Battery-swap networks are preventing emergency blackouts

Re:Battery-swap networks are preventing emergency blackouts by pfdietz on Tuesday June 11, 2024 @09:30AM (#40645970)

Even lower hanging fruit would be increasing the dispatchability of demand in homes. Simply allowing heating and cooling to be dispatched would be very helpful. In the past this was done with bespoke add-ons to furnaces and AC compressors, but now it's done with smart thermostats.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Battery-swap networks are preventing emergency blackouts by smileysteve on Tuesday June 11, 2024 @09:43AM (#40646087)

Dispatched versus random dither are similar;

For most smart thermostats, one of the lesser known quality improvements is the 5 minute + dither time for startup. This is designed for compressor health - but prevents repeat cascading brownouts - where programmable thermostats or manual thermostats would have either a strict 5 minute wait time or none at all.

Other features like time of use, humidity correction, and fan circulation also drastically reduce energy usage.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Battery-swap networks are preventing emergency blackouts by hedora on Tuesday June 11, 2024 @02:12PM (#40649577)

Our thermostat seems to apply the delay even when you manually turn it on.

It drives me nuts. (After a power failure or during scheduled transitions make sense; after I push the button: not so much.)

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Battery-swap networks are preventing emergency blackouts by Workaccount2 on Tuesday June 11, 2024 @10:10AM (#40646359)

If you don't have a smart thermostat, check whoever your utility is for discounts. I got a 50% discount buying it through them.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Battery-swap networks are preventing emergency blackouts by op00to on Tuesday June 11, 2024 @11:16AM (#40647196)

My utility keeps sending me google thermostats for free despite having ecobee. I keep giving them away but they keep sending them!

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Battery-swap networks are preventing emergency blackouts by immibis on Tuesday June 11, 2024 @09:44AM (#40646112)

ISTR they did this somewhere (getting a discount on power in return for letting them decrease your cooling remotely at peak times) and the political right threw a national hissyfit.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Battery-swap networks are preventing emergency blackouts by pfdietz on Tuesday June 11, 2024 @09:53AM (#40646205)

I signed up for this in Illinois and never heard a single peep of complaint about it (nor did I ever notice it when it kicked in.)

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Battery-swap networks are preventing emergency blackouts by szvsw on Tuesday June 11, 2024 @12:39PM (#40648399)

Heating and cooling would be massive. Another one is dishwashers (eh) but also laundry machines (washers and dryers/hot water heaters). Pushing those to random overnight spacing or preferably midday can help at least a bit.

[ Parent | on HN ]