GE Smart Grid

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Permalink Reply by DeusEx on June 8, 2009 at 2:31pm

I think the services it provides will be pretty useful for people such as real time notifications of outages..although I think if you power is out it might be hard to actually get the notification LOL. This seems to cater to the population that can actually afford to install solar panels or wind power generators. Right now the technology is priced too high for the average American so I see the concerns that are out there. As far as the companies having the ability to turn off certain appliances, why not? During times of drought many cities have mandatory water restrictions so why not restrict energy usage? What did you find out about this that is not to your liking?

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Permalink Reply by LeavingSOE on June 8, 2009 at 2:40pm

It all sounds well and good in theory, but I'm not looking forward to the energy equivalent of the BSOD. On a tangent, I'm really getting aggravated by how tax money is being spent on the utilities business in general. The first few years of this decade were spent on deregulation and folks were paid beaucoup money to facilitate deregulation. While I wholeheartedly believe deregulation was in the best interest of tax paying citizens, it seems this Smart Grid will likely reverse that work and waste the billions of dollars spent on utility deregulation. We will return to a state of an electricity monopoly, even worse than before. I vote "Nay" and join you in the <:| camp.

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Permalink Reply by DeusEx on June 8, 2009 at 2:43pm

I'm with you on the deregulation bit. It's pretty fucked up that our tax money goes to these companies yet they are not under government control nor do they really have to meet certain standards. Yay, capitalism.

LeavingSOE said:

It all sounds well and good in theory, but I'm not looking forward to the energy equivalent of the BSOD. On a tangent, I'm really getting aggravated by how tax money is being spent on the utilities business in general. The first few years of this decade were spent on deregulation and folks were paid beaucoup money to facilitate deregulation. While I wholeheartedly believe deregulation was in the best interest of tax paying citizens, it seems this Smart Grid will likely reverse that work and waste the billions of dollars spent on utility deregulation. We will return to a state of an electricity monopoly, even worse than before. I vote "Nay" and join you in the <:| camp.

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Permalink Reply by ParadigmShift on June 8, 2009 at 3:25pm

Why not let companies regulate the energy use of appliances at their whim... Well to begin with, it's an intrusion on your lifestyle. You're basically asking: what's so bad about letting energy companies impose mandates on your way of life? The thought of letting some automated formula override how you use the energy you're PAYING to use, is pretty insane IMO. There have actually been a few unfortunate deaths resulting from power companies pulling the meter on people without their permission. Won't someone think of the old ladies?

Not to mention it leaves these companies a wide open window to take advantage of this system to maximize profit, i.e turn up a thermostat just a tiny bit for a few non-peak hours. Of course I wouldn't expect this to happen if energy companies weren't a bunch of price gouging assholes. Recently energy companies have been pushing for deregulation and people are finding themselves paying out the ass more and more year after year because companies continue pushing (re: bribing) for rate hikes.

Now you could argue that automated regulation is necessary to prevent blackouts during periods of high usage (I would argue against that) but what defense possible is there for variable pricing? Are you seriously going to put up with energy costs going up and down like the stock market?

Also, as far as I know the plan is to have the entire system networked. I can guarantee there will be huge problems from people exploiting the shit out of it, no matter how good the security seems to be.

I could also expect this type of system to lead to unforseen problems. For example (I'm just completely making this up for the sake of the example) a power company determining that your energy usage suggests you may be running an "indoor agricultural hydrator" in your home and finds that as an excuse to search your house. I mean sure this particular thing might not happen but I'm just saying this amout of regulation and surveillance leaves way too much room for abuse.

And if you don't think there are a bunch of unnecessary problems associated with this, just look at how some states have already begun to majorly fuck up with this retarded smart grid idea.

Sure, our current grid is aging and we need new infrastructure, but this seems like a terrible solution. What we need is nukes.


DeusEx said:

I think the services it provides will be pretty useful for people such as real time notifications of outages..although I think if you power is out it might be hard to actually get the notification LOL. This seems to cater to the population that can actually afford to install solar panels or wind power generators. Right now the technology is priced too high for the average American so I see the concerns that are out there. As far as the companies having the ability to turn off certain appliances, why not? During times of drought many cities have mandatory water restrictions so why not restrict energy usage? What did you find out about this that is not to your liking?

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Permalink Reply by DeusEx on June 8, 2009 at 5:36pm

You bring up some good points but I only have two things to say to that:
1. Why do you hate America?
2. You're a communist :P

ParadigmShift said:

Why not let companies regulate the energy use of appliances at their whim... Well to begin with, it's an intrusion on your lifestyle. You're basically asking: what's so bad about letting energy companies impose mandates on your way of life? The thought of letting some automated formula override how you use the energy you're PAYING to use, is pretty insane IMO. There have actually been a few unfortunate deaths resulting from power companies pulling the meter on people without their permission. Won't someone think of the old ladies?

