Re: [smartpowerdir] [smartpower-interest] FYI OSTP requests input on SmartGrid

[Andy Bierman <[e-mail]>]

Gene Gaines wrote:
> Richard.
>
> 1) The cost of electricity DOES vary significantly during the day.
> Actually for many (but not all) types of power generation, a huge 
> factor in cost of power is the peak load.  Spread (delay) the peak
> load even just a small amount and the cost of power (to the
> power company) can be reduced significantly.
>
> The above is cost to the utility company; the price they charge 
> you is a different thing.  I expect that in the future as more is
> known by consumers, the charge for power will come to more
> closely mirror the cost of power.
>

I can see benefit to the utility company, but not for
the homeowner unless the savings are passed along,
instead of billing on total monthly Kwh alone.


> 2)  Not true for all appliances.  I could make 100 statement to
> refute your statement.  Big systems such as home heating
> and conditioning systems can be shut off or turned to lower
> power consumption during short peak periods.  The dozens of
> power adapters just sitting plugged in, the TV and HiFi 
> equipment that sits drawing power all day can easily be
> redesigned to save typically hundreds of dollars a year in
> many homes.  I could go on.
>
> The best argument is to purchase one of the portable power
> consumption meters, or have an electrician install a home
> power use transmitter and monitor with Google or similar.
> Turn the data over to the typical housewife or better, 
> teenager, and you view and usage habits of power will change.
>

Most devices save power in various idle modes.
I do not see why the device would need to know
about fluctuating costs in order to function
with minimized power consumption.

I agree that homeowners who are unaware
which of their appliances are using the most electricity
would benefit from an itemized billing report,
but not if it cost too much to get the report.

Note that I can see a reason for the grid to
contact the SmartMeter, which will contact
the smart devices in the home, especially
to repair/prevent peak blackouts.

But the residential billing policy is in the
critical path, and it is different in every city.

> It, like most things in live, is a matter of becoming aware.
>
> We could discuss power shedding (peak power delay) 
> benefits for steel mills, brick factories, food processing plants,
> etc., another day.
>

I specifically asked about residential usage.
I understand why a factory would invest in the
infrastructure to optimize energy costs.


> Gene Gaines
>
>


Andy

>
>
> On Sat, Feb 13, 2010 at 2:47 PM, Andy Bierman <[e-mail]
> <mailto:[e-mail]>> wrote:
>
>     Richard Shockey wrote:
>     >
>     > http://www.poten.com/NewsDetails.aspx?id=10352770
>     >
>
>     I am very interested in how the SmartGrid affects
>     residential customers.  There seems to be a couple
>     built-in assumptions wrt/ cost reduction:
>
>      1) the cost of electricity varies throughout the day
>         by a significant amount.
>
>      2) the home includes many electrical devices which are
>         used in a lowest-energy-cost mode, rather than in
>         an on-demand mode.
>
>     Where I live, these assumptions are completely false.
>
>     I cannot imagine how device manufacturers would design
>     consumer products which would need to interact with
>     the power grid in order to minimize power consumption.
>     Even washers and dryers are used as on-demand devices.
>     I do not see why people will want to let the grid
>     decide when their appliances will operate, unless the
>     energy savings are dramatic.
>
>     Are there papers which explain why residential SmartGrid
>     service is worthwhile?
>
>
>
>     thanks,
>     Andy
>
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