AVR-Chat

Hi all 
 
My nane is Clark. I'm a beginner as to microcontrollers. 
 
I work for a small electric utility in Southern Calif (municipal). I 
work in the substations & with energy meters. 
 
Just wanting to see what others are doing along these lines :-) 
 
Thanks

On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:54:37 -0000
 "Clark" <cgetty@sgetty.ath.cx> wrote:
> Hi all 
>  
> My nane is Clark. I'm a beginner as to microcontrollers. 
>  
> I work for a small electric utility in Southern Calif
> (municipal). I 
> work in the substations & with energy meters. 
>  
> Just wanting to see what others are doing along these
> lines :-) 
>  
> Thanks 
>   
> 
Have not heard of anyone doing things in this area. There
have been a few power meter projects.

In this environment, a microprocessor makes the most sense
interfacing between sensors, centralizing data, and either
logging it directly or sending to some other device such as
a PC. "Sensor" might mean current sensor, temperature
sense, voltage, real-time clock, etc. 

I do know that there have been applications where consumer
watt-hour meansurements have been done with a micro which
then holds a totalized value. The micro is hooked up to
something like BlueTooth that can be queried by the meter
reader. 

Best Wishes,
Jim Wagner
Oregon Research Electronics, Consulting Div.
Tangent, OR USA
---------------------------------------------------------------
The Think Different Store
http://www.thinkdifferentstore.com/
For All Your Mac Gear
---------------------------------------------------------------

California has mandated that all power meters be switched to remote  
reading.  Right now there are 2 pilot projects and the full rollout  
should happen within a couple of years.  There is also a program in  
place that installs a thermostat that can be remotely set by the  
utility so that on hot days they'll turn off your AC for a short time  
to save power.  I think we'll see a whole lot of this stuff in the  
next few years.

On Nov 22, 2007, at 10:47 AM, Jim Wagner wrote:

> On Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:54:37 -0000
>  "Clark" <cgetty@sgetty.ath.cx> wrote:
>> Hi all
>>
>> My nane is Clark. I'm a beginner as to microcontrollers.
>>
>> I work for a small electric utility in Southern Calif
>> (municipal). I
>> work in the substations & with energy meters.
>>
>> Just wanting to see what others are doing along these
>> lines :-)
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
> Have not heard of anyone doing things in this area. There
> have been a few power meter projects.
>
> In this environment, a microprocessor makes the most sense
> interfacing between sensors, centralizing data, and either
> logging it directly or sending to some other device such as
> a PC. "Sensor" might mean current sensor, temperature
> sense, voltage, real-time clock, etc.
>
> I do know that there have been applications where consumer
> watt-hour meansurements have been done with a micro which
> then holds a totalized value. The micro is hooked up to
> something like BlueTooth that can be queried by the meter
> reader.
>
> Best Wishes,
> Jim Wagner
> Oregon Research Electronics, Consulting Div.
> Tangent, OR USA
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> The Think Different Store
> http://www.thinkdifferentstore.com/
> For All Your Mac Gear
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

> ... on hot days they'll turn off your AC for a short time...

I'm surprised to hear that California is only now getting around to load 
shedding.  We have had a load shedding program in southwest Florida for 
 >15 years.  In my home, we have two ~160MHz receivers which can cycle 
the units under remote command; they are small gray NEMA boxes located 
near the AC air handlers and water heaters.

On hot days, and the rare cold morning, the ACs are cycled off as the 
electric cooperative deems necessary but never for more than 15 minutes 
at a time, and never both of our AC systems simultaneously, and water 
heaters are also controlled during peaks.  I understand the receivers 
are assigned to one of seven groups which are activated round-robin when 
required.  We receive a ~$60 discount per year.

We also have remote-read meters, both for power and potable water.  A 
non-potable recovered supply for irrigation is currently unmetered but 
use is scheduled.


Tom

> There is also a program in
> place that installs a thermostat that can be remotely set by the
> utility so that on hot days they'll turn off your AC for a short time
> to save power.  I think we'll see a whole lot of this stuff in the
> next few years.

Another reason not to live in the People's Republic of California!

I wonder if Malibu, Santa Barbara, and Sacramento will secede.


REB



David VanHorn wrote:

>>There is also a program in
>>place that installs a thermostat that can be remotely set by the
>>utility so that on hot days they'll turn off your AC for a short time
>>to save power.  I think we'll see a whole lot of this stuff in the
>>next few years.
>>    
>>
>
>Another reason not to live in the People's Republic of California!
>  
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On Nov 23, 2007 3:07 PM, Roy E. Burrage <RBurrage@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> I wonder if Malibu, Santa Barbara, and Sacramento will secede.

