5 ms·

Walter, the things you're saying are patently untrue. Many, many countries and municipalities do not have fixed pricing, so you're looking at this from inside a

by bryans 5y ago

Walter, the things you're saying are patently untrue. Many, many countries and municipalities do not have fixed pricing, so you're looking at this from inside a personal bubble, which does not reflect reality for the rest of the world. So with that in mind, what you're actually proposing is a solution that works for some homes, in some municipalities, under very specific circumstances. I can't imagine anyone wanting to start a business strictly based around a last-mile solution, when other solutions already exist and are substantially more efficient and scalable. You're also assuming that the regulatory bodies for each municipality inherently want things to be efficient and customer-friendly, but that's just not how it works. In the US alone, all you need is to look at the disaster in Texas this past winter, where prices jumped to 180x their usual rates -- and for brazenly nefarious reasons.

WalterBright 5y ago
> Walter, the things you're saying are patently untrue. Want me to show you my electric bill? Fixed rate, 24/7, in every place I've lived, for my entire long life. California, land of the rolling blackouts because they can't match demand with supply, also has fixed electric rates. > is a solution that works for some homes, in some municipalities, under very specific circumstances. Oh come on. > I can't imagine anyone wanting to start a business strictly based around a last-mile solution, when other solutions already exist and are substantially more efficient and scalable. Look at the endless variety of thermostat innovation for your HVAC system. Even internet connected ones. Why would you suggest that simply automatically adjusting the thermostat based on spot prices for electricity is inefficient and unscalable? > You're also assuming that the regulatory bodies for each municipality inherently want things to be efficient and customer-friendly I infer no such thing. I suggested making changes. > where prices jumped to 180x their usual rates And I bet none of those customers had thermostats connected to the spot price of the electricity. Do you know that the pump price of gas varies every day? That's demand shaping. And it works.
- bryans 5y ago
  Give me a break, Walter. I explain that you're viewing this from within a bubble, and your response is to insist that you're not in a bubble because you, personally, haven't lived somewhere without fixed rates? That's the definition of a bubble argument and self-centeredness. If you really think your ideas are unique and revolutionary and "correct," then I recommend going down to your local utility and pitching them heated rocks, instead of trying to convince the internet that you're right about everything -- see how long it takes for them to stop laughing. As an aside, my father invented, developed and sold a heated rocks system over 40 years ago. It definitely worked, but the concept itself proved to be too inefficient, impractical and non-scalable, and because of that it never got adopted beyond a few off-the-grid folks. So, when I say that your ideas would only work in very specific circumstances, that's based on actual historical information, not some imagined universe where the entire world is exactly the same as you, personally, have experienced.
  - WalterBright 5y ago
    > you, personally, haven't lived somewhere without fixed rates? That's the definition of a bubble argument and self-centeredness. So, the 5 states and 2 foreign countries I've lived in are a self-centered bubble? I'll turn that around. Where in the US are variable, minute by minute electricity pricing which can be remotely queried? > see how long it takes for them to stop laughing First they ignore you, then they laugh, then they race to implement it. What I see in this thread is "electricity rates are fixed 24/7, that's the way they've always been, anything else is inconceivable". Frankly, why should the utility care? They'd probably profit quite a bit from massive government money to develop grid storage batteries. It is typical for solar heated homes to use rocks/concrete for heat storage. Traditional adobe homes with thick earthen walls also are very, very good at being a heat sink and source, making the home comfortable. As mentioned elsewhere, I have a Swedish masonry fireplace which uses masonry to store the heat and slowly release it. It's a simple heated rock system. The Swedes have used that design for centuries. As for your father's invention, I have no idea what went wrong with it. Perhaps a couple manufacturing engineers having a look could improve it quite a bit. After all, rarely does the first iteration of a concept be very practical.
    - 5y ago

by bryans 5y ago

WalterBright 5y ago

> Walter, the things you're saying are patently untrue. Want me to show you my electric bill? Fixed rate, 24/7, in every place I've lived, for my entire long life. California, land of the rolling blackouts because they can't match demand with supply, also has fixed electric rates. > is a solution that works for some homes, in some municipalities, under very specific circumstances. Oh come on. > I can't imagine anyone wanting to start a business strictly based around a last-mile solution, when other solutions already exist and are substantially more efficient and scalable. Look at the endless variety of thermostat innovation for your HVAC system. Even internet connected ones. Why would you suggest that simply automatically adjusting the thermostat based on spot prices for electricity is inefficient and unscalable? > You're also assuming that the regulatory bodies for each municipality inherently want things to be efficient and customer-friendly I infer no such thing. I suggested making changes. > where prices jumped to 180x their usual rates And I bet none of those customers had thermostats connected to the spot price of the electricity. Do you know that the pump price of gas varies every day? That's demand shaping. And it works.

bryans 5y ago
Give me a break, Walter. I explain that you're viewing this from within a bubble, and your response is to insist that you're not in a bubble because you, personally, haven't lived somewhere without fixed rates? That's the definition of a bubble argument and self-centeredness. If you really think your ideas are unique and revolutionary and "correct," then I recommend going down to your local utility and pitching them heated rocks, instead of trying to convince the internet that you're right about everything -- see how long it takes for them to stop laughing. As an aside, my father invented, developed and sold a heated rocks system over 40 years ago. It definitely worked, but the concept itself proved to be too inefficient, impractical and non-scalable, and because of that it never got adopted beyond a few off-the-grid folks. So, when I say that your ideas would only work in very specific circumstances, that's based on actual historical information, not some imagined universe where the entire world is exactly the same as you, personally, have experienced.
- WalterBright 5y ago
  > you, personally, haven't lived somewhere without fixed rates? That's the definition of a bubble argument and self-centeredness. So, the 5 states and 2 foreign countries I've lived in are a self-centered bubble? I'll turn that around. Where in the US are variable, minute by minute electricity pricing which can be remotely queried? > see how long it takes for them to stop laughing First they ignore you, then they laugh, then they race to implement it. What I see in this thread is "electricity rates are fixed 24/7, that's the way they've always been, anything else is inconceivable". Frankly, why should the utility care? They'd probably profit quite a bit from massive government money to develop grid storage batteries. It is typical for solar heated homes to use rocks/concrete for heat storage. Traditional adobe homes with thick earthen walls also are very, very good at being a heat sink and source, making the home comfortable. As mentioned elsewhere, I have a Swedish masonry fireplace which uses masonry to store the heat and slowly release it. It's a simple heated rock system. The Swedes have used that design for centuries. As for your father's invention, I have no idea what went wrong with it. Perhaps a couple manufacturing engineers having a look could improve it quite a bit. After all, rarely does the first iteration of a concept be very practical.
  - 5y ago