dynamic demand fridges

[bob golding]

just came across this

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/dec/02/energy-efficient-dynamic-demand-fridges

looks like a good idea for those on grid power

cheers

bob golding

[Norm]

Good idea...

 How about a computerized system that weans

people to cut down on energy?

 Each day it would turn off the power for TV,

lights, dryer, washing machine and other non-

essientals when the daily consumption reached

95% of the previous day?

 

[Rover]

Grin.. might be bad idea in hospitals and airports, and I can imagine that 95% of us would remove the device when it hit 95% in the middle of football game.

[dnix71]

This sounds like the boxes the electric companies in the US offer. If you will let them cut off your hot water or ac during times of their choosing, then you get a buck or two off your bill.

For this to work properly on a fridge or ac, though, you need a variable speed compressor. Short cycling some compressors is not good for the hardware.

Peak loading is a problem for the electric companies. In Tennessee they have left the state divided down the middle between eastern and central time zones on purpose, because it shaves the peak when people get up for work in the morning.

In south Florida, if its' sweater weather (50 degrees F or lower) people don't know how to deal with it and tend to turn on the electric oven and leave the door open to keep their homes warm. This causes rolling blackouts or brownouts.

[bob golding]

i suspect for it to really work well you would need to run most of your power though a ups system with battery back up. then you could get some real savings. but then you run into the old problem of who really benifits from all this, you or the power companies. cant see too many people making the investment in the needed equipment till the power goes out during the big game. its the old problem of trying to sell you more electricity while giving the impression of saving you money oh and saving the planet. isnt the free market a bitch.?

cheers

bob golding

[DamonHD]

Here's my piece on the same topic!

http://www.earth.org.uk/note-on-dynamic-demand-value.html

I'm pretty convinced that DD is a good idea and will amongst other things allow smaller cheaper infrastructure to work and allow more intermittent RE onto the grid...

Rgds

Damon

[dnix71]

Actually, requiring all homes to have some sort or medium sized grid-tied UPS might work better than load shedding.

If the grid frequency/voltage sags, you just prop it up from within your own home for short periods. The supercaps that are used in ghetto blaster car stereos would be a good candidate for the battery.

[DamonHD]

Well let's try taking all the LOUD car stereos apart to find out, first...  That would reduce a different sort of pollution!  B^>

[jonas302]

I wish they would cycle our fridge and freezers here maybe someday we already cycle hot water, space heating, and air conditioning in central mn it takes your rate from 12c to 3.5c kwh as far as whole house ups replacing the batterys would eliminate any savings oh and the boxes are usully free here but you do have to pay a licsened spark chaser to install and have it inspected