticized long ago. The reason why they can shout is precisely because the "benevolent father" they criticize - those traditional and stable power system foundations - will tolerate them. How can there be more ironic things in the world than this? Just like those "progressives" in the United States.
In the era when the old guns laid the foundation, the soil for the breeding of emerging energy technologies had not yet been nurtured. In that era when high-voltage power transmission was as stable as a rock and thermal power and hydropower were the mainstream, no one would be idle to criticize the small inverter technology, because there was no large-scale distributed grid connection demand at that time. Engineers liked to look at the grid architecture and relay protection, not microgrid technology. At that time, the inverter technology was ignorant and did not know its own fate. It naively threw stones at the conservative technology they hated. But they don't know: if the traditional power world has never fought with other forms of energy, it is only because the solid power grid foundation protects them well. If the power system world can enjoy and create freely, whether it is inverter technology or other innovations, it is only because the rigorous engineering principles determine the stability of the system. Classical engineering was the Rome and the British Empire of the power system in the past.
When traditional engineering principles were the mainstream, the small technical circle was so harmonious, but, all is gone.
All is gone...
The cornerstone era is about to pass, and the era of intelligence and interconnection is about to come.
Inverter technology obviously needs to choose the right enemy. Old-school technology and traditional engineering principles are not their enemies at all. "Old-school" will not regard them as enemies, because old-school has no interest in getting involved in fragmented application fields. Conservatives will not scold emerging technologies, just like classical engineers disdain to fight against non-mainstream designs. Their real enemies have arrived with the changing times. Microgrid technology is just the first batch. As the domination of intelligence over the energy system becomes more and more consolidated, the power of inverter technology and other emerging energy technologies will expand rapidly. Soon, the real struggle will come, just like the standard Hundred Years War that has already occurred in the technology world.
On the eve of the First World War, the prosperous civilization of Europe was already crumbling. Carl Jung, the mystical psychologist, had a terrible nightmare at an inopportune time. In the dream, the whole of Europe was bloody and countless cities were reduced to ruins. However, his nightmare became a terrible reality just a few years later.
And I fully understand Carl Jung's mood when he woke up from that nightmare, because I can predict that: soon, a real fierce struggle will begin in the field of power technology. The personnel on both sides of inverter technology and other intelligent and distributed technologies will expand to an unprecedented level. Now there is no Rome to protect them. This battle of technical routes and standards will eventually involve the entire power system field. The scale of this war will exceed all previous ones. The future of electric power technology culture will be a world of blood and strife. Major forums will be like Verdun during World War I, where people will continue to argue, fight, attack each other, and use all means.
This is the end of the cornerstone era and the beginning of the era of intelligence and interconnection.
And on the wreckage of the giant, the flower of evil is about to bloom.
I won't say that the supporters of new technologies "betrayed their profession" because this accusation is stupid and not what a true traditional engineer would say. I can only say that I can guess that the thoughts of these new technology enthusiasts will be similar to those of "progressives", and they are very similar to the "progressives" in the United States at that time.
During the Cold War, on the front line of the struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, a group of "progressives" were inspired by the Soviet spirit and took to the streets to shout for their idealism and denounce the corruption of American bureaucrats. But these people didn't know that the reason why progressives could shout on the streets was precisely because they were born in the United States. If they were born in the Soviet Union, they would have been sitting on the bench at this moment.
"Progressives" are like this. Although they are avant-garde in thought, they always like to act like a spoiled child to those gentle managers. The reason why they can shout is precisely because the ruler they accuse is too gentle and will tolerate these people. Progressives are like spoiled children. But if they encounter a truly rude ruler, they would have fallen into the abyss long ago.
In the past, those inverter technology enthusiasts who criticized the traditional power engineering culture for ignoring the needs of distributed energy may not have realized that it is precisely this old-fashioned traditional technology culture that defends the bottom line of power grid operation and allows them to freely explore new technologies.
Imagine: What if these new technology enthusiasts really master the entire system? In fact, if these new technology enthusiasts mastered everything, they would have been sitting on the bench long ago. Because if they mastered the overall situation, they would face the challenge of how to make a variety of new technologies compatible and stably connected, and lack the guidance of traditional cornerstones. The disputes over different technical routes and standards between them have long been judged as "route struggles" in the technology industry for many years. Their struggles with the so-called "standard party" and "architecture party" are so fierce that even forums can see their mutual attacks.
