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I was offered time of day pricing. Bottom line, my main electrical usage is air conditioning in the summer. So, charge a higher rate at the exact times that I u

by k310 3y ago

I was offered time of day pricing. Bottom line, my main electrical usage is air conditioning in the summer. So, charge a higher rate at the exact times that I use the most. "It's cheap except when you use it." Even PG&E's estimate says stick with flat rate. It's cheaper.

jakewins 3y ago
Our customers use their HVAC to “pre-cool” or (more often, pre-heat) their homes when rates are low.. but you need a house with enough thermal mass and insulation that it can go 4-5 hours just “coasting”, which I guess is more common in cold climates with water-borne heat and masonry buildings..
- JumpCrisscross 3y ago
  Heat also works because snow is insulating.
ZeroGravitas 3y ago
> So, charge a higher rate at the exact times that I use the most. More accurately, charge a higher rate when everyone is using it, and increasing supply would be expensive (roughly late afternoon to early evening in places that use solar PV and air conditioning) so incentivize the shiftable demand (charging EVs for example) to move to low demand and/or high supply times.
maccard 3y ago
The trick is that you need to shift your consumption to when it's cheap. EV charging, hot water cylinders, battery systems can all be charged overnight when the usage is low, which reduced the demand at the times you need it for AC.
- k310 3y ago
  I have none of the above! That's the problem with a simple life. Without the A/C running, PG&E rates my home better than "energy efficient" homes. I just don't use much electricity except in summer, and the savings from heat pumps, solar cells and batteries would never pay back. I suppose that I could afford a vacation at the coast if I just took off and didn't cool the home in the heat. I'll run the numbers.
  - maccard 3y ago
    There's definitely some people (like you) who run a lean setup, and honestly you're probably best off not changing anything right now. > I just don't use much electricity except in summer, and the savings from heat pumps, solar cells and batteries would never pay back. I think it's a little unfair to expect the tech to pay itself off quickly, but it _is_ reasonable to expect the savings to cover the difference between a gas furnace and a heat pump for example.
    - k310 3y ago
      I may move in the near future, and insist on a more efficient setup at the time. Thanks.
Affric 3y ago
Yeah, here much of the advertising is that you will receive zero prices but the fact is most consumers have limited ability to shape their usage due to local energy storage constraints, poor building design, and simply not being technically adept enough to use existing solutions. Fundamentally this can be changed if, and only if, there are higher standards our homes are built to, more cost effective methods of storage, and the vast majority of the solution being automated. But there will be winners out of users paying the real cost of their energy.

by k310 3y ago

jakewins 3y ago

Our customers use their HVAC to “pre-cool” or (more often, pre-heat) their homes when rates are low.. but you need a house with enough thermal mass and insulation that it can go 4-5 hours just “coasting”, which I guess is more common in cold climates with water-borne heat and masonry buildings..

JumpCrisscross 3y ago
Heat also works because snow is insulating.

ZeroGravitas 3y ago

> So, charge a higher rate at the exact times that I use the most. More accurately, charge a higher rate when everyone is using it, and increasing supply would be expensive (roughly late afternoon to early evening in places that use solar PV and air conditioning) so incentivize the shiftable demand (charging EVs for example) to move to low demand and/or high supply times.

maccard 3y ago

The trick is that you need to shift your consumption to when it's cheap. EV charging, hot water cylinders, battery systems can all be charged overnight when the usage is low, which reduced the demand at the times you need it for AC.

k310 3y ago
I have none of the above! That's the problem with a simple life. Without the A/C running, PG&E rates my home better than "energy efficient" homes. I just don't use much electricity except in summer, and the savings from heat pumps, solar cells and batteries would never pay back. I suppose that I could afford a vacation at the coast if I just took off and didn't cool the home in the heat. I'll run the numbers.
- maccard 3y ago
  There's definitely some people (like you) who run a lean setup, and honestly you're probably best off not changing anything right now. > I just don't use much electricity except in summer, and the savings from heat pumps, solar cells and batteries would never pay back. I think it's a little unfair to expect the tech to pay itself off quickly, but it _is_ reasonable to expect the savings to cover the difference between a gas furnace and a heat pump for example.
  - k310 3y ago
    I may move in the near future, and insist on a more efficient setup at the time. Thanks.

Affric 3y ago

Yeah, here much of the advertising is that you will receive zero prices but the fact is most consumers have limited ability to shape their usage due to local energy storage constraints, poor building design, and simply not being technically adept enough to use existing solutions. Fundamentally this can be changed if, and only if, there are higher standards our homes are built to, more cost effective methods of storage, and the vast majority of the solution being automated. But there will be winners out of users paying the real cost of their energy.