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The reason DST exists is to shift the electric grid peak load time. As the summer base load is larger due to air conditioning during office hours, you can postp

by rescbr 10y ago

The reason DST exists is to shift the electric grid peak load time. As the summer base load is larger due to air conditioning during office hours, you can postpone turning on the street lights by one hour while the offices turn off their air conditioning units, avoiding bringing up peak power plants just to supply this one hour demand.

vonmoltke 10y ago
Where do you live that office buildings turn their HVAC off except for maintenance? Sure, there is less load on the system when nobody is there, but it never shuts off.
- rescbr 10y ago
  At least in southeast Brazil it is pretty common to turn off HVAC at night when the workers leave and turn it back on at sunrise, even large companies and buildings do this. I work at a giant multinational company and you have to request an exception for HVAC and lighting outside office hours.
- mixmastamyk 10y ago
  Where I've worked the AC shut off every night at 8pm and on weekends, though I think it was on 8-12am on Saturdays. Got unbearable sometimes in the summer. (California)
- amyjess 10y ago
  I used to work in Downtown Dallas: the building turned off their HVAC on weekends and holidays. I don't remember if they did the same for nights. But I distinctly remember that whenever a holiday was coming up, they'd post notices on every entrance warning that the building would be closed on the holiday, pointing out that you'd have to use your badge to enter and that HVAC would be shut off all day. Then again, that building was terrible. They operated on a shoestring budget. For example, they once cut water to the bathrooms for maintenance on a work day because they didn't want to pay more to have their maintenance people on a weekend. For another example, the elevators were scary and they were lax on maintenance: I've been stuck in them, most of my co-workers got stuck in them, and I've actually been in the elevator when it violently shook on the 6th floor and then slowly drifted to ground level. They were notoriously unprofessional, and they were literally the only property management company I've ever had to file a complaint with the city about (though it wasn't over their maintenance issues).

by rescbr 10y ago

vonmoltke 10y ago

Where do you live that office buildings turn their HVAC off except for maintenance? Sure, there is less load on the system when nobody is there, but it never shuts off.

rescbr 10y ago
At least in southeast Brazil it is pretty common to turn off HVAC at night when the workers leave and turn it back on at sunrise, even large companies and buildings do this. I work at a giant multinational company and you have to request an exception for HVAC and lighting outside office hours.
mixmastamyk 10y ago
Where I've worked the AC shut off every night at 8pm and on weekends, though I think it was on 8-12am on Saturdays. Got unbearable sometimes in the summer. (California)
amyjess 10y ago
I used to work in Downtown Dallas: the building turned off their HVAC on weekends and holidays. I don't remember if they did the same for nights. But I distinctly remember that whenever a holiday was coming up, they'd post notices on every entrance warning that the building would be closed on the holiday, pointing out that you'd have to use your badge to enter and that HVAC would be shut off all day. Then again, that building was terrible. They operated on a shoestring budget. For example, they once cut water to the bathrooms for maintenance on a work day because they didn't want to pay more to have their maintenance people on a weekend. For another example, the elevators were scary and they were lax on maintenance: I've been stuck in them, most of my co-workers got stuck in them, and I've actually been in the elevator when it violently shook on the 6th floor and then slowly drifted to ground level. They were notoriously unprofessional, and they were literally the only property management company I've ever had to file a complaint with the city about (though it wasn't over their maintenance issues).