This is the irony of these new technology enthusiasts: they criticize conservative technology from the standpoint of distributed energy because of "progressivism", but in fact, if it were not for the foundation laid by these conservative technologies, they would have been criticized long ago. The reason why they can shout is precisely because the "benevolent father" they criticize - those traditional and stable power system foundations - will tolerate them. How can there be more ironic things in the world than this? Just like those "progressives" in the United States.
In the era when the old guns laid the foundation, the soil for the breeding of emerging energy technologies had not yet been nurtured. In that era when high-voltage power transmission was as stable as a rock and thermal power and hydropower were the mainstream, no one would be idle to criticize the small inverter technology, because there was no large-scale distributed grid connection demand at that time. Engineers liked to look at the grid architecture and relay protection, not microgrid technology. At that time, the inverter technology was ignorant and did not know its own fate. It naively threw stones at the conservative technology they hated. But they don't know: if the traditional power world has never fought with other forms of energy, it is only because the solid power grid foundation protects them well. If the power system world can enjoy and create freely, whether it is inverter technology or other innovations, it is only because the rigorous engineering principles determine the stability of the system. Classical engineering was the Rome and the British Empire of the power system in the past.
When traditional engineering principles were the mainstream, the small technical circle was so harmonious, but, all is gone.
All is gone...
The cornerstone era is about to pass, and the era of intelligence and interconnection is about to come.
Inverter technology obviously needs to choose the right enemy. Old-school technology and traditional engineering principles are not their enemies at all. "Old-school" will not regard them as enemies, because old-school has no interest in getting involved in fragmented application fields. Conservatives will not scold emerging technologies, just like classical engineers disdain to fight against non-mainstream designs. Their real enemies have arrived with the changing times. Microgrid technology is just the first batch. As the domination of intelligence over the energy system becomes more and more consolidated, the power of inverter technology and other emerging energy technologies will expand rapidly. Soon, the real struggle will come, just like the standard Hundred Years War that has already occurred in the technology world.
On the eve of the First World War, the prosperous civilization of Europe was already crumbling. Carl Jung, the mystical psychologist, had a terrible nightmare at an inopportune time. In the dream, the whole of Europe was bloody and countless cities were reduced to ruins. However, his nightmare became a terrible reality just a few years later.
And I fully understand Carl Jung's mood when he woke up from that nightmare, because I can predict that: soon, a real fierce struggle will begin in the field of power technology. The personnel on both sides of inverter technology and other intelligent and distributed technologies will expand to an unprecedented level. Now there is no Rome to protect them. This battle of technical routes and standards will eventually involve the entire power system field. The scale of this war will exceed all previous ones. The future of electric power technology culture will be a world of blood and strife. Major forums will be like Verdun during World War I, where people will continue to argue, fight, attack each other, and use all means.
This is the end of the cornerstone era and the beginning of the era of intelligence and interconnection.
And on the wreckage of the giant, the flower of evil is about to bloom.
Cautious Slug
May 19, 2025, 2:50:12 AM5/19/25
to JOEYOUNG Inverter
Hey man, read your post on the tech forum stuff. Got a good laugh, you really nailed that feeling.
It's spot on about folks blasting the "old school" tech, isn't it? And yeah, the irony's thick – all this cool new inverter gear only works because of the rock-solid grid foundation the old guys built. We're kinda standing on their shoulders while complaining about their shoes!
And your point about the future... yeah, things are getting complicated fast. Different tech, different ideas clashing. "War" might sound heavy, but honestly, trying to make it all fit together smoothly feels like a constant battle sometimes.
Big changes happening, definitely keeps things... interesting.
It's spot on about folks blasting the "old school" tech, isn't it? And yeah, the irony's thick – all this cool new inverter gear only works because of the rock-solid grid foundation the old guys built. We're kinda standing on their shoulders while complaining about their shoes!
And your point about the future... yeah, things are getting complicated fast. Different tech, different ideas clashing. "War" might sound heavy, but honestly, trying to make it all fit together smoothly feels like a constant battle sometimes.
Big changes happening, definitely keeps things... interesting.
solar joeyoung
May 19, 2025, 2:54:26 AM5/19/25
to JOEYOUNG Inverter
Hey man, thanks for reading and getting what I was trying to say. Yeah, the irony about that foundation... that's exactly it. Feels like so many miss the bigger picture while they're busy pushing the new stuff.
"Battle" is a good way to put it, maybe. Just seems like we're losing the old solid ground, you know? Gonna be a wild ride ahead.
Appreciate you taking the time. Cheers.
"Battle" is a good way to put it, maybe. Just seems like we're losing the old solid ground, you know? Gonna be a wild ride ahead.
Appreciate you taking the time. Cheers.
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