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ERCOT Urging For Energy Conservation

Vic Mackey

By Vic Mackey
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NotActuallyALonghorn

NotActuallyALonghorn 4999

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Posted
14 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

Wow. What a stupid take. Seriously. 

(1) Is there any evidence at all that the generation is being taken off line to winterize? 

(2) Who the fuck suggested they should do those repairs in unison during our peak season for power usage? What in the fuck were they doing March through May? 

1. No idea, just postulating

2. This isn't yet peak season, and making any sort of change to process equipment requires a ton of administrative work before anything can be done in the field. Engineers have to design the updates. Since much of this would be capital work, outside engineering firms are probably being used. Of course they were probably all slammed just like plumbers were after the freeze. Cost estimates have to be drawn up, and committees have to meet to determine whether or not any of the changes will pose a safety risk for the operators or even surrounding community. Parts have to be ordered and contractors who do capital work have to be scheduled. All of this takes a not insignificant amount of time. Once everything is in place, the unit can be taken offline and the work can be done as quickly as possible to get it back up again. If we go with the assumption that this is what is happening right now then it's not too inefficient, just terrible timing.

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He sure sang a different tune when that oak tree shed a load on his hypocritical ass. Fuck you Greg.

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hobbes2702

hobbes2702 13376

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

We demand the power companies to winterize!

A few months later...

How dare the power companies take generation capacity offline to winterize or otherwise repair junk that was broken in the icepocalypse!

 

You’re a fucking moron

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F250

F250 29182

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

1. No idea, just postulating

2. This isn't yet peak season, and making any sort of change to process equipment requires a ton of administrative work before anything can be done in the field. Engineers have to design the updates. Since much of this would be capital work, outside engineering firms are probably being used. Of course they were probably all slammed just like plumbers were after the freeze. Cost estimates have to be drawn up, and committees have to meet to determine whether or not any of the changes will pose a safety risk for the operators or even surrounding community. Parts have to be ordered and contractors who do capital work have to be scheduled. All of this takes a not insignificant amount of time. Once everything is in place, the unit can be taken offline and the work can be done as quickly as possible to get it back up again. If we go with the assumption that this is what is happening right now then it's not too inefficient, just terrible timing.

 

Operators simply can't say "Fuck it, I have the parts now so I am going to do some upgrades."

From what I remember there needs to be a 45 day notice with ERCOT approval for a plant to be taken offline for maintenance. ERCOT has already said that the majority of these plants going offline were not planned.

 

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crash_davis

crash_davis 23465

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4 minutes ago, F250 said:

 

Operators simply can't say "Fuck it, I have the parts now so I am going to do some upgrades."

From what I remember there needs to be a 45 day notice with ERCOT approval for a plant to be taken offline for maintenance. ERCOT has already said that the majority of these plants going offline were not planned.

 

sooooo....why are they all offline at the same fucking time? what a fucking shit show.

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Dahobbs

Dahobbs 18208

Posted
Posted (edited)
18 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

1. No idea, just postulating

2. This isn't yet peak season, and making any sort of change to process equipment requires a ton of administrative work before anything can be done in the field. Engineers have to design the updates. Since much of this would be capital work, outside engineering firms are probably being used. Of course they were probably all slammed just like plumbers were after the freeze. Cost estimates have to be drawn up, and committees have to meet to determine whether or not any of the changes will pose a safety risk for the operators or even surrounding community. Parts have to be ordered and contractors who do capital work have to be scheduled. All of this takes a not insignificant amount of time. Once everything is in place, the unit can be taken offline and the work can be done as quickly as possible to get it back up again. If we go with the assumption that this is what is happening right now then it's not too inefficient, just terrible timing.

1. AKA, talking out of your ass. 

2. Summer is peak season. And if this is just terrible timing, then it is intentionally terrible timing. This would be called a temper tantrum. If they can't have their way, then they are going to do what we ask, but do it in the most inconsiderate and inconvenient way possible. No one said the repairs had to be done right now without any consideration of the demands on the grid (technically, no one required them to do any repairs at all). That's the kind of conduct I would expect from my four-year old.  Offering this as a fucking defense of the generators is moronic. As I said, March through May would have worked. October through December would have worked. Spreading the repairs out rather than having every generator doing them at the exact same time would have worked. Options exist to winterize and repair without crippling the grid.

3. None of this matters because I really doubt that any of the generators are down because of a decision to winterize. 

Edited by Dahobbs
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NotActuallyALonghorn

NotActuallyALonghorn 4999

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2 minutes ago, F250 said:

 

Operators simply can't say "Fuck it, I have the parts now so I am going to do some upgrades."

From what I remember there needs to be a 45 day notice with ERCOT approval for a plant to be taken offline for maintenance. ERCOT has already said that the majority of these plants going offline were not planned.

