Re: Digital Tools Help Users Save Energy, Study Finds

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Neil Cherry" <njc@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:slrnfolbq4.bnc.njc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<stuff snipped>

> Skipping the environmental debate, if we had tools that would allow us
> to monitor each device's power usage we could probably come up with
> tools that allow us to figure out a lot more. Say I have a
> refrigerator that was new 3 years ago and it uses x kw avg/day. If I
> monitor it I may be able to determine that the unit is going bad (it's
> now using 1.5 * x kw avg/day). Or maybe I can figure out that if I
> purchase a new 'frig in n months I'll be able to save more money
> (return on investment in y months at current power pricing).
> Monitoring our own usage allows us to more than 'green' it allows us
> to use our money more wisely. I've always found that it's easier to
> sell money-wise vs enviro-wise.

The problem, at least from my view, is that it's awfully hard to retrofit a
truly useful monitoring system in the average home.  I recall reading about
someone who made their own branch circuit sensors that gave some clue as to
localized power use.  IIRC, it didn't appear likely to pass inspection.

Is anyone out there doing detailed monitoring of the electrical load?  I'd
like to program my HomeVision controller to speak an audio warning when
consumption exceeded a certain level.

I know there are expensive load centers with intelligent branch power
consumption sensors, but last time I looked, it was a $1500+ investment.   I
would do it if I were spec'ing a new custom home I expected to retire in.
I'd especially do it if I were going to add a lot of solar panels and wanted
precise consumption estimates.  In the meantime, I'm making do with a couple
of $23 Kill-o-watt meters.  I even gave some away as presents.  (-:

> Here's something from California on a related subject, it's titled:
> "California Seeks Thermostat Control". The gist of the story is that
> the California Energy Commission wants to be able to control the
> temperature of your HVAC to 'manage electricity shortages'.
>
> Here's the link that appear on Slashdot:
>
>
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/11/us/11control.html?ex=1357707600&en=708b7b5
3b2933934&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all
>
> If you get nasty wrap:
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/11/us/11control.html?ex=1357707600&;
> en=708b7b53b2933934&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all
>
> cut and paste the second set of lines together before sending.

I saw that.  If you're a subscriber, this truncated link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/11/us/11control.html

works too.  (I'd like to know if it works for non-subscribers, too.  The NYT
recently abandoned its pay-for-content "Times Select.") I've also been
seeing some pretty scary comments from DIY home handyman groups about new
lighting rules in California.  I think it's a little too early to
standardize on fluorescent technology without giving competing, less
pollutant-containing, high efficiency light sources like LEDs to mature.
But that seems to already have happened in CA.

The comment:

"Mr. Somsel, in an interview Thursday, said he had done further research and
was concerned that the radio signal ? or the Internet instructions that
would be sent, in an emergency, from utilities? central control stations to
the broadcasters sending the FM signal ? could be hacked into"

That got me thinking about the "unintended consequences" of such a plan.
People who didn't want to play along could buy auxiliary generators that
often have small bore, dirty engines.  Captain Crunch AC boxes would be sold
via the internet and someone might try to jam the signal and the power
companies themselves would misuse the process.

But on the whole it may be a viable way to keep from adding new plants and
increasing pollution.  The USA still has some of the world's best brains and
I think this a problem that has a solution.  It takes the political will to
do research in solar, superconductors, stack scrubbing and other green
technologies.  I'm afraid that won't happen soon enough, though.  I can
understand why companies don't want to make the investment. We're a
profit-obsessed society.

> I can easily see this being used throughout the country. It does make
> me a bit nervous. I'd like to understand the rules. The reason it
> makes me nervous is that the local power companies have been going out
> of their way to reduce cost at the sake of quality. We have power
> problems in my area because they refuse to expand but rather just add
> onto the existing strained system.

There has to be more meaningful Federal oversight of the national powergrid.
It's a critical infrastructure issue.  There are serious quality of service
issues.  No one I know has said their power outages have lessened in
duration or frequency.  The opposite is true.

We get loads of power blips at my house late in the morning, around 4AM.
I've had to silence the UPS's in sound range of the bedroom because it's
become so frequent an occurrence.  The Feds should also make sure power
companies don't cause artificial shortages so they can game the markets for
power contracts the way they did in California.  I sadly agree that the
price has gone up and the quality of service has gone down.  I've also
discovered that power blips and sags are the cause of some common X-10
problems.

--
Bobby G.