Solar PV News

[ohmman]

This winter in Calif has been amazing for sunny days, but this is NOT normal.

Normal seems to be a moving target but I agree. Most larger all-electric homes need more than roof-mounted solar to fully offset. I can come close but will need to ground mount some panels to make up the delta. Part of that is the delightful 1978 cheese-grater build of the place, but part is just the amount of consumption on cool mornings and evenings.

 

[winfield100]

Source please. "I seem to recall" just doesn't cut it.

More false statements - "running on the bare minimum" is just a flat out lie.

According to the NERC, the TX power grid has the same level of reliability as the other major grids in the USA:

https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/PA/Performance%20Analysis%20DL/NERC_SOR_2020.pdf

Now, where are your facts?

South Texas Ice Storm - Feb 3 & 4, 2011

South Texas Heat Wave Sets June Record, Pushes Heat Index to 128 Degrees | Weather.com

This heat wave is impressive, even by South Texas standards. - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com

weather.com

like i said ERCOT functioned as designed.

 

[h2ofun]

Normal seems to be a moving target but I agree. Most larger all-electric homes need more than roof-mounted solar to fully offset. I can come close but will need to ground mount some panels to make up the delta. Part of that is the delightful 1978 cheese-grater build of the place, but part is just the amount of consumption on cool mornings and evenings.

Yep, my house is a large all electric home now. I have no ability for any ground mounted stuff. And I only have so much west and south facing roof area. This is why when I read folks who say they have zero electricity costs with their setups, but then find out they have gas heating, they have no idea how much electric heating costs. Just like if one adds EV charging.

 

[bkp_duke]

South Texas Ice Storm - Feb 3 & 4, 2011

South Texas Heat Wave Sets June Record, Pushes Heat Index to 128 Degrees | Weather.com

This heat wave is impressive, even by South Texas standards. - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com

weather.com

like i said ERCOT functioned as designed.

Great, you found a weather report. I still see nothing there how the grid "failed" during this.

TX summers commonly have days that call for reduced usage from consumers.

But CA summers do that too.

Again, cherry-picking.

 

[winfield100]

Normal seems to be a moving target but I agree. Most larger all-electric homes need more than roof-mounted solar to fully offset. I can come close but will need to ground mount some panels to make up the delta. Part of that is the delightful 1978 cheese-grater build of the place, but part is just the amount of consumption on cool mornings and evenings.

@ohmman
my 11,655 w system (59.9sq meters) can make 17.4 megawatt hours per year (actual measurement) and I use around 10 megawatt hours roughly (pre pool heater)
100% electric everything, LED, etc. there is a lot of insulation everywhere (26.6 degrees North)
house could be tighter, lots of infiltration and exfiltration.
monitor everything
have you done a blower door test to plug drafts?

 

[winfield100]

Great, you found a weather report. I still see nothing there how the grid "failed" during this.

TX summers commonly have days that call for reduced usage from consumers.

But CA summers do that too.

Again, cherry-picking.

2011 cold snap

Texas Was Warned a Decade Ago Its Grid Was Unready for Cold

Federal regulators warned Texas that its power plants couldn’t be counted on to reliably churn out electricity in bitterly cold conditions a decade ago, when the last deep freeze plunged 4 million people into the dark.

www.bloomberg.com

2011 cold snap

Why a predictable cold snap crippled the Texas power grid

(Reuters) - As Texans cranked up their heaters early Monday to combat plunging temperatures, a record surge of electricity demand set off a disastrous chain reaction in the state’s power grid.

www.reuters.com

2019 heat wave price spikes >$9,000 up from $19.
this wasn’t quite a grid failure, just ERCOT acting as designed

https://www.riogrande.coop/elecissues/Texas%20Heat%20Wave%20Tests%20Electric%20Grid,%20Underscores%20Challenges%20for%20Wind%20_%20Best.pdf

ERCOT functioned as designed (hint Enron)
it costs money to do maintenance, plan for disasters, bad weather, etc.
luckily some of us, a lucky few, are able to do things to mitigate disasters at least for our selves

 

[h2ofun]

@ohmman
my 11,655 w system (59.9sq meters) can make 17.4 megawatt hours per year (actual measurement) and I use around 10 megawatt hours roughly (pre pool heater)
100% electric everything, LED, etc. there is a lot of insulation everywhere (26.6 degrees North)
house could be tighter, lots of infiltration and exfiltration.
monitor everything
have you done a blower door test to plug drafts?

How does a blower test work? My house clearly can be tighter.

 

[SageBrush]

Yep, my house is a large all electric home now. I have no ability for any ground mounted stuff. And I only have so much west and south facing roof area. This is why when I read folks who say they have zero electricity costs with their setups, but then find out they have gas heating, they have no idea how much electric heating costs. Just like if one adds EV charging.

