It was reported recently that some bright folks have figured out that if you watch the current of the power grid with phasor measurement units (picture colorful layers of EKG displays),it will reveal potential disruptions in the power supply nationwide and help us catch a problem before it gets too big, like it did in the summer of 2003 when 50 million people lost power.
Knowing when trouble is coming is great but if we tax the grid with cooling and lighting, watching re runs of Star Trek, and running blenders for margaritas’ in the summer, what do we do about it?
Either generate more power (Que Scottish accent shouting “I dannae is she can’t take any more captain!”) or we change our behavior (put the blender away) We may have escaped this summer unscathed, but reducing our electircal load year round is a great idea.
Here’s one more option: Energy efficient appliances, lighting and homes! When you replace appliances or lighting, make sure it EnergyStar rated or is a LED or CFL for lighting. As for our homes, increasing your comfort can mean reducing your bills as well and using less from the grid at the same time. Air sealing and insulation makes a big difference on the cooling bill. Consider a home performance assessment, that way your shields will be up and ready for anything.
Thanks,
Jason
