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Old 11-15-2007, 01:55 PM
ElSapo ElSapo is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Eating at Transcendental Sandwich.
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Default Re: Renewable Energy

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Part of that depends on the area. In the southwest the peak usage is caused by air-conditioning.

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Power gen is really on the rise in the Southwest - helped along, of course, by California's own resistance to building power plants. Funny - a few towns outside of Phoenix, Ariz., are up in arms about a pipeline expansion that would feed power gen in Phoenix. They're pissed, at least partly, because that generation isn't really benefitting them, it's benefitting Calfornia.

Anyways.... Peak demand from AC or heating, either way, I think it's the same problem. Wind doesn't blow all the time, and whe it doesn't wind generators can face hefty tariff fines, and what you'll see is a spike in traditional fuel use.

There are proposals to alter power tariffs for renewable generators so that these problems are not quite so heavy.

Now, if you mean AC demand correlates to solar power potential, I dunno. Solar power thus far has shown to be more effective onsite and in small scale, at least economically speaking. More tightly linking solar power to smart metering is probably a big step, so people can see ust how much power they have. Basically linking solar power with demand reduction/conservation.
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