6 thoughts on “Smart Grid”

  1. This also is the impetus for various programs and regulations to reduce energy consumption (Energy Star, banning incandescent light bulbs). A market approach cuts out a lot of government overhead.

  2. If the gov’t is intent on subsidizing something. They’d should just make programmable thermostats available and discounts to installation. I got a programmable thermostat and noticed a big drop in usage. Once more most people already know that they shouldn’t go crazy with the A/C in the mid afternoon in Texas. Just having the A/C cut out for 4-5 hours in the mid afternoon makes a big difference in the bill by like $30/month.

  3. This is kind of similar to the concept of QoS (Quality of Service) in computer networks. Supposedly the vaunted benefit is you still can e-mail and browse the web, while larger downloads and game playing are throttled down. These systems often do not work very well: consumers find ways around them by either making their applications lie about what they really are doing, or people figure out ways to do the same applications using less-restricted service classes.
    The originally bandied around idea of the smart-grid was about making the grid more resilient and Internet like by turning it into a grid of grids that was automatically controlled and self-healing. To reduce the possibility of large blackouts. It was also to employ new technologies such as superconductors in heavily populated areas. Seems it somehow turned into this charade. Kind of a shame really.

  4. If the gov’t is intent on subsidizing something. They’d should just make programmable thermostats available and discounts to installation.

    DIY: $30 at the hardware store. 30 min to install.

    The only way the gov’t could effectively subsidize these things: contract with HVAC guys to go into houses and install it for them. Really, if you cannot afford one on your own, you probably lack the meager skills required to install it, too.

  5. Really, if you cannot afford one on your own, you probably lack the meager skills required to install it, too.

    Or to operate it.

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