BRKG Rolling power outages underway in TX...
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jward
passin' thru
Henry Bowman
Veteran Member
If folks have heat pumps, they have a heat strip in them for when temps get below 30 dgerees as the heat pump wont keep up. Most heat strips are 15-20KW...that is a LOT of draw, more so from that of AC
jward
passin' thru
Texas starts rolling power outages to cope with deep freeze
By Reuters Staff
2 Min Read
(Reuters) - The state of Texas continued to reel under a deep freeze, leaving utilities scrambling to meet record power demand and forcing the state’s grid operator to enforce rotating blackouts early on Monday.
FILE PHOTO: Wind turbines stand above the plains north of Amarillo, Texas, U.S., March 14, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
Apart from Texas, much of the United States from the Pacific Northwest through the Great Plains and into the mid-Atlantic states has been in the grip of bone-chilling weather over the weekend, featuring snow, sleet and freezing rain.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has sought to cut power use in response to winter record of 69,150 MW on Sunday evening, more than 3,200 MW higher than the previous winter peak in January 2018.
Reserves have dropped below 1,000 MW and transmission companies have been ordered to reduce demand on system, ERCOT said.
"Traffic lights and other infrastructure may be temporarily without power," the agency said on Twitter here.
A level three emergency notice was issued by the regulator, urging customers to limit power usage and prevent an uncontrolled system-wide outage.
The National Weather Service said that an Arctic air mass had spread southwards, well beyond areas accustomed to freezing weather, with winter storm warnings posted for most of the Gulf Coast region, Oklahoma and Missouri.
The storms knocked out nearly half the wind power generation capacity of Texas on Sunday.
Of the 25,000-plus megawatts of wind power capacity normally available in Texas, 12,000 megawatts was out of service on Sunday morning, an ERCOT spokeswoman said.
Wind generation ranks as the second-largest source of electricity in Texas, accounting for 23% of state power supplies last year behind natural gas, which served 45%, ERCOT estimates.
Energy traders last week said that some 5-minute power prices in Texas approached $4,000 per megawatt hour. That compares with an Ercot North average of $26 in 2020. [NGA/]
Reporting by Aishwarya Nair and Diptendu Lahiri in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernadette Baum and David Goodman
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
www.reuters.com
By Reuters Staff
2 Min Read
(Reuters) - The state of Texas continued to reel under a deep freeze, leaving utilities scrambling to meet record power demand and forcing the state’s grid operator to enforce rotating blackouts early on Monday.
FILE PHOTO: Wind turbines stand above the plains north of Amarillo, Texas, U.S., March 14, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
Apart from Texas, much of the United States from the Pacific Northwest through the Great Plains and into the mid-Atlantic states has been in the grip of bone-chilling weather over the weekend, featuring snow, sleet and freezing rain.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has sought to cut power use in response to winter record of 69,150 MW on Sunday evening, more than 3,200 MW higher than the previous winter peak in January 2018.
Reserves have dropped below 1,000 MW and transmission companies have been ordered to reduce demand on system, ERCOT said.
"Traffic lights and other infrastructure may be temporarily without power," the agency said on Twitter here.
A level three emergency notice was issued by the regulator, urging customers to limit power usage and prevent an uncontrolled system-wide outage.
The National Weather Service said that an Arctic air mass had spread southwards, well beyond areas accustomed to freezing weather, with winter storm warnings posted for most of the Gulf Coast region, Oklahoma and Missouri.
The storms knocked out nearly half the wind power generation capacity of Texas on Sunday.
Of the 25,000-plus megawatts of wind power capacity normally available in Texas, 12,000 megawatts was out of service on Sunday morning, an ERCOT spokeswoman said.
Wind generation ranks as the second-largest source of electricity in Texas, accounting for 23% of state power supplies last year behind natural gas, which served 45%, ERCOT estimates.
Energy traders last week said that some 5-minute power prices in Texas approached $4,000 per megawatt hour. That compares with an Ercot North average of $26 in 2020. [NGA/]
Reporting by Aishwarya Nair and Diptendu Lahiri in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernadette Baum and David Goodman
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Cold snap leaves one dead, over 4 million without power in Texas
At least one person was dead and more than 4 million were without power in Texas after a rare deep freeze forced the state's electric grid operator to impose rotating blackouts because of higher power demand.
www.reuters.com
Good point!
Electric heating is very inefficient compared to other energy sources.
If you have an air compressor, fill it up.
Should you lose power and water for any length of time, in these temps, blowing down your water lines is the only way to be sure you don't have trapped water.
Yeah, it's a pain in the ass, but so is tearing out walls and ceilings to fix freeze breaks.
Should you lose power and water for any length of time, in these temps, blowing down your water lines is the only way to be sure you don't have trapped water.
Yeah, it's a pain in the ass, but so is tearing out walls and ceilings to fix freeze breaks.
West
Senior
Though in Texas their probably undersized by the majority. For example a average 4 ton (1800 square foot home) heatpump system in Kansas north will indeed have 15-20kw back up or auxiliary heat strip systems. But south of that and in Texas they probably have a 5 ton heatpump in same size home but with only 5-10kw heat strips.
Henry Bowman
Veteran Member
`Oh it stinks...like heating the house with a bunch of toasters....never gets the house warm either.
The only really nice heat pump that I have seen is from Bosch, it is an inverter drive and works well down to zero degrees before switching over to the heat strip ( Auxiliary) they are pricey but well worth it if thats what you have.
