4 ms·

The amount of cognitive dissonance required to say "we want to limit impact" on one hand, and to run a 400Amp electrical connection to heat your hot tub and poo

The amount of cognitive dissonance required to say "we want to limit impact" on one hand, and to run a 400Amp electrical connection to heat your hot tub and pool in Canada, is staggering.

lazide 5y ago
If it’s cheap hydro power driven (like much of Canada), it isn’t absurd. A lot of hydro power is ‘use it or lose it’, since the dams also provide flood control and MUST keep extra capacity free to absorb sudden water surges. They can’t just store everything they get.
Fiahil 5y ago
"low impact" for North Americans, maybe... No wonder that we're at the begining of a climat change disaster.
- yongjik 5y ago
  I doubt most North Americans need a 400A connection. (How much wattage is that? 48kW?) I live in an ordinary single house in a boring suburb in the bay area, and on hottest days, if I have to use the A/C, the oven, and the dryer at the same time, maybe it would push it over ~10kW. Maybe once in a year.
  - mholm 5y ago
    > Bay Area Most places in the US experience much harsher seasons than the Bay Area.
    - bee_rider 5y ago
      There are places where we waste energy because we're doing dumb stuff: in northern parts of the country, your house should be well insulated and designed for cold temperatures. Then there are places like Nevada, which are just not suitable for large-scale habitation. "Can we make this monument to our hubris more energy efficient" is kind of missing the point, right?
    - yongjik 5y ago
      True, most places would need to run A/C or heater much more often than California, but I doubt they need three times as powerful an A/C at any given moment.
  - quickthrowman 5y ago
    400A @ 240v is 96kW
- cglace 5y ago
  Do you really believe the average North American has a heated pool AND hot tub in a frigid northern climate?
- bee_rider 5y ago
  I'll not defend our wasteful habits -- we really are screwing up the world over here -- but still, most North Americans don't have electrical outdoor heated pools. In a rural, fairly chilly area... that's really something.
i_love_music 5y ago
The lack of self awareness of people is staggering. How is it even possible to be this blind to it?
- kevin_thibedeau 5y ago
  Greenwashing is a state of mind.
- closetohome 5y ago
  Their contractor talked them into building it without a fixed budget. That's a pretty good financial incentive to just say "can do!" to every suggestion the owner makes.

The amount of cognitive dissonance required to say "we want to limit impact" on one hand, and to run a 400Amp electrical connection to heat your hot tub and pool in Canada, is staggering.

lazide 5y ago

If it’s cheap hydro power driven (like much of Canada), it isn’t absurd. A lot of hydro power is ‘use it or lose it’, since the dams also provide flood control and MUST keep extra capacity free to absorb sudden water surges. They can’t just store everything they get.

Fiahil 5y ago

"low impact" for North Americans, maybe... No wonder that we're at the begining of a climat change disaster.

yongjik 5y ago
I doubt most North Americans need a 400A connection. (How much wattage is that? 48kW?) I live in an ordinary single house in a boring suburb in the bay area, and on hottest days, if I have to use the A/C, the oven, and the dryer at the same time, maybe it would push it over ~10kW. Maybe once in a year.
- mholm 5y ago
  > Bay Area Most places in the US experience much harsher seasons than the Bay Area.
  - bee_rider 5y ago
    There are places where we waste energy because we're doing dumb stuff: in northern parts of the country, your house should be well insulated and designed for cold temperatures. Then there are places like Nevada, which are just not suitable for large-scale habitation. "Can we make this monument to our hubris more energy efficient" is kind of missing the point, right?
  - yongjik 5y ago
    True, most places would need to run A/C or heater much more often than California, but I doubt they need three times as powerful an A/C at any given moment.
- quickthrowman 5y ago
  400A @ 240v is 96kW
cglace 5y ago
Do you really believe the average North American has a heated pool AND hot tub in a frigid northern climate?
bee_rider 5y ago
I'll not defend our wasteful habits -- we really are screwing up the world over here -- but still, most North Americans don't have electrical outdoor heated pools. In a rural, fairly chilly area... that's really something.

i_love_music 5y ago

The lack of self awareness of people is staggering. How is it even possible to be this blind to it?

kevin_thibedeau 5y ago
Greenwashing is a state of mind.
closetohome 5y ago
Their contractor talked them into building it without a fixed budget. That's a pretty good financial incentive to just say "can do!" to every suggestion the owner makes.