Big Brother plan to stop blackouts
From: http://www.sundaytelegraph.news.com.au/?from=ni_story
By Tony Vermeer
NSW electricity companies are planning to switch off home air conditioners by remote control on the hottest days of the year to save power and prevent blackouts.
Air conditioners will be "cycled" on and off at the whim of
distributors using the same technology that regulates power to off-peak hot
water services.
The Big Brother-style of managing peak demand will be trialled over
summer by Integral Energy in selected homes in western Sydney. It is one of a
number of initiatives being investigated to avoid embarrassing blackouts
experienced in recent summers caused by increasing demand for electricity and
ageing infrastructure. Pool pumps are also on the list of energy-hungry
appliances that could be turned off by the power companies.
Integral says it will work in partnership with customers and is
currently seeking 30 volunteers for this summer's trials. Karen
Waldman, the company's regulatory and corporate affairs manager, said 11 per
cent of Integral's network capacity was
required to be available for use for just 25 hours per year. "We need to
find ways to more efficiently meet the needs of customers during periods of
peak electricity demand," she said.
Preliminary research has found that turning off air conditioning for an
hour results in only a small rise in room temperature. Air conditioning
manufacturers, power companies and the Australian Greenhouse Office are also
working on more sophisticated methods to control appliances remotely, including
smart cards. Air conditioners could then respond automatically to changing
prices in periods of high demand.
Energy Networks Association chief executive Bill Nagle said customers
handing over limited control to power companies would be beneficial to all.
"This opens up opportunities where consumers could choose to allow their
air conditioners to be turned off for a short period of time several times a
year without this having any major impact on the comfort of that household.
"Aside from any incentives distributors may offer customers for
this opportunity, it will also save consumers in the long run when the network
does not need to be built to meet very short peaks".
A quarter of a million air conditioners are sold in Australia a year
and they are one of the main drivers of electricity demand. In some states, air
conditioning loads on extremely hot days make up more than half total energy use.
In Sydney ageing networks have struggled to meet increased demand risking an
increasing number of blackouts on high demand days.
The Energy Users Association says NSW is likely to experience problems
with supply this summer if there is an extended period of hot weather.
Mother of five-month-old Dylan, Lauren Sladek, of Chiswick, said air
conditioning was a necessity rather than a luxury, particularly for families
with babies.
"I wouldn't personally want my air conditioning turned off on the
hottest days, but I guess if they give you a choice then it's OK."
Greg Groppenbacher, of the Air Conditioners Manufacturers Association,
said the industry was willing to help power companies.
"But my personal opinion is that I think consumers will want to
get some incentive for handing control over their air conditioner to the power
company," he said.
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