Conserve energy now if you can - grid running low

birddog · Aug 17, 2019

There was an article in Aviation Week and Space Technology. Give me a moment to search online....

Edit - https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...oves-forward-with-larger-more-powerful-design

Same technology referenced in AW&ST, less detail but enough to give us hope they’re close to having a functioning prototype to research the materials science required to meet DOE, EPA, etc requirements for power generation infrastructure. It’s going to be disruptive when it hits the streets, no doubt. I wouldn’t be suprised if it’s classification level changes. It’s a major technologicical leap forward. Clean, reliable energy. Zero emissions. Safe.....

Their unique containment solution is the secret sauce. Rings has a huge footprint and doesn’t scale. Containment field constraints has been one if not the barrier to reducing the footprint/complexity and increase efficiency and simplifying what has in the past required a huge, complex design that hadn’t evolved much in decades.

The caveat is I’ll beleive it when they get it to work reliably and it doesn’t cost $100,000,000 to generate 1kw of electricity.

IXLR8 · Aug 17, 2019

Fusion is still fiction. We can build Thorium based reactors now. There is a design about the size of a boxcar that can power a large town for 20 years. It requires no maintenance, and cannot go critical. It was designed to be buried. It was the answer to remote towns and villages needing cheap, reliable power.

FireInTheWire · Aug 17, 2019

Just thought I'd update everyone. The wind is blowing nicely and all the wind turbines are spinning....

Sublime · Aug 17, 2019

Brains said:
People on that Griddy nonsense are screaming right now. They're getting billed $300+ in mere days to cover the spike in wholesale power prices.

Well to be fair, we weren't screaming when we were paying a lot less than everyone else the past couple months. They put out some info talking about lack of wind but the major culprit is 3 plants that are closed.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Brains · Aug 17, 2019

Sublime said:
Well to be fair, we weren't screaming when we were paying a lot less than everyone else the past couple months. They put out some info talking about lack of wind but the major culprit is 3 plants that are closed.

I know, I looked into it - almost switched in July when my last retail contract expired. There's the possibility of saving 2-3 cents/kWh in the good times which really sounds enticing. I'm sure it usually balances out, that's effectively what the retail electric companies are doing. I do know when it goes bad like the past few days, the griddy customers in my neighborhood found their yearly expense will definitely exceed the average being paid by retail electric customers. They could have actually saved money running their homes on a backup generator.

SQLGeek · Aug 17, 2019

I don't get the people complaining about Griddy. They had to have known this was a possibility. There's an article on one of the Houston news websites about how Griddy customers are paying a ton right now and the comments are full of whining. It's a variable rate plan folks, what did you expect?

Brains · Aug 17, 2019

Well, everyone looked at the averages and based their decisions on that. The smarter ones even looked into the singular anomaly prior to this month when it hit the 9k cap for only one period. I can only speak for myself, but I was just about to pull the trigger and sign up when I found that 4.7 cent + TDU 9/mo. plan, and said "nah this summer is hot, I'll just grab this plan and ride it out until spring." Glad I did

oldag · Aug 17, 2019

4.8 + TDU for 12 months.

TheMailMan · Aug 17, 2019

We're in a Co-op. Don't have a choice.

https://www.tvec.net/rate/

HKShooter65 · Aug 17, 2019

IXLR8 said:
....Fusion is still fiction....

Fusion is not fiction.

I was on a kayak on the Guadalupe River near Center Point yesterday.
My sunburn is a testament to the reality of nuclear fusion as a power source!!!

perfor8 · Aug 17, 2019

I have a grid-tied 10kw solar panel system at a place I'm rarely in right now. I wonder how much y'all are payin me fer that juice?

IXLR8 · Aug 17, 2019

There are some pretty strict requirements for selling power back to the power company. First, it has to 14,600 volts or greater. If you are making $$, more power “from” you?
Usually it ends up not used.

However, if your receiving a check then go brother!

birddog · Aug 17, 2019

perfor8 said:
I have a grid-tied 10kw solar panel system at a place I'm rarely in right now. I wonder how much y'all are payin me fer that juice?

Which system and model?

perfor8 · Aug 17, 2019

birddog said:
Which system and model?

Don't rightly know. The system came with a property I bought in Ft. Worth a while back. I get updates from Reliant electric every week, so far I'm usually paying $2 - $8/week for electricity in a hangar and 4 bedroom/2 bath apartment, but I'm away quite a bit right now and the A/C is on 80 degrees if I'm not there.

jkingrph · Aug 21, 2019

We keep heat pump set at 78 this time of year, Storm windows, keep shades, closed and try not to go in and out a lot. My wife is old school and likes a clothes line for a lot of things, so dryer use is minimal. We are all electric. Replaced the 39 year old water heater with a newer more efficient model last year. All lighting is LED so don't know much more that we can do.

Tcruse · Aug 21, 2019

Darkpriest667 said:
Friend posted this to me.

I spent 10592 total
4320 and 3177 back in incentives
7.2 kW system
estimated $1100 generated per year

8/20 was a bad day for my solar only generated 43.8 Kwh.
The norm for the rest of the week was 90+ Kwh.
Have not had the system long enough to know if I use more than I generate.

System from TAC-Solar
Seth Richmond
(801) 787-4322 cell
(214) 989-7676 work

Install went smooth, on-time and only took a couple of days.
Oncor was an issue on insisting on new transformer and dragged their feet on the meter change out.
I would recommend this company.
(FYI - the initial contact was from Fort Worth gun show, Seth is a "gun guy".)

oldag · Aug 21, 2019

If you put solar panels on the roof, make sure the installer properly attaches them.

Know someone who had their solar panels rip loose from the roof in a thunderstorm. Due to the holes in the roof, the house flooded badly (they weren't home at the time). Huge damage.

AustinN4 · Aug 21, 2019

oldag said:
If you put solar panels on the roof, make sure the installer properly attaches them.

Know someone who had their solar panels rip loose from the roof in a thunderstorm. Due to the holes in the roof, the house flooded badly (they weren't home at the time). Huge damage.

The joys of home ownership.

oldag · Aug 21, 2019

Could plug in some capacitance to reduce power factor and lower cost.

LED lights are great. Bright, whiter light. Much less heat.

Brains · Aug 21, 2019

cherok2e said:
That's the kick start needed to get the motors started so they can reduce usage. Problem is if incoming is used for the start the usage stays at that level.

Please explain, I'm a little confused on this point.

Conserve energy now if you can - grid running low

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