OT: electrical [was: 95th Percentile = Lame]

[Henry Yen <henry () AegisInfoSys com>]

[ snip ]

> >     It's a shame that the current electricity metering and billing system has
> > no way to reward those people who shift some of their load off-peak. If it
> > did, the on-peak rate could be raised while leaving the off-peak rate the
> > same. This would help ease the crisis significantly while having much less
> > impact on poorer people who can't afford to pay 40% more for their
> > electricity.

[ snip ]

> > to minute). Imagine if people could set their meter to turn off different
> > circuits if the rate exceeded different amounts. Do you realize how much of
> > the problem this would solve?

in nassau/suffolk in new york (aka long island), the local power company
is setting up a program whereby your central air conditioning system gets
connected, via the internet (!!), and you get a small $$ bonus in return
for allowing them to shut off your a/c unit during peak usage times.
the box and hookup are free, as well as software to allow you to control
your own unit over the 'net.

i'm under the impression that uptake of this project is not overwhelming.

-- 
Henry Yen                                       Aegis Information Systems, Inc.
Senior Systems Programmer                       Hicksville, New York