Abuse of Hydro/Air Conditioning

[james t kirk]

How much electrical energy does the TTC suck out of the grid? I heard somewhere that it's up to 50% of the power. It's massive, whatever it is. And I bet the city tries their best to fudge the percentage numbers.

Since streetcars are essentially coal and nuke powered, and NOT magical, clean and pure, as their advocates suggest, I'd suggest eliminating them for modern diesel buses, except in one or two tourist areas for tradition's sake. Keep the China town street car, (and I guess were stuck with St Clair as well)

The Spadina line could then be like the popular (and only) slow-moving, lumbering, street car attraction that clatters through the Garden District in New Orleans.

Not only will demands on the electrical grid be stabilized, but cars can start to move a little faster on Toronto roads, moving past stopped buses, instead of being and trapped and idling behind street cars.

Half-hour car tips will now take a half-hour in the city instead of 45 minutes, and the overall carbon footprint of vehicle/TTC traffic will be minimized.

Negative.

Street cars operate on 600 volts DC, as do subways.

There isn’t a diesel bus on the market that can move as many people as quickly, quietly, or without the smoke that an electric street car can. A double streetcar can move 130 people as opposed to a bus which can move 55.

The electricity has to come from somewhere, you are correct, but the on site pollution is minimized with electrical and even still on a per capita basis, an electric street car generates 85% less emissions than a diesel bus.

Street cars also use regenerative braking which puts power back into the grid, buses do not

That, and the street cars can last 40 years verses a bus that maybe lasts 15.

Street cars also hold a known path, which for me is a good thing.

 

[rhuarc29]

I went into a blockbuster just after it opened at 10am when I got off work. The place has about 4000 sq. feet of space with a 20 ft high ceiling. Felt like it was about 18C in there even though the place had just opened. It was at that time that I realized why blockbuster is almost broke lol

 

[JohnHenry]

There's a solution but it requires a network change and would/will take a decade or more to roll out.

All houses should be wired with two separate circuits: Essential, and non-essential power.

Ontario law should then mandate that certain appliances must run on the non-essential power: A/C, hot water, washer/dryer, stove, and possibly heat. All other household appliances would run on the essential circuit.

Hydro would then be able to implement rolling blackouts of just the non-essential services during peak load, maintaining basic electrical power to everyone. The expectation is that non-essential services would only go out for an our or two hence something like "heat" isn't essential--obviously if it were to go out for a day it would become an essential in that case.

Obviously this would take years maybe decades before it reached everyone. Even if just new buildings going up were wired this way it would be an improvement, and maybe there could be a 20 year plan to move everyone over.

Interesting concept, but it could be done by adding a microchip to each product, and a controller to the power panel. Once you purchase a device with a micro chip, you would be forced into buying the controller in order to operate the product.

 

[Tangwhich]

Have all of the businesses that light up their parking lots like Christmas trees at night stop doing that.

Cheers

Any capacity problems are strictly during business hours. There's a massive amount of power going to waste over night. That's why the rates are so cheap during that time with time of day billing. Light up all the christmas trees you want..

 

[johnny]

the government tell me to conserve, but they have no problem running those big casino lights, not to mention keeping it cool. if anyone thinks you do a little conserving in your little house is going to do anything you are mistaken. it ight make you feel good about yourself, but it doesnt do anything.
another 500 house subdivision went up in my town recently...thats an extra 500 houses usuing electricity...and me turning my air conditioning down is going to do something?

There is no shortage of hydro, its just during peak time when things get overloaded. Its like there are no shortages of water in Canada, just that when we have a hot streak, demand goes up and system cannot keep up with demand.


another way to put it, there isnt a shortage of cashiers at Canadian Tire but if a bus load of people all go in the store at once, there will be a line up at the cash register.

 

[Keebler Elf]

the government tell me to conserve, but they have no problem running those big casino lights, not to mention keeping it cool. if anyone thinks you do a little conserving in your little house is going to do anything you are mistaken. it ight make you feel good about yourself, but it doesnt do anything.
another 500 house subdivision went up in my town recently...thats an extra 500 houses usuing electricity...and me turning my air conditioning down is going to do something?

Just excuses people like yourself make to not have to participate in conservation...

 

[Keebler Elf]

Isn't that what Smart meters and time-of-use prices are supposed to accomplish ??

http://www.ieso.ca/imoweb/siteShared/smart_meters.asp?sid=ic

Yup. It's one more piece of the puzzle. Can't bill people for what they use and when they use it if you have no means of measuring what they use and when they use it.

 

[The Bandit]

We're gonna get rolling blackouts, just wait and see.
Nobody cares to turn things off when not in use or some keep their windows and patio doors open when they have their A/C on.
Just a matter of time.

You mean like people leaving their computers on 24/7.

 

[Diode]

Hang on. Turning one's AC off when you go out, (esp days where its 30+) is most likely not a good idea, or good for the grid.
The thermal inetia of the house, when it gets up to 27-28-29...inside, will demand that when the A/C is turned on the compressor...(the device that consumes the true power...fans are nothing) will have to run continually untill the temp is lowered to the desired 21 or 22 degrees.
1) This will occur...most likely between the hours of 4 and 7 pm..when everyone is getting home..turning on the oven, etc...greatest demand time.
2)This time is also when hydro is at peak pricing...so you will pay more.

I suggest that you turn your A/C up to maybe 24 or 25 when out and then cool it down when you get home.....
While the compressor will have to run..it will be much less than when the house has overheated.....

 

[nascar2]

2 words!!!!

WIND @ SOLAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


oh wait I forgot if we as homeowners install solar panels or wind turbines than that would me the local hydo companies would start to lose revenue as well as the government and local municipallities would lose revenue,!!! god forbid if that was to happen !!!!

 

[johnny]

Just excuses people like yourself make to not have to participate in conservation...

No excuse, and i thought i was participating in the conversation?

Nuclear power is the way to go, it creates a ton of power. this solar and wind, makes peope feel good but doesnt do anything. I laugh when i hear the government build an eye sore of a wind farm and then announce that it will provide electricity to over 1000 homes......big deal, over 1000 homes are under construction right now.
my argument has always been that over population is the biggest part of the problem.

I am not a energy conserver, but i bet me and my wife use less electricity then you people that have 2 or 3 kids.....

 

[oldjones]

The thousand homes you mentioned are a huge part of the 'problem'. Condos would house as many and can be made energy efficient more cheaply than standalone houses on enviro-destructive single lots.

 

[johnny]

The thousand homes you mentioned are a huge part of the 'problem'. Condos would house as many and can be made energy efficient more cheaply than standalone houses on enviro-destructive single lots.

Ya right. Lets all live like sardines packed in. Thats not my vision of a good quality of life.
How about we just slow down our reproduction? It seems that the problem is more people, not so much less conservation.