Read through the California Energy Commission's (CEC) Proposed 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (.PDF), and you'll likely be bored. Until you get to Section 112(c) that is. Subsection (2) says:(2) Communicating Capabilities. All PCTs (programmable communicating thermostats) shall be distributed with a non-removable Radio Data System (RDS) communications device that is compatible with the default statewide DR communications system , which can be used by utilities to send price and emergency signals. PCTs shall be capable of receiving and responding to the signals indicating price and emergency events as follows.It's the "shall not allow customer changes during emergency events" clause, of course, that is drawing heat (pun intended).
- Price Events. The PCT shall be shipped with default price-event offsets of +4°F for cooling and -4°F for heating enabled; however, customers shall be able to change the offsets and thermostat settings at any time during price events. Upon receiving a price-event signal, the PCT shall adjust the thermostat setpoint by the number of degrees indicated in the offset for the duration specified in the signal of the price event. The PCT shall also be equipped with the capability to allow customers to define setpoints for heating and cooling in response to price signals as an alternative to temperature-offsetting response, as described in Reference Joint Appendix JA5.
- Emergency Events. Upon receiving an emergency signal, the PCT shall respond to commands contained in the emergency signal, including changing the setpoint by any number of degrees or to a specific temperature setpoint. The PCT shall not allow customer changes to thermostat settings during emergency events.
Critics are obviously focusing on the "Big Brother"-ish features of the proposal. A couple of things should be noted, though.
One is that PG&E had a voluntary "SmartAC" program in 2007 in which about 25,000 customers had remote-control thermostats installed in the Central Valley and parts of the San Francisco East Bay.
Meanwhile, San Diego Gas and Electric Co. has a voluntary summer program in which customers get credits on their bill for permitting remote control of their thermostat during electricity shortages.All good, but those are voluntary programs. What about say, seniors or the elderly who in the event of a heat wave will not be able to lower their thermostat to a comfortable or even livable level? Obviously a small percentage, but something to think about.
In light of criticism, the CEC said it would amend the proposal to allow users to modify the thermostat during "emergency events." However, at the time of this writing, it has not changed. In case they do change it, I have uploaded the original document here.
While I understand the problems with keeping up with the growth in California, and that "Not in my backyard" objections that prevent power-generating facilities from being built, this is something not just California, but the nation needs to address.
If we are going to continue to grow our population, and our per capita use of energy, we need more power, preferably renewable and green, and more efficient gadgetry to boot. Big Brother "stunts" like this, while undeniably helpful, only hide the fact that we are having trouble keeping up with demand.
5 comments:
How can we call these "smart" thermostats? There is NO intelligence within the proposed designs. They will have the ability to follow orders transmitted via radio from the state and its agents, the utilities.
This "rebranding" is cynical in the extreme and very misleading.
WElcome to the United SOCIALIST States of America - I WAS thinking of moving to Calif to retire - but now maybe I ought to consider Mexico or Arizone (same thing) instead!
Fresno's escalating corruption while covering up of ID theft, disappearances and suspected homicide as the city sewer/water/power infrastructures are being illegally altered is bad enough. But to add remote control to our thermostats as the accompanying "gassing through vents" scenario takes place seems like planning of a mass suicide / genocide. One of the people involved is the father of a local FBI agent - he repeatedly said that a disaster was coming, which would leave everyone dead. Even though it would be more costly, it may be time to go back to window air conditioning and space heaters. Click below:
I don't really see this as a "big brother" problem at all; it's an opportunity for everyone to pitch in for the environment. Check out the program at the website.
I just ordered a free "SmartAC" thermostat. It makes sense. If 250,000 Californians aren't home in a heat wave, and PGE could gradually ask those homes to change between 1-4 degrees, then the 'grid avoids overloads.
We can definitely choose to opt-out any day(s) we want . . . . No one is "controlling" my life (poison gas in our vents -- lol) Actually, it's pretty amazing that we can phone or access online our thermostat remotely, and tell it the changes we want ourselves.
I think that having remote access to your own thermostat is a great idea, especially if you forget to turn it down (or up as is applicable) when you have left for an extended period of time. And to a certain extent, I can understand in times of emergency, "Big Brother" being able to remotely adjust thermostats by a maximum of 4 degrees, but I don't agree with having a "customer lock out control". I think that if someone is home and wants to have it at a certain temperature, that is their right (and utility bill).
Programmable Thermostats
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