 

I wasn't suggesting that operators are just doing some upgrades on the fly. Quite the opposite, as that very type of situation has caused some very expensive and deadly uh ohs in the past. 

Did not know about the 45 day lead time deal, but that makes sense. Based on how things are at our (chemical, not electrical) plant I would suspect that a lot of stuff is still sort of just patched together from when folks were scrambling to get stuff back online, which isn't a good situation to begin with. 

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NotActuallyALonghorn

NotActuallyALonghorn 4999

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1 minute ago, Dahobbs said:

As I said, March through May would have worked. October through December would have worked. Spreading the repairs out rather than having every generator doing them at the exact same time would have worked. Options exist to winterize and repair without crippling the grid.

No real disagreement there. Although March would pretty much be completely out of the question unless strictly doing kind for kind repairs. I'm not trying to insinuate that our electrical grid is in any way well managed, but most folks have no idea how any sort of large plant runs from either an operating or administrative perspective.

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hobbes2702

hobbes2702 13376

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Just now, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

No real disagreement there. Although March would pretty much be completely out of the question unless strictly doing kind for kind repairs. I'm not trying to insinuate that our electrical grid is in any way well managed, but most folks have no idea how any sort of large plant runs from either an operating or administrative perspective.

It sounds like you don’t have any idea either so thanks for the lectures 

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F250

F250 29182

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3 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

sooooo....why are they all offline at the same fucking time? what a fucking shit show.

No idea.

The thing is it's not just a handful of plants that went offline and stayed offline. It's a lot of different plants that are going offline as others come back online. This is pretty unusual and a little concerning.

 

 

 

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faps

faps 818

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Catpfish said:

Timers on the vent fans are awesome.  

And all my ceiling can lights and lamps are hooked up to Google Home. I just yell "All lights off!" and off they go. Better than having to walk around turning shit off.

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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When I'm not home, ours is at 79 downstairs, when I get home it goes down to 77.  If I'm home alone, it's 75.  

But these settings were our household norm before corrupt, inept people were put in charge of our energy grid by fucking morons.  

Either these people are corrupt or incompetent.  It's as binary as my wife and I's preferred thermostat settings.  There is no middle ground with either. 

If there is a third option to explain what is happening in the most energy-rich state the world has ever known...now would be a good time to use your words and tell us. 

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Dahobbs

Dahobbs 18208

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27 minutes ago, Okie State said:

I don't understand how anyone keeps their house at 68. 72 is as low as I go and it's normally 74.

We go down to 72, but usually not any lower. The problem isn't so much the temperature, but the humidity in Houston. I'd be fine with the house at 78, but I frequently have to turn the temperature down to reduce the humidity in the house. 

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Dahobbs

Dahobbs 18208

Posted
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1 hour ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

No real disagreement there. Although March would pretty much be completely out of the question unless strictly doing kind for kind repairs. I'm not trying to insinuate that our electrical grid is in any way well managed, but most folks have no idea how any sort of large plant runs from either an operating or administrative perspective.

Great. And let's also go ahead and agree that your post below suggested a false dilemma: that we can't get proper repairs and winterization without significant disruption of our power grid. Sound fair? 

3 hours ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

We demand the power companies to winterize!

A few months later...

How dare the power companies take generation capacity offline to winterize or otherwise repair junk that was broken in the icepocalypse!

 

 

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NotActuallyALonghorn

NotActuallyALonghorn 4999

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8 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

Great. And let's also go ahead and agree that your post below suggested a false dilemma: that we can't get proper repairs and winterization without significant disruption of our power grid. Sound fair? 

 

That was mostly tongue in cheek. I didn't realize the thread police were going to show up.

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phdhorn

phdhorn 6225

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... and my A/C went out this afternoon.  Fortunately our house has great insulation and it'll probably peak about 85° in here.  We keep it at 80° anyway so not the worst thing... but tonight I'm sure I'll have just a lovely, peaceful, sweat-free sleep.  Yeah, that's the ticket.

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Brisketexan

Brisketexan 106704

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Posted (edited)
5 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Shit ours is currently at 77, and my wife still covers up with a damned blanket when she's on the couch.  

Running the AC cold is one of the great periodic pleasures in life.

Had a buddy in law school, whose "end of final exams" ritual was to go home, turn the AC down to 65, strip down to his skivvies, and sit on the couch drinking cold beer and eating pizza while watching Blazing Saddles and Caddyshack.  Once a year, it was his perfect moment as a guy.

I presume it ended when his wife came home from work and bitched about him keeping the house too cold, looking like a slob, and making a mess.  But man, until she did.....bliss.

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Judge Roybeanbag

Judge Roybeanbag 11858

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3 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Running the AC cold is one of the great periodic pleasures in life.

