🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <2ic0vr$166@cville-srv.wam.umd.edu>,
R S Rodgers <rsrodger@wam.umd.edu> wrote:
>>...
>>build about 54 medium size power plants. DSM aims at reducing peak demand
>>by offering incentives to customers to use more efficient electric equipment.
>	However, there comes a time when this just doesn't work anymore.
>	There is a steadily growing _minimum_ power demand that flourescents
>	and heat pumps are just not going to fix.


Yes, but DSM is much more than flourescents and heat pumps. There has been
major improvements in electrotechnologies over the past few years wish
resulted in efficiency gains...
>

>	Lest we be forgetful, we have the perfect example of the power 
>	utilities inability to meet demand when it occurs:  the recent 
>	bout of cold and snow on the East coast left people in many areas
>	under the threat of rolling blackouts because they power companies
>	could not meet demand.  No amount of demand side management is 
>	going to reduce these peak demands--ever.  The ideal time to
>	charge EVs is at night because demand is less--but will it still be 
>	less once EVs are popular?  No.  Will people restrict their 
>	charging to nighttime?  No--if EVs ever really take off, people
>	will be charging them at work, at school, during their commute.
>	This is necessary because of the tiny battery capacity of even the
>	best EVs.
>
40,000,000 electric vehicles can be charged off-peak without the need to 
increase generating capacity.  

Granted, people will recharge their vehicles all through the day. New
plants will definitly be needed if every car in America becomes electric.
However, California requires only 2% of vehicles sold to be zero 
emissions, i.e. EVs.  There is about 130,000,000 cars in the U.S..
If 12 states decide to adopt California's requirements, then less
than 2,000,000 million vehicles will be in use by the year 1998.

2 million cars could be charged any time with no problems, EXCEPT of 
course as noted in emergency situations.  Keep in mind that emergency
situations do not allow utilities to plan ahead.  However, knowing that
X EVs are out there, electric utilities will better plan for them. 

As an example of planning without increasing capacity, utilities can
alter the equipment maintenance schedules or increase DSM promotions.
>
>...

>>The government, auto manufacturers and electric utilities are spending 
>>significant amounts of money to speed up battery R&D.
>
>	Ah, the AIDS approach to research: throw more dollars at it, 
>	and you're bound to solve the problem.  This is also the approach
>	used with cancer research (progress: none, mostly, death rates have
>	been pretty much constant since 1960).  


Nothing is free.  Yes if you spend money you may not acomplish anything 
but if you do not have sufficient funds you will surely not accomplish
anything.  R&D is not free and wihtout R&D technology will not advance.
I am an engineer, as much as I would like to improve technology, I will
not do it wihtout adequate compensation - a man is got to eat! at least.

>> These funds were not
>>available before and hence there was not much innovation.
>
>	I read a quote once, but I can't remember who said it:
>	"Money doesn't change physics, Mr. President."  
>
No, Einstein changed physics not money - at least not directly. Einstein
needed money for his R&D.


-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Wael M. El-Sharif              *** Opinions Expressed Are My Own ***
Consulting Engineer
Internet: waele@seas.gwu.edu  or  welshari@cap.gwu.edu