Give me a heat pump with a gas back up (Or propane) any day. I heat with oil and Propane. All appliances are LP , oven/stove, dryer, also have several heating "Stoves" ( Look like wood burners but are vented LP stoves) all work without electricity with the exception of the oil boiler ....but back up generator runs on LP so if power goes out I am good. Also one wood stove as a back up to the back ups...when it gets really cold like below zero I will fire that up just for fun
Henry Bowman
Veteran Member
Still a LOT of draw with everyone using at the same time.
I had to replace one of the mini-splits in the barndominium...actually paid extra to NOT get a heat pump.
Didn't want the extra level of complexity.
Primary heat is LP radiant.
Didn't want the extra level of complexity.
Primary heat is LP radiant.
Sid Vicious
Veteran Member
Most houses here in the south use a heat pump. This is fine and dandy when its pulling 1-10 KWh (1.5 - 8 ton). In my case my unit uses around 2-3 kWh. My unit is rated to run down to -20 (most aren't). Right now its using heat strips and the heat pump to make heat. I bet I'm pulling 10kWh+ and my unit is only a 3 ton.
ChicagoMan74
ULTRA MAGA
I'm somewhat confused by this too...it can't just be from folks running their electric heat and thinking that its reasonable to keep the thermostat on 75? Non-gas, heat pump generated heat with supplemental elements CAN actually use more electricity than a/c...but THAT much that it causes grid strain?
Henry Bowman
Veteran Member
What do you think a minisplit is? LOL
It is a mini, split system, heat pump
Henry Bowman
Veteran Member
If you are talking about electric baseboard and /or electric unit heaters yes they draw incredible amounts...Like I say, trying to heat your house with a bunch of toasters
For rough numbers...
A 5 ton a/c system will use something on the order of 20amps while running.
Strip heat in that system will be drawing around 40-50amps.
Many peeps are running electric space heaters too.
Overall, there are a lot of gas heat systems that only draw 5amps while running...it's a matter of the balance.
A 5 ton a/c system will use something on the order of 20amps while running.
Strip heat in that system will be drawing around 40-50amps.
Many peeps are running electric space heaters too.
Overall, there are a lot of gas heat systems that only draw 5amps while running...it's a matter of the balance.
UMMM
No.
You can get them configured either way, A/C only or heat pump.
I only installed about 50 of them last year.
Henry Bowman
Veteran Member
The vast majority anymore are heat pumps...some are AC only but not the norm anymore. At least not here in the North east.UMMM
No.
You can get them configured either way, A/C only or heat pump.
I only installed about 50 of them last year.
I only sold 500 units last year
ERCOT is now saying that those without power will remain so “until conditions improve.”
Henry Bowman
Veteran Member
The beatings will continue until morale improves LOL
The vast majority anymore are heat pumps...some are AC only but not the norm anymore. At least not here in the North east.
I only sold 500 units last year
How many did you actually work on? The thermistors and reversing valves are main failure points.
That's why I paid extra for a/c only.
They just aren't as common.
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Henry Bowman
Veteran Member
yeah the only ones I see anymore are those junk Mr. Cools you get online...I sell 80% Mitsubishi Trane, they have them but only in a few units anymore...just not worth the extra cost around here anyway.
The other that I sell is Comfortstar, they have 2 or 3 models with AC only , They are cheaper than the Mitsubishi Trane units but are really not a bad little unit, brackets are crap and the cover tabs suck but they are pretty good all in all for the price.
And they sure aren't common (or useful) In the Northeast! Good illustration that this is a BIG country, and one size (or advice) really doesn't fit all. Just because something is true in one AO does NOT mean it will be universally true elsewhere.
Summerthyme
ChicagoMan74
ULTRA MAGA
Geez. Talk about prepper conundrums...2020 brings COVID-19 bugging-ins and 2021 brings having an alt source of electric and heat for artic temperatures in Texas. Some are probably prepared for this, but I'm guessing not many. The dark winter is real.
Here in SE WI I am running the gas furnace at 66F during the day and 62F overnight. In my small (8X10) computer room/office I run an electric space heater set at 68F. It cycles on and off briefly about every 10 minutes. That is with temps hovering around 0F. We have not been above 32F in the last 3 weeks or so, which is exceptional BTW for our area this time of year. Usually these mid-winter cold snaps last only a week or so.
So on an hourly basis I'm running probably 10-15 amps per hour in a four bedroom ranch.
Folks with their heat pumps are running 50 amps+?
That would explain a -lot- of the stress on the electric grid.
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Henry Bowman
Veteran Member
I have others to work on them...I only sell them anymore...those days are way over, it has been years since I actually did installs and service LOL
ChicagoMan74
ULTRA MAGA
See now that...that would send me:
night driver
ESFP adrift in INTJ sea
Yeh and my nurse friend in Austin has a husband in a memory care facility which is "all electric" which has been out for about 3 hours so far. NO heat/Light, no hot food (electric stove) and fragile patients.
Bob's issue is Parkinson's as well as dementia so he's pretty fragile.
Bob's issue is Parkinson's as well as dementia so he's pretty fragile.
It depends on how much strip heat they have.
We have one building that has a Mitsubishi mini-split, the ice has built up on the condenser and is obstructing the fan.
Electric space heater running now.
Electric space heater running now.
Cacheman
Ultra MAGA!
Relying on this much wind power isn't working out when the turbines ice up and can't spin...
I don't know how much they "rely" on it.
Wind & solar are a big pain in the ass for electric providers, it's difficult for them to compensate for quick fluctuations in generation.
Often, they are just spinning and not really dumping into the grid.
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