Had a buddy in law school, whose "end of final exams" ritual was to go home, turn the AC down to 65, strip down to his skivvies, and sit on the couch drinking cold beer and eating pizza while watching Blazing Saddles and Caddyshack.  Once a year, it was his perfect moment as a guy.

I presume it ended when his wife came home from work and bitched about him keeping the house too cold, looking like a slob, and making a mess.  But man, until she did.....bliss.

"Here honey, these empty Conan's Pizza boxes make great insulation!"

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Enchubben

Enchubben 5598

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4 hours ago, Lobo said:

When I'm not home, ours is at 79 downstairs, when I get home it goes down to 77.  If I'm home alone, it's 75.  

 

2 hours ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Shit ours is currently at 77, and my wife still covers up with a damned blanket when she's on the couch.  

Are y’all older than @Armybrat? The only people I know that like their house that clammy are old people and the McPoyle family from IASIP.

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Armybrat

Armybrat 41342

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46 minutes ago, Enchubben said:

 

Are y’all older than @Armybrat? The only people I know that like their house that clammy are old people and the McPoyle family from IASIP.

76 during the day, 71 at night.

Mrs. Brat gets cold and sometimes wears a sweater inside. At night she has a an extra blanket on her side of the bed, but I just sleep with the sheet over my carcass.

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HOOKEM4

HOOKEM4 5152

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56 minutes ago, Enchubben said:

 

Are y’all older than @Armybrat? The only people I know that like their house that clammy are old people and the McPoyle family from IASIP.

My mother lives like she doesn't have ac. It is absurd. She invited us to dinner the other night, we showed up and it was hot as shit at her house. I checked the temp and it was set to 86. I turned it down as she walked by and told me she already turned it down. Old people are dangerous.

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Enchubben

Enchubben 5598

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6 minutes ago, HOOKEM4 said:

My mother lives like she doesn't have ac. It is absurd. She invited us to dinner the other night, we showed up and it was hot as shit at her house. I checked the temp and it was set to 86. I turned it down as she walked by and told me she already turned it down. Old people are dangerous.

My mom hosted a baby shower for my wife years ago. She had her old house ass inefficient house at 76 during peak summer. The pictures showed the entire group dripping in sweat but they were too nice to say anything. 

When she complained I had to apologize for not mentioning to her to just turn it down to 70 upon arrival.

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phdhorn

phdhorn 6225

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, NorthLoop said:

Are you my grandpa?

Probably, but don't let it get out.

Well, for the better part of the last 10 years nobody has been here almost all day so it's kind of a waste to have it on 72. We turn it down to 77 in the evening after about 8 or so. It's how we roll around here.

I happen to live across the street from one of the highest rated A/C guys in Austin, he came over, opened up the unit, tweaked a few things, and it started working like a dream. I'm going to pay him in a case of beer, he didn't want money.

Back in the saddle again...

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Cajun

Cajun 11771

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Posted

Got a big ass dehumidifier in this week.  Supposed to cover up to 5500 square ft and my condo is like 2100.  Makes a hulluva difference in what's comfortable thermostat-wise.

I was running at 72F during the day, but now am equally comfortable at 77F.

I cannot believe how much water I drain out after a day that thing doin' its suck thing.  Easily over a gallon and a half.

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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 How do you do the thing where you reference @'posternamehere' ?  

I got a doozy about the electrical grid in my neighborhood in SOuth Austin and Gail Snoats would love it.  

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Captainant

Captainant 28422

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Posted
1 hour ago, Cajun said:

I cannot believe how much water I drain out after a day that thing doin' its suck thing.  Easily over a gallon and a half.

That'll be especially handy for flushing your toilets when we inevitably lose water pressure again due to some stupid bullshit

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UTGrad98

UTGrad98 2331

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8 hours ago, Dahobbs said:

We go down to 72, but usually not any lower. The problem isn't so much the temperature, but the humidity in Houston. I'd be fine with the house at 78, but I frequently have to turn the temperature down to reduce the humidity in the house. 

It doesnt seem intuitive at all but temperature and humidity are actually inversely proportional not directly.  You actually raised the relative humidity in your house. 

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Captainant

Captainant 28422

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The thing that really grinds my gears is that residential power use isn't the biggest strain on the grid, it's commercial use. But we don't request businesses to conserve in their usage - shit when I got my car serviced today they had the office cranked down cold with a door to the garage propped open. 

That's gonna suck a ton more power than moving a home from 77 to 74 degrees. 

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TKthunder2

TKthunder2 5058

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3 minutes ago, Captainant said:

The thing that really grinds my gears is that residential power use isn't the biggest strain on the grid, it's commercial use. But we don't request businesses to conserve in their usage - shit when I got my car serviced today they had the office cranked down cold with a door to the garage propped open. 

That's gonna suck a ton more power than moving a home from 77 to 74 degrees. 

Every empty office building throughout the state is a comfortable 70 degrees all day and fully lit all night.

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