[clug] OT: Solar power recommendations and advice

[Alex Satrapa]

On 21/04/2010, at 13:01 , Alex Satrapa wrote:

> The systems at least show you what you're consuming, so people who are aware that kW/h translate to $ can see that what they're doing has an impact on their consumption in real-time.

I should add that it shouldn't take too much effort to produce a "real time" metering web app back at the mothership, which takes the readings from the various smart meters and shows, "this is what your bill is worth so far."

At this point the effort is about smart metering, not smart grid. Smart grid is where the network tells you, "if you buy electricity right now, it's worth 5c/kWh… now, 6c/kWh… now, 4c/kWh…" and so on. With that facility there would be no reason for your meter to be incapable of estimating the cost of supplied electricity.

Smart metering (which is a good starting point, since every change has to start somewhere) allows different prices to be charged for electricity during certain periods of the day. Most people who get solar installations in Canberra will end up with a meter that measures the electricity produced during certain periods of the day - there is no difference at the moment for how much you're paid, but the facility is there.

As for being "forced" upon people, I can't imagine that ACTEW would be in any hurry to replace the thousands of meters out there. By the same token, I don't imagine they're in any hurry to pay people to adopt this technology. Smart meters will be like air conditioners - people will invent their own reasons to believe they need them.

Alex