I stand with Texas

[TerryMiller]

Another bonus of powering down systems is additional lightning protection.

Yeppers...

...time was, when we would leave the house for vacation or long weekends, we would unplug all the major electronic devices except the fridge.

 

[John6185]

I have heard that in Europe (was it Germany maybe?) the electricity is so expensive folks on a fixed income are doing this with power strips every night when they get ready for bed, to save a euro or two. Then turn 'em back when they get up the next day.

Good advice not to plug heavy amperage into power strips also.

Germans set their home temperature on 68 degrees in the winter and everyone in the home typically wears a sweater. It's hard for Americans to get used to, I used to go down in the basement and turn up the heat and the landlord would chastise me.

 

[TerryMiller]

Germans set their home temperature on 68 degrees in the winter and everyone in the home typically wears a sweater. It's hard for Americans to get used to, I used to go down in the basement and turn up the heat and the landlord would chastise me.

When I went to the Army's AIT in Fort Devens, Massachusetts back in 1966, our barracks were heated by coal furnaces in the basement. If the guys on the details that were assigned to feed those furnaces got bored at night, we would have warm barracks and showers the next morning. If not...

...brrrr!!!!

 

[Rooster1971]

Someone in this thread has zero clue about the power grid, nor how power plants are constructed nor the Texas issue this winter with temperatures that reached record lows in spite of liberal claims of global warming.
If that person wishes to step up, I’ll be more than happy to inform and instruct.
No charge BTW.

I’ve read some some about the shutdowns. My daughter lost power in Houston for a bit. I know you have power plant experience and would like to hear your take on it.

 

[Gunblinder]

I’ve read some some about the shutdowns. My daughter lost power in Houston for a bit. I know you have power plant experience and would like to hear your take on it.

Good ole reliable ERCOT...just kidding, them guys can ruin a good thing along with shoddy electricity providers

 

[dennishoddy]

I’ve read some some about the shutdowns. My daughter lost power in Houston for a bit. I know you have power plant experience and would like to hear your take on it.

Basically, the power plants were not constructed to operate in those record cold temperatures.
Power plants rely on feedback from operating systems to stay online.
My background is in instrumentation and control systems management that involved some programming for the operating system along with field work at 2 am or so multiple times a week with call outs to repair feedback instruments, or other issues. 365/24/7 on call.
In Tx most of the power plants are open construction vs Montana where they are completely Inclosed.
Since most of their base load is coal and gas to generate steam that rotates a turbine that rotates a generator to make electricity, the feedback systems froze up, along with the double/triple redundancy systems that those plants operate with.
When working at Sooner Power Plant between Ponca and Stillwater we were hardened for freezing temps by massive insulation of feed lines to instrument houses that had heaters inside to prevent freezing.
A power plant has to know pressures, temperatures, barometric pressures, oxygen levels in discharge gasses, voltages and other inputs to operate among a host of other inputs I won’t list as it’s too long. Around 1500 inputs if I remember right per unit and we had two
Even so, when temps got extremely low, individual manpower using propane torches spent up to 36 hours without breaks or sleep to keep those lines thawed where there were breaks in the insulation or the temps overwhelmed the heaters in the feedback instrument cabinets so our customers could have the electricity we promised them.
Hospitals, nursing homes, seniors at home all relied on us to keep power to their homes and businesses.
I’ve seen a lot of complaints about electrical power issues on this forum. Almost no one realizes how much dedication the employees in this industry has to maintain the power coming into the customers home/business because we knew the consequences of failure. People die or suffer and business fail.
Linemen working power lines during a lightning storm to get that one neighborhood back on line is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world but they don’t wait until the storm passes.
Wind farms in Tx were not hardened either and they failed to ice and other issues to be discussed.
Massive power requirements because of the record cold could not keep up with demand.
Solar systems covered in ice in Tx didn’t work either.
To their credit, TX is working to make sure this is a one time deal.
The Tx freeze got further South of the Rio Grande.
We were 2 miles north of the Rio Grande seeing orchards and veggi fields devastated. One reason for hi veggi prices now. It will take many years for those orchards to recover.

 

[Rez Exelon]

And the reason for the blackouts now in the heat?

 

[Gunblinder]

And the reason for the blackouts now in the heat?

ERCOT/TX still, everything Dennisshoddy stated is correct with the exception that TX is working to get better which has proven to not be the case

 

[Gunblinder]

To expand on that...first, ERCOT is unregulated in terms that you can purchase power from any power “selling” company. ERCOT is the scheduling entity for power use, meaning they run the numbers for electricity consumption for the day. During this summer blackouts, ERCOT had scheduled a lot of power “producers” to be in maintenance outages. Problem is that the wind power that was being dependent on, didn’t happen and there was insufficient capacity left

 

[Gunblinder]

Wind and solar power for, reliable electricity, are nothing but a sham. Only reason thy were put up is because the tax credits associated with them. There is not a single power “producer” that would’ve built them without the tax credits