Not to mention it leaves these companies a wide open window to take advantage of this system to maximize profit, i.e turn up a thermostat just a tiny bit for a few non-peak hours. Of course I wouldn't expect this to happen if energy companies weren't a bunch of price gouging assholes. Recently energy companies have been pushing for deregulation and people are finding themselves paying out the ass more and more year after year because companies continue pushing (re: bribing) for rate hikes.

Now you could argue that automated regulation is necessary to prevent blackouts during periods of high usage (I would argue against that) but what defense possible is there for variable pricing? Are you seriously going to put up with energy costs going up and down like the stock market?

Also, as far as I know the plan is to have the entire system networked. I can guarantee there will be huge problems from people exploiting the shit out of it, no matter how good the security seems to be.

I could also expect this type of system to lead to unforseen problems. For example (I'm just completely making this up for the sake of the example) a power company determining that your energy usage suggests you may be running an "indoor agricultural hydrator" in your home and finds that as an excuse to search your house. I mean sure this particular thing might not happen but I'm just saying this amout of regulation and surveillance leaves way too much room for abuse.

And if you don't think there are a bunch of unnecessary problems associated with this, just look at how some states have already begun to majorly fuck up with this retarded smart grid idea.

Sure, our current grid is aging and we need new infrastructure, but this seems like a terrible solution. What we need is nukes.


DeusEx said:

I think the services it provides will be pretty useful for people such as real time notifications of outages..although I think if you power is out it might be hard to actually get the notification LOL. This seems to cater to the population that can actually afford to install solar panels or wind power generators. Right now the technology is priced too high for the average American so I see the concerns that are out there. As far as the companies having the ability to turn off certain appliances, why not? During times of drought many cities have mandatory water restrictions so why not restrict energy usage? What did you find out about this that is not to your liking?

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Permalink Reply by ParadigmShift on June 8, 2009 at 6:13pm

speaking of Communists, this Chinese site has a really fascinating show on sustainable "spaceship" homes made out of trash. Check it out, my fellow comrades.

http://v.ku6.com/show/bo0sfrHO3ex1w_Po.html

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Permalink Reply by Tab on June 8, 2009 at 6:20pm

All this is precisely the reason I think America should invade Canada, grab the oil, put turbines on those rivers and make Canadians a slave caste.

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Permalink Reply by ParadigmShift on June 8, 2009 at 6:46pm

Obama, are you listening?

TheTabarnac said:

All this is precisely the reason I think America should invade Canada, grab the oil, put turbines on those rivers and make Canadians a slave caste.

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Permalink Reply by ilikepies on June 8, 2009 at 7:10pm

hmm thanks for this sounds interesting, I'll have to do a bit more research before I decide whether this sucks or not because the power grid we have now SUCKS, a more efficient system would do a whole world of good but yah the whole point in a better grid is giving people more control over using power and only paying for what they use..i think..

Oh and feel free to invade canada, I'd like to get raped by some hot army chicks

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Permalink Reply by LeavingSOE on June 10, 2009 at 12:29pm

"Oh and feel free to invade canada, I'd like to get raped by some hot army chicks"

You sure about that?

Former Army Chick Druanna

ilikepies said:

hmm thanks for this sounds interesting, I'll have to do a bit more research before I decide whether this sucks or not because the power grid we have now SUCKS, a more efficient system would do a whole world of good but yah the whole point in a better grid is giving people more control over using power and only paying for what they use..i think..

Oh and feel free to invade canada, I'd like to get raped by some hot army chicks

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Permalink Reply by Tab on June 10, 2009 at 12:36pm

Army chick, stripper, psychic

Damn she's a veritable renaissance woman!

LeavingSOE said:

"Oh and feel free to invade canada, I'd like to get raped by some hot army chicks"

You sure about that?

Former Army Chick Druanna

ilikepies said:

hmm thanks for this sounds interesting, I'll have to do a bit more research before I decide whether this sucks or not because the power grid we have now SUCKS, a more efficient system would do a whole world of good but yah the whole point in a better grid is giving people more control over using power and only paying for what they use..i think..

Oh and feel free to invade canada, I'd like to get raped by some hot army chicks

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Permalink Reply by ilikepies on June 10, 2009 at 12:36pm

my god what have i done.....

LeavingSOE said:

"Oh and feel free to invade canada, I'd like to get raped by some hot army chicks"

You sure about that?

Former Army Chick Druanna

ilikepies said:

hmm thanks for this sounds interesting, I'll have to do a bit more research before I decide whether this sucks or not because the power grid we have now SUCKS, a more efficient system would do a whole world of good but yah the whole point in a better grid is giving people more control over using power and only paying for what they use..i think..

Oh and feel free to invade canada, I'd like to get raped by some hot army chicks

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