Preparing for the Next Hot Summer

The memories of the past summer's heat waves, brownouts, and power interruptions may already be fading, but preparations for the next hot summer (and the summers after that) need to begin right now. It appears that the electricity supply infrastructure (from generation to the final distribution transformer) has suffered from serious underinvestment. Home Energy, however, is interested in the customer side of the meter--that is, in how energy is used, rather than in how it is supplied. So here are some recommendations for actions needed to reduce peak demand and avoid catastrophic, regionwide blackouts.

Get the price right. Most consumers pay the same rate for electricity at any time of day and regardless of the utility's costs of supplying. True, there are some seasonal price adjustments, but they are small compared to the actual variation in cost of service. So, where possible, consumers need to know how much that kilowatt-hour costs for the hour that they use it.

Forget the price. Yes, this contradicts the first recommendation, because when it comes to cooling, most consumers will pay extraordinary rates for thermal comfort during the peak hours. Furthermore, it won't be easy to get the price signal to all consumers in a timely or economical fashion. Most present time-of-use systems require installation of a new meter and new wiring. New communications systems make sense for large users but perhaps not for small ones. If reducing peak demand is the only way to keep the whole region's electricity supply system from crashing, other, nonprice procedures are needed. Rolling blackouts are not a long-term solution.

Give consumers the means to conveniently respond to the price or other signal. Put another way, make sure that appliances and equipment have the intelligence to respond to changes in electricity prices or other signals in an appropriate fashion. This includes a convenient customer override. Meeting these requirements is technically challenging, and in the past it wasn't always possible, but microprocessor controls and information distribution networks offer dozens of intriguing new ways to temporarily cut or postpone peak demand. Why can't central air conditioners and electric water heaters be equipped with cell phone receivers to receive this hour's electricity price? If the price is too high (what constitutes "too high" can be set by the customer), then the water heater simply coasts on the hot water in the tank for a few hours, or the temperature in the home floats a few degrees higher.

The air conditioner is not the only appliance that contributes to the peak. Pool and spa pumps often contribute, too. Even refrigerators behave a little like air conditioners, and their 200W auto defrost cycles could easily be postponed without inconveniencing the consumer. Appliance manufacturers need to design the intelligence into their appliances, because retrofits are always more expensive and less reliable. Even if they don't install the microprocessor and communications components, manufacturers should be required to build a standardized connection, so that these components can easily be added by the utility.

Align policies with opportunities. Find out which appliances are actually switched on during power usage peaks, and deal with them. Photovoltaic and solar water-heating systems may be attractive and should be pursued if they appear cost-effective. However, my hunch is that they are not near-term solutions, and they cost much more than alternative strategies to cut peak demand.

Finally, read this issue to learn more techniques to reduce cooling loads. The savings from radiant barriers, shading, proper building orientation, efficient windows, and daylighting are all discussed. They can all contribute to less heat gain, greater comfort, and, in most cases, reduced air conditioning energy use during the peak hours.

Executive Editor

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