Solar panels and windmills together with battery storage allow people to leave the grid. According to a study by consulting firm McKinsey the rapid development of renewable energy is making that a realistic economic scenario very soon. While “full grid defection” is only projected some 10 years from now, partial defection, where homeowners generate and store 80 to 90 percent of their electricity on site and use the grid only as a backup, makes economic sense as early as 2020. The study warns that utilities are going to lose a massive share of their revenue.