6 ms·

I wonder how much the peak could be reduced by intentionally cooling houses lower than normal (say to 18 C / 65 F) before the demand peak, e.g. from 3pm - 5:30p

I wonder how much the peak could be reduced by intentionally cooling houses lower than normal (say to 18 C / 65 F) before the demand peak, e.g. from 3pm - 5:30pm so that you don't need to use as much AC right when you get home and solar is waning. Essentially using the thermal mass of your house as a battery

mertd 4y ago
Most CA houses have awful insulation thanks to the mild climate.
- inferiorhuman 4y ago
  Most of California is in Zone 3 and, at least as of 2019, the California codes meet or exceed those EnergyStar suggestions. https://www.energystar.gov/campaign/seal_insulate/identify_problems_you_want_fix/diy_checks_inspections/insulation_r_values https://www.energystar.gov/campaign/seal_insulate/identify_p... https://up.codes/viewer/california/ca-energy-code-2019/chapter/8/low-rise-residential-buildings-performance-and-prescriptive-compliance-approache#8 https://up.codes/viewer/california/ca-energy-code-2019/chapt...
  - bombcar 4y ago
    But what is the age of the average Californian house? I know the ones I’ve seen had have little or no insulation to speak of, and I don’t recall a double pane window.
    - happyopossum 4y ago
      43 years… newer home or recently remodeled homes have really good insulation and windows, but yeah - your typical Cali home built in 1979 does not.
    - inferiorhuman 4y ago
      Depends on the neighborhood. Most of the urban core of the Bay Area dates to somewhere between the 1920s and 50s. The suburban stuff (a.k.a. everything else) maybe thirty-odd years later, and there was another wave after shuttered military bases started getting redeveloped. In Oakland, the building I'm in was built in the early 2010s. In Marin, Hamilton AFB got a bunch of tract housing in the late 90s. Treasure Island and the BVHP Navy Yard in San Francisco are still under development. Per the wiki article (since I'm too lazy to go to the library), California was first in the nation with energy efficiency standards in 1974 and currently has the lowest energy consumption per capita in the United States. However lax things were in the early 80s in California, things were/are more lax in Texas.
  - zbrozek 4y ago
    Right, but we don't build homes, so the code today isn't relevant. The code in 1954 is what you should look at.
- 5d8767c68926 4y ago
  Anecdotally, as a Chicago transplant, I was shocked at the atrocious quality of windows when I moved here. Only fit for blocking the wind. Doubt they would be legal to install in the Midwest.
  - inferiorhuman 4y ago
    Depends on where you are. Some combination of state and local regs mean that any replacement windows have strict U-factor and SHGC requirements. If you're in one of those San Francisco victorians you'll find very few manufacturers want to sell to such a niche market. You'll also find the Napoleon of North Beach is loathe to allow a variance.
plorkyeran 4y ago
With good insulation this is extremely effective and on hot days you absolutely want to cool your house during the morning. Good insulation is unfortunately not the norm here due to the combination of old houses and it historically being considered unimportant due to the climate.

mertd 4y ago

Most CA houses have awful insulation thanks to the mild climate.

inferiorhuman 4y ago
Most of California is in Zone 3 and, at least as of 2019, the California codes meet or exceed those EnergyStar suggestions. https://www.energystar.gov/campaign/seal_insulate/identify_problems_you_want_fix/diy_checks_inspections/insulation_r_values https://www.energystar.gov/campaign/seal_insulate/identify_p... https://up.codes/viewer/california/ca-energy-code-2019/chapter/8/low-rise-residential-buildings-performance-and-prescriptive-compliance-approache#8 https://up.codes/viewer/california/ca-energy-code-2019/chapt...
- bombcar 4y ago
  But what is the age of the average Californian house? I know the ones I’ve seen had have little or no insulation to speak of, and I don’t recall a double pane window.
  - happyopossum 4y ago
    43 years… newer home or recently remodeled homes have really good insulation and windows, but yeah - your typical Cali home built in 1979 does not.
  - inferiorhuman 4y ago
    Depends on the neighborhood. Most of the urban core of the Bay Area dates to somewhere between the 1920s and 50s. The suburban stuff (a.k.a. everything else) maybe thirty-odd years later, and there was another wave after shuttered military bases started getting redeveloped. In Oakland, the building I'm in was built in the early 2010s. In Marin, Hamilton AFB got a bunch of tract housing in the late 90s. Treasure Island and the BVHP Navy Yard in San Francisco are still under development. Per the wiki article (since I'm too lazy to go to the library), California was first in the nation with energy efficiency standards in 1974 and currently has the lowest energy consumption per capita in the United States. However lax things were in the early 80s in California, things were/are more lax in Texas.
- zbrozek 4y ago
  Right, but we don't build homes, so the code today isn't relevant. The code in 1954 is what you should look at.
5d8767c68926 4y ago
Anecdotally, as a Chicago transplant, I was shocked at the atrocious quality of windows when I moved here. Only fit for blocking the wind. Doubt they would be legal to install in the Midwest.
- inferiorhuman 4y ago
  Depends on where you are. Some combination of state and local regs mean that any replacement windows have strict U-factor and SHGC requirements. If you're in one of those San Francisco victorians you'll find very few manufacturers want to sell to such a niche market. You'll also find the Napoleon of North Beach is loathe to allow a variance.

plorkyeran 4y ago

With good insulation this is extremely effective and on hot days you absolutely want to cool your house during the morning. Good insulation is unfortunately not the norm here due to the combination of old houses and it historically being considered unimportant due to the climate.