Texas, ERCOT, PUC and the severe winter storm

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goldbrick said:
Thanks, interesting article. I'm not a power guy and I don't understand why the frequency of the grid would drop if it was over-loaded. The voltage - yes, that happens all the time - but I thought the frequency was always 60.0 no matter what. Maybe it's due to the fact that it was so very close to just failing completely. Pretty scary unless TX gets it's act together and updates its power systems.

Think of the frequency of the power system like a belt-driven table saw. When it is free running at a steady state, that equates to 60 Hz on a power system. When you shove a big piece of wood through the saw to cut it (similar to adding to the power system load), you can hear the motor on the table saw slow down (equivalent to power system lower frequency). When the wood passes through the saw, the speed of the saw goes back up to the original steady state speed.

If the frequency of the power system gets too low, starting at 1.5 Hz and up, steps are taken to get back to 60 Hz, including ramping up generation output, or even shedding electrical load, to keep the system stable or it could be in danger of collapse...
 
On the $0.09tkwh all in. I use energy ogre to find me the best rates and pay around $0.08-$0.09 with all taxes and fees included. Although my house is quite large and uses about 1000 kWh more than the what to OP posted his isage is. The average also includes energy ogres $10 a month fee.
 
Apparently, there was an ERCOT conservation alert today (4/13/21).
https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2021/04/13/ercot-alert-emergency-conditions-texans-conserve/
https://www.kut.org/energy-environment/2021-04-13/warning-of-emergency-grid-conditions-ercot-asks-texans-to-conserve-electricity
 
On a related note:
Tesla asks Texans to avoid charging their EVs during peak times because of the heat
Soaring temperatures are pushing the grid to the limits
https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/13/23207428/tesla-texas-ev-charging-heatwave-off-peak-grid
 
cwerdna said:
On a related note:
Tesla asks Texans to avoid charging their EVs during peak times because of the heat
Soaring temperatures are pushing the grid to the limits
https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/13/23207428/tesla-texas-ev-charging-heatwave-off-peak-grid

On the upside I guess CA will get less ribbing for power outages.
 
Nubo said:
cwerdna said:
On a related note:
Tesla asks Texans to avoid charging their EVs during peak times because of the heat
Soaring temperatures are pushing the grid to the limits
https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/13/23207428/tesla-texas-ev-charging-heatwave-off-peak-grid

On the upside I guess CA will get less ribbing for power outages.

Both hot areas of California and Texas need to improve insulation requirements, it’s not like r8 or less insulation makes sense in this day and age, it’s not 1940 where you just sweat out hot weather.

They could cut home energy use in half if they start insulating buildings similar to those up north but with better reflective heat barrier systems
 
+1. I'm still surprised by how little traction Amory Lovins concept of 'negaWatts' gets. The easiest, cheapest and fastest way to decrease one's carbon footprint is very often just to use less of it to begin with. If you don't want to put on a sweater inside during the winter, insulate your fricking house. Or pay $40k for a ground source heat pump if that's your thing.

Edit to add: I have nothing against GSHP. In fact, if I buy my dad's farm I'll might put one in since with 60+ acres to work with it will be relatively inexpensive. But more likely, depending on costs, I might just spend a few thousand to super-insulate and seal the house and put in an air source heat pump. That is certainly the plan on my current house since I don't have a pond or acres of meadow to hold the piping.

And in general, I'd say in the vast majority of situations, the best bang for the buck is to seal air leaks and insulate, in that order. Easier said than done on older homes I know but it is usually just completely overlooked.
 
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