Hydro Demand High as Temps Climb
On Saturday evening, BC Hydro electricity use was u p 15% across B.C. compared to the previous Saturday. The peak hourly load – the highest hourly demand observed throughout the day – was 861 megawatts higher than the previous Saturday. On Sunday, there was an increase of 10 per cent, or 617 megawatts, in the peak hourly load over the previous Sunday.
BC Hydro says the increases were more than if an extra generating unit at the Mica dam ( one of the largest generating stations in BC) had been running.
The demand is expected to be higher than normal this week as well.
BC Hydro says there are ways you can save some dollars during the hot weather:
- Keep the blinds down: shade your windows and block up to 65 per cent of the heat.
- Use a ceiling fan: ceiling fans are the most efficient option for cooling. Ensure the fan is rotating counter-clockwise.
- Keep the clothes dryer off: hang your laundry to dry and avoid the clothes dryer to keep unnecessary heat out of your house.
- Cook outside: use the barbeque to cook outside to reduce the use of your stove or oven.
- Take shorter, cooler showers.
As high as the demand has been, or will be during the peak of summer’s heat, BC Hydro still records the highest demand in the winter.
Comments
Getting quotes on central air this week :-)
Yes that sun beating down mercilessly is such a huge problem here in Canada . Poor bchydro . What would the Green Party do ? Not what those libs do while dripping in hydro cash . 4 to 6 cent watts are being installed today . In California they are providing free solar power systems for their elderly on limited incomes . While we here and across this rich country are delivering ever increasing hydro bills to our elders and everyone else except if you are a corperation .
P Val, if you already have central heat it’ll be anywhere between 4k – 7k depending on the quality you go for.
Keep in mind, that value will be lost in your house as buyers in PG won’t pay more for a house that has air conditioning. IF that doens’t matter to you, then I say do it! It’ll make the couple weeks in the summer better.
Central air is really nice, it’s pretty much standard equipment out here.
You don’t really have to worry about humidity in PG, but that’s probably a bigger issue out here than the heat. A dry 30 degrees is one thing. Throw in humidity and it makes it so much worse. I remember one day a couple of summers ago when the humidex value was 48. You do get accustomed to the humidity, but not when it’s like that. It was ridiculous, LOL.
Ataloss you forgot to mention the power rate in California is three times higher than BC. You also forgot to mention California is mainly a desert so solar can be somewhat viable there but only at their higher rate. You also forgot to mention industry is also bailing out of California because of higher costs of energy.
You have never mentioned how your solar powered house is working out?
Free solar power, how is solar free?
Solar power is delivered every day from sun up to sun down and it is delivered free of cost . Once the system is paid for , it’s all free money . I have already addressed yor other question . I understand it’s tough for fossils like you to catch up with what’s happening but there is no escape . It’s happening world wide and exelerating . It come down to bottom line . Like Tony seba says it’s not happening because of climate change . It’s not happening because of the green movement . It’s happening because the of bottom line economics . We will be off the fossils because they won’t be able to compete with solar and storage . Get used to it . If coal wasn’t being subsidized it would already be done . Kind of ironic that the leader in solar is China . But then they are not wedded to the fossil fool ideology that the harperettes are . They are bottom liners . Now how green is that ?
Also this 15% peak use just happens to coincide with the top of the solar collection peak curve .
I’m doing my part. I have one of those solar powered laser beam guitars.
anyone else feel an, oooops, power outage coming soon?
You mean a grid failer , bcracer ? I never have a power outage . Most of my neighbours do . That’s so 2005 for us .
Phje, I am getting a new furnace as well.. Be about 13k all said and done.. Not worried about the impact it has on house price or selling etc… Just worried about comfort :). One thing I will never do is buy a house with skylights..aka heat sinks.
no Ataloss, not a grid failer, a power outage, lets stop being picky with words….
I don’t get many outages either but the time will no doubt come…
Hydro CAN shut off one or many of the smart meters remotely, whatever suits them whenever it suits them… ( google it, see for yourself..)
and theoretically deny, deny, deny
Bcracer, hydro can’t even tell if the “smart” meters have power from my two phone calls to them about my power being out. They wanted me go to my neighbours and see if they still had power.. I asked when it happened the second time if they could tell from their end if I had no power..the response I got was..”I think so”. Lol
Not the smart meters we where pitched I guess..
P Val that is because , as of now, they aren’t turned on yet…. so people who are paying that extra fee to have their meters read are being ripped off….all meters are still manually read.
Power meters are on, go one line and see your consumption.
So ataloss you are of the grid, please give details which you seem to avoid.
China is building coal and nuclear as fast as they can. Solar is a small part of their generation and has to be backed up. The cost of so called solar almost bankrupted Spain and Portugal. Germany’s cost of electricity has jumped markedly causing suffering during the winter and industry leaving.
Germany stupidly shut down their nuclear power and are building coal power.
Atalose did you have investment in the failed Solandra. Oh solar is not free, it’s like what an old sailor said, the wind is free but everything else costs money.
So again what’s your power system, what’s your backup? I am curious for details. How are your costs compared to hydro?
Get ready for a new ‘heat tax’ , I’m sure Murray Krause will help push it through.
Seamutt, Germany is also,the leader in solar energy and environmental goals.. Coal may be a bit dirtier than nuclear.. But if you get high quality coal..burn it in high efficiency boilers with a good stack cleaning system it, use numerous heat exchangers to make more steam to run the turbines..then compare it to all the highly radioactive rods you have to take care of for tens of thousands of years..
Ataloss, what is used to make the solar panels… Lots of oil based products….then to store it need batteries..lots of chemicals used to make them..then have the acid to deal with once the batteries die..
Solar power is good..wind power is good.. Power from damns are good.. But not every part of the world has the ability to harness these efficiently at this time…but they way we are heading the research is increasing as well..
We better do something soon.. Not a fan of living on the moon or Mars..not the atmosphere I want :-)
My electrical consumption averges less than $1:20 a day, hum wonder what a solar payback would be, never.
If I thought it was any of Your business seamutt , I would tell you .
Ataloss so you got nothing, figured as much considering the lack of knowledge in your posts.
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