Perki

Six Myths About Smart Grid

Newsflash: hackers can already shut down the whole power grid ( except for parts of Texas) by accessing three systems. The "smart gird" referred to here is for consumers of power.


On Jul 14 09:27 AM drzarkov wrote:

> One thing the smart grid will do: make it easier for hackers to shut
> down the entire nation's power grid with a single attack. I'm all
> in favor of interconnecting the grid to enable shipping of power
> across regions, which will enable wind and solar power to be used
> in Eastern metro areas. I predict that most will reject the idea
> that the government should decide what temperature their house should
> be. Subsidizing the system to provide an artificially low price
> will increase, not decrease the cost of living, due to the need to
> increase taxes to cover the cost. The author is an imbecile.

Six Myths About Smart Grid

You may underestimate the simple things. People change habits with real time information. Just look at what "real-time" gasoline prices do for consumption!

I installed a simple power monitor that shows the KW being used at the moment, right in my web browser tool bar. I literally use 40% less energy.

I glance at the toolbar, it is showing 3kw, and I realize i left the coffee pot on. Seems like a little thing, but 1.1KW coffee maker heat production requires 2KW of additional A/C energy to compensate. It makes a difference!

Also, moving high wattage appliances (to evenings or low usage times) has a huge effect on the future base-load investment of the power company. It can delay or eliminate the future cost of very expensive base-load plants. Energy late at night is very cheap. If these savings are passed on, then the savings can be substantial.