Last time I saw it, they were drawing the line at I-80 with a job
upward at the end so that Socal could keep Marin.

$60 a year is a lot better than PG&E is offering.  They will send someone to
install the special thermostat and pay you a one time $25 for signing up.

-----Original Message-----
From: AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Tom Becker
Sent: Friday, November 23, 2007 11:45 AM
To: AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [AVR-Chat] Any one doing any projects related to electric
utilites?

 > ... on hot days they'll turn off your AC for a short time...

I'm surprised to hear that California is only now getting around to load 
shedding.  We have had a load shedding program in southwest Florida for 
 >15 years.  In my home, we have two ~160MHz receivers which can cycle 
the units under remote command; they are small gray NEMA boxes located 
near the AC air handlers and water heaters.

On hot days, and the rare cold morning, the ACs are cycled off as the 
electric cooperative deems necessary but never for more than 15 minutes 
at a time, and never both of our AC systems simultaneously, and water 
heaters are also controlled during peaks.  I understand the receivers 
are assigned to one of seven groups which are activated round-robin when 
required.  We receive a ~$60 discount per year.

We also have remote-read meters, both for power and potable water.  A 
non-potable recovered supply for irrigation is currently unmetered but 
use is scheduled.


Tom



 
Yahoo! Groups Links






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10:01 AM

On Nov 23, 2007, at 1:56 PM, David VanHorn wrote:

>> There is also a program in
>> place that installs a thermostat that can be remotely set by the
>> utility so that on hot days they'll turn off your AC for a short time
>> to save power.  I think we'll see a whole lot of this stuff in the
>> next few years.
>
> Another reason not to live in the People's Republic of California!


Its spelled Kalifornia.

Its one thing to give consumers cash incentives for permission to  
"brown out" their air conditioning or hot water heaters. Its another  
thing entirely for the government to mandate these controls.

--
David Kelly N4HHE, dkelly@HiWAAY.net
========================================================================
Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.

In this case, the utility pays the consumer if they volunteer to  
participate.

On Nov 23, 2007, at 7:48 PM, David Kelly wrote:

>
> On Nov 23, 2007, at 1:56 PM, David VanHorn wrote:
>
>>> There is also a program in
>>> place that installs a thermostat that can be remotely set by the
>>> utility so that on hot days they'll turn off your AC for a short  
>>> time
>>> to save power.  I think we'll see a whole lot of this stuff in the
>>> next few years.
>>
>> Another reason not to live in the People's Republic of California!
>
>
> Its spelled Kalifornia.
>
> Its one thing to give consumers cash incentives for permission to
> "brown out" their air conditioning or hot water heaters. Its another
> thing entirely for the government to mandate these controls.
>
> --
> David Kelly N4HHE, dkelly@HiWAAY.net
> ====================================================================== 
> ==
> Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

Then again, I'd much rather them kill non essential AC/water heaters
vs an entire power circuit /neighborhood/etc in a rolling blackout
situation.  Much less collateral damage when you take out the AC for
two neighborhoods, than when you shut off granny's oxygen generator.

On Nov 23, 2007 10:48 PM, David Kelly <dkelly@hiwaay.net> wrote:
>
> On Nov 23, 2007, at 1:56 PM, David VanHorn wrote:
>
> >> There is also a program in
> >> place that installs a thermostat that can be remotely set by the
> >> utility so that on hot days they'll turn off your AC for a short time
> >> to save power.  I think we'll see a whole lot of this stuff in the
> >> next few years.
> >
> > Another reason not to live in the People's Republic of California!
>
>
> Its spelled Kalifornia.
>
> Its one thing to give consumers cash incentives for permission to
> "brown out" their air conditioning or hot water heaters. Its another
> thing entirely for the government to mandate these controls.
>
> --
> David Kelly N4HHE, dkelly@HiWAAY.net
> ========================================================================
> Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

Michael Haisley wrote:
> Then again, I'd much rather them kill non essential AC/water heaters
> vs an entire power circuit /neighborhood/etc in a rolling blackout
> situation.  Much less collateral damage when you take out the AC for
> two neighborhoods, than when you shut off granny's oxygen generator.
>
>
>   
Though in that case, the utility company should be informed that there 
is life-essential equipment in use, and they will not roll that 
residence into the blackout (or that's how it's supposed to work).

And, for the record, in northern NJ we have remote water & gas meter 
reading, and they're starting to roll out remote electric meter reading. 
We also have voluntary remote control of AC & water heaters (and you do 
get paid a small amount annually).