Imagine how much more true your point is outside of CA. This is why a renewed focus on improved building codes is so important.

 

[SageBrush]

The study/work is important to counter the utility argument that PV 'unfairly burdens' none PV customers as part of their regulatory demand to screw/limit PV penetration.

The problem is why would utilities want to save their customers money.

Yes, that is THE problem.

 

[winfield100]

How does a blower test work? My house clearly can be tighter.

a company comes by and “inflates” your house, i think to 50 pascals pressure by putting a fan in the door, sealing it.
long ago you then took a smoky thing and looked for leaks where smoke was escaping.
there are others whom can explain it better, are probably in the business, probably also use IR detectors etc.
They are looking at ACH, Air Changes per Hour.

You do need some fresh air after all to keep breathing.

(many of homes on Solar House Tours every October are very ‘tight’ and air flow tightly controlled)

Understanding Blower Door Test Results

Understanding Blower door test results may seem confusing. This article shows an example Energy Star House and it's blower door test results.

www.homeconstructionimprovement.com

 

[bkp_duke]

2011 cold snap

Texas Was Warned a Decade Ago Its Grid Was Unready for Cold

Federal regulators warned Texas that its power plants couldn’t be counted on to reliably churn out electricity in bitterly cold conditions a decade ago, when the last deep freeze plunged 4 million people into the dark.

www.bloomberg.com

2011 cold snap

Why a predictable cold snap crippled the Texas power grid

(Reuters) - As Texans cranked up their heaters early Monday to combat plunging temperatures, a record surge of electricity demand set off a disastrous chain reaction in the state’s power grid.

www.reuters.com

2019 heat wave price spikes >$9,000 up from $19.
this wasn’t quite a grid failure, just ERCOT acting as designed

https://www.riogrande.coop/elecissues/Texas%20Heat%20Wave%20Tests%20Electric%20Grid,%20Underscores%20Challenges%20for%20Wind%20_%20Best.pdf

ERCOT functioned as designed (hint Enron)
it costs money to do maintenance, plan for disasters, bad weather, etc.
luckily some of us, a lucky few, are able to do things to mitigate disasters at least for our selves

I fail to see your point. So the grid needs to be weatherized - we already knew that. So they made money - less than CA and NY power grid operators, but we already knew that. Reliability - do we need to get into how many DECADES now places like CA have been told to prepare for wild fires, and we still have prolonged outages EVERY YEAR for those?

Again, you seem to have an axe to grind against . . . someone, but are conveniently blind when it comes other providers that: 1) make money at the expense of customers (GSEs are notorious for this), 2) have times of outage during edge-case conditions

 

[bkp_duke]

a company comes by and “inflates” your house, i think to 50 pascals pressure by putting a fan in the door, sealing it.
long ago you then took a smoky thing and looked for leaks where smoke was escaping.
there are others whom can explain it better, are probably in the business, probably also use IR detectors etc.
They are looking at ACH, Air Changes per Hour.

You do need some fresh air after all to keep breathing.

(many of homes on Solar House Tours every October are very ‘tight’ and air flow tightly controlled)

Understanding Blower Door Test Results

Understanding Blower door test results may seem confusing. This article shows an example Energy Star House and it's blower door test results.

www.homeconstructionimprovement.com

They use different temp air these days instead of smoke, then check for leaks with an infra-red camera.

West Fraser - Integrated Forestry Company

 

[h2ofun]

Imagine how much more true your point is outside of CA. This is why a renewed focus on improved building codes is so important.

Great point, which I guess was proved with the Texas cold wave.

 

[winfield100]

I fail to see your point. So the grid needs to be weatherized - we already knew that. So they made money - less than CA and NY power grid operators, but we already knew that. Reliability - do we need to get into how many DECADES now places like CA have been told to prepare for wild fires, and we still have prolonged outages EVERY YEAR for those?

Again, you seem to have an axe to grind against . . . someone, but are conveniently blind when it comes other providers that: 1) make money at the expense of customers (GSEs are notorious for this), 2) have times of outage during edge-case conditions

i fail to see how i have “an axe to grind” when I am merely pointing out about ——>>>ERCOT<<<——- acting as they were designed to function
i am not and have not discussed or mentioned California and their PUC’s in any way.
——>>>ERCOT<<<—- functioned as designed
maximize profits
minimal maintenance, no weatherization of wind turbines for cold weather, natural gas shortages due to _no_ or minimal weatherization of plants, little excess capacity or interconnections so prices could go to $9,000 and be controlled
($16 Billion in 2 days, nice profits)

10+ years of warnings from 2011, $9,000 kw in a heat wave in summer for a few days 2019.

if ERCOT knew and has known their grid needed to be weatherized for —>10<— years and more, and did little to nothing, what was their “reason for being?”

