Fogbow

Texans asked to turn up thermostats after sweltering heat knocks six power plants offline

With an early-season heat wave searing much of Texas over the weekend, the nonprofit that manages power to more than 26 million customers wants them to turn up their thermostats.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) made the appeal in a statement Friday, saying that soaring temperatures increased demand and caused six power generation facilities to trip offline. That resulted in the loss of about 2,900 megawatts of electricity.

“We’re asking Texans to conserve power when they can by setting their thermostats to 78-degrees or above and avoiding the usage of large appliances (such as dishwashers, washers and dryers) during peak hours between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. through the weekend,” interim CEO Brad Jones said in the statement.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/14/us/texas ... index.html

It's those goddam wind turbines again.

Fellow Fogbowzers may be wondering why the grid couldn't handle the heat wave now when normal summer temps are even higher. The reason is that there are a number of power plants in planned outages performing maintenance before summer hits. Demand is typically lower March through mid-May (as well as in the fall), so normally power plants aren't at full capacity and carefully plan maintenance during this time. A coal-fired generator typically needs an outage for maintenance every 12-18 months, with a longer outage every 4-6 years, so it is difficult to get all the maintenance in during the mild months and still maintain a reserve.

Yep.

W. Kevin Vicklund wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 7:49 pm Fellow Fogbowzers may be wondering why the grid couldn't handle the heat wave now when normal summer temps are even higher. The reason is that there are a number of power plants in planned outages performing maintenance before summer hits. Demand is typically lower March through mid-May (as well as in the fall), so normally power plants aren't at full capacity and carefully plan maintenance during this time. A coal-fired generator typically needs an outage for maintenance every 12-18 months, with a longer outage every 4-6 years, so it is difficult to get all the maintenance in during the mild months and still maintain a reserve.

Gee.. if only they had a wider interconnection they could lean on in times like these..

I mean, my employer would have been more than willing to provide power. For the right price, of course (but far less than the price gouging we saw a year ago).

such as dishwashers, washers and dryers)

Why would you be using a dryer during a "heatwave"?

rossgw wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 10:08 pm such as dishwashers, washers and dryers)

Why would you be using a dryer during a "heatwave"?

Well my condo association won't let me run a clothes line outside... But I'm in Florida and even though we get pummeled worse than TX, our electricity stays on (sans hurricane).

(and our kwh rates are lower also, too)

Eh? In your heat a clothes line is 100% rational.

Yeah, solar clothes dryers are good and can work even when the sun goes down.

BUT, when they are unreliable because they can go into reverse cycle when you need them most.

W. Kevin Vicklund wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 9:48 pm I mean, my employer would have been more than willing to provide power. For the right price, of course (but far less than the price gouging we saw a year ago).

Two words... Payback and Enron

neonzx wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 10:36 pm

rossgw wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 10:08 pm such as dishwashers, washers and dryers)

Why would you be using a dryer during a "heatwave"?

Well my condo association won't let me run a clothes line outside... But I'm in Florida and even though we get pummeled worse than TX, our electricity stays on (sans hurricane).

(and our kwh rates are lower also, too)

Yeah, but the real important question is, do the companies who pay the lobbyists make more profit? As if lower rates and reliability mattered...

tek wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 8:33 pm

W. Kevin Vicklund wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 7:49 pm Fellow Fogbowzers may be wondering why the grid couldn't handle the heat wave now when normal summer temps are even higher. The reason is that there are a number of power plants in planned outages performing maintenance before summer hits. Demand is typically lower March through mid-May (as well as in the fall), so normally power plants aren't at full capacity and carefully plan maintenance during this time. A coal-fired generator typically needs an outage for maintenance every 12-18 months, with a longer outage every 4-6 years, so it is difficult to get all the maintenance in during the mild months and still maintain a reserve.

Gee.. if only they had a wider interconnection they could lean on in times like these..

+1

Yeah. How to make that happen, hmmm ...

rossgw wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 10:08 pm such as dishwashers, washers and dryers)

Why would you be using a dryer during a "heatwave"?

So that when the windy storms come your laundry doesn't end up in the next county.

neonzx wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 10:36 pm

rossgw wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 10:08 pm such as dishwashers, washers and dryers)

Why would you be using a dryer during a "heatwave"?

Well my condo association won't let me run a clothes line outside... But I'm in Florida and even though we get pummeled worse than TX, our electricity stays on (sans hurricane).

(and our kwh rates are lower also, too)

I'd heard that there was a state law in Florida which prevented condo associations from banning clotheslines. I'll have to check when I'm back at my regular desk and not on vacation -- Marseille rocked, and Genoa so far is turning out just as nice, if anyone is interested, except that they close restaurants from 2pm until about 7pm here, so if you miss lunch, you wait for a late dinner. And, um, browse Fogbow while waiting.

Florida law trumps HOA rules: Homeowners can use the sun and a clothesline to dry laundry

Florida Statute 163.04

The statute makes invalid any ordinance, covenant or deed restriction “which prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting the installation of solar collectors, clotheslines, or other energy devices based on renewable resources ...

communities can place some restrictions on clothesline use. Things such as not allowing clothes to hang overnight or not allowing them in the front yard, for example. But there can’t be an outright ban

https://www.news-press.com/story/archiv ... 012733002/

Don't tell DeSantis or he'll have the law changed.

Plus a fine for ten kilobucks just for saying solar.

This is cool, near real-time Texas power grid info: https://www.ercot.com/gridmktinfo/dashboards

raison de arizona wrote: ↑Tue May 17, 2022 12:37 am This is cool, near real-time Texas power grid info: https://www.ercot.com/gridmktinfo/dashboards

Estiveo wrote: ↑Mon May 16, 2022 1:54 pm

Florida law trumps HOA rules: Homeowners can use the sun and a clothesline to dry laundry

Florida Statute 163.04

The statute makes invalid any ordinance, covenant or deed restriction “which prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting the installation of solar collectors, clotheslines, or other energy devices based on renewable resources ...

communities can place some restrictions on clothesline use. Things such as not allowing clothes to hang overnight or not allowing them in the front yard, for example. But there can’t be an outright ban

https://www.news-press.com/story/archiv ... 012733002/

Yep, that's the one. I was joking with my brother that since the last escapade that caused beef between me and my condo association -- let's just say that a desparate family member took advantage of my being in the Foreign Service and trusting them with a key to my condo and tried to rent it out illegally behind my back and the condo was all 'you knew about this and don't pretend otherwise' when I actually didn't and it cost me 4 grand to make the whole problem go away without touching my security clearance as a fraud issue or a lein against my property and I'll spare you all the gory details -- I should totally empower him (since the above escapade, he's the only one other than myself or the condo management permitted to have keys to my place as per our 'settlement') to set up solar panels and multiple clotheslines at my unit. But he's like "You know, that's easy for you to say, big shot, you're not the one they will bean with a brick."

Killjoy.

My HOA here on Lake Humidity would say something like "clotheslines are acceptable as long as they don't exceed 11 inches in length"

My deck is my clothesline. I have metal planters that didn't work well for me (too much daily maintenance). I hang my clothes on hangers from the metal strips.

Tiredretiredlawyer wrote: ↑Mon May 30, 2022 10:11 am My deck is my clothesline. I have metal planters that didn't work well for me (too much daily maintenance). I hang my clothes on hangers from the metal strips.

I hang mine on some rack thing that hangs over the closet door. No benefit of air and sunshine but no dryer killing the t shirts either.

I do indoor drying also. I fondly remember using a clothesline in the 60's. Mom had my twin and I hang out the laundry then retrieve it when it was dry.