mm wrote:
On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:59:12 +1100, Sylvia Else
wrote:

Dave M wrote:

Starting about 25 years ago, the local power company started a program
whereby they installed these boxes to home AC units and electric water
heaters, supposedly to reduce peak demand on the grid in times of high
demand.
Wonderful idea. If the AC units are creating an excessive load, just
turn them off remotely. Beats investing in grid infrastructure.

SDWOTN.

(Sarcasm does not work on the net.) You might be serious. If so, I
think you're right. The infrastrucutre would be generators. Very
expensive.

It's generators plus distribution facilities. Like most utilities
(e.g., phone, gas, etc.) the systems are not designed for
"everyONE to use everyTHING" at the same time. There is some
probablistic/statistical analysis that goes into determining
what sort of "typical" loads will be experienced as well as "bad
cases" (not *worst* case) that are "likely".

Power plants, distribution systems and even the number of
"work crews" are determined by these magic numbers. Once
you start moving beyond a few standard deviations from the
norm, things get brittle. E.g., the ability of the power
plants to respond to changes in demand, the ability of the
*lines* and substations to handle those loads, the availability
of crews to respond to faults, etc.

Additional generating capacity can be brought on line by
burning more fossil fuels. This is expensive and also
bad for the environment.

Most utilities are like diesel engines: they have a sweet spot
where they like to run. Push them much beyond this and they
get cantankerous.

Most homeowners don't really need air conditioning anyhow. They

Shirley you jest? We break 100F in May and that usually
persists through mid October. July and August see this
a *slight* reduction in temperature -- as the humidity
then climbs to over 90 percent (90F at 90RH is quite
uncomfortable -- I don't care how many fans you have!).
And 110+ is *hot* even when the RH is only 10% (should we
give up swamp coolers as well as AC?)

Your comment is akin to telling folks in Chicago that they
don't really need *heat* in February -- just put on another
sweater! I've been outside in -26F with windchills below
-80; a sweatre just ain't gonna cut it! :

should open the windows and buy some fans. My greatgrandparents
didn't even have electric fans.

And *their* greatgrandparents didn't even have *horses*! ;-)

In a way, I shouldn't take this money for putting a switch on my AC.
I only use it for 2 or 3 weeks most summers anyhow, so they probably

Sure seems like *you* are one of those who "don't really need
air conditioners". Can't you live without it for those two
weeks? :

don't cut down the load when they radio me. Last summer was the
least hot of my life, and I didn't use the AC at all.