 

[SageBrush]

Great point, which I guess was proved with the Texas cold wave.

I hope that Texas learns to view better building as not just mitigation of extreme weather. It will also save them money year round on their heating/cooling bills.

 

[bkp_duke]

i fail to see how i have “an axe to grind” when I am merely pointing out about ——>>>ERCOT<<<——- acting as they were designed to function
i am not and have not discussed or mentioned California and their PUC’s in any way.
——>>>ERCOT<<<—- functioned as designed
maximize profits
minimal maintenance, no weatherization of wind turbines for cold weather, natural gas shortages due to _no_ or minimal weatherization of plants, little excess capacity or interconnections so prices could go to $9,000 and be controlled
($16 Billion in 2 days, nice profits)

10+ years of warnings from 2011, $9,000 kw in a heat wave in summer for a few days 2019.

if ERCOT knew and has known their grid needed to be weatherized for —>10<— years and more, and did little to nothing, what was their “reason for being?”

Funny, because ——>>>ERCOT<<<—— is a 501(c)(4) non-profit.

Also, if you actually READ the NREC report I linked, ERCOT pushed through a LOT of improvements to the grid from 2011 to 2020 (oops, you probably didn't actually read that, huh?). So your statement about them "did little to nothing" to prepare for this is actually false.

And you KEEP LYING - that "$16 Billion in 2 days, nice profits" has been deemed price gouging and is zero'd out.


Also, if we are not going to compare ERCOT to . . . well, anyone else . . . then you are just reasoning through circular logic.

 

[ohmman]

have you done a blower door test to plug drafts?

I haven't. We did at our house in Texas, which was the tightest house they'd every tested. Of course, that meant we had to incorporate a duct and fan that drew in fresh air from outside in order to make sure we had enough turns.

I can tell you this, though. My house can be "sealed up" - no windows or doors open - and if there's even the slightest breeze blowing, our auto-closing hinge on our house to garage door won't close. The air just floods into the house, escaping through every penetration. I generally assume it's our ancient ceiling cans, which I plan to replace with sealed units. But I'm sure there are other areas of escape.

 

[SageBrush]

a company comes by and “inflates” your house, i think to 50 pascals pressure by putting a fan in the door, sealing it.
long ago you then took a smoky thing and looked for leaks where smoke was escaping.
there are others whom can explain it better, are probably in the business, probably also use IR detectors etc.
They are looking at ACH, Air Changes per Hour.

Yep.

The general idea is this: how much air (in terms of home volumes) can be blown into the home in an hour before the interior home pressure reaches 50 pascals. The leakier the home, the more air can be blow in. It is a test of air leakage resistance, and it follows the general equation

P = Q*R

P - pressure
Q - flow
R - resistance

 

[mspohr]

Funny, because ——>>>ERCOT<<<—— is a 501(c)(4) non-profit.

Also, if you actually READ the NREC report I linked, ERCOT pushed through a LOT of improvements to the grid from 2011 to 2020 (oops, you probably didn't actually read that, huh?). So your statement about them "did little to nothing" to prepare for this is actually false.

And you KEEP LYING - that "$16 Billion in 2 days, nice profits" has been deemed price gouging and is zero'd out.


Also, if we are not going to compare ERCOT to . . . well, anyone else . . . then you are just reasoning through circular logic.

Texas regulators decline to act after market monitor reports $16B of 'inappropriate' ERCOT charges

The two commissioners voted against directing the grid operator to retroactively reprice its real-time prices that were artificially inflated during the generation shortages and subsequent forced outages.

www.utilitydive.com

 

[winfield100]

Funny, because ——>>>ERCOT<<<—— is a 501(c)(4) non-profit.

Also, if you actually READ the NREC report I linked, ERCOT pushed through a LOT of improvements to the grid from 2011 to 2020 (oops, you probably didn't actually read that, huh?). So your statement about them "did little to nothing" to prepare for this is actually false.

And you KEEP LYING - that "$16 Billion in 2 days, nice profits" has been deemed price gouging and is zero'd out.


Also, if we are not going to compare ERCOT to . . . well, anyone else . . . then you are just reasoning through circular logic.

see msg 859 as to _my_ veracity for links.
As for improvements, well 10 years or so from 2011, a warning in summer 2019 when prices spiked from $19 to $9,000
ERCOT worked as it was designed to work.
why are you so invested in this?
you have your own personal electrical plant with storage so California electricity prices should not phase you much.
ERCOT was the one that failed the users, but not the sellers.