Comments on: "Progressive" thermostats to save energy http://trampleasure.net/lee/index.php/323 Science education and more... Sat, 19 May 2012 01:55:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Don Friend http://trampleasure.net/lee/index.php/323/comment-page-1#comment-1593 Don Friend Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:47:50 +0000 http://trampleasure.net/lee/?p=323#comment-1593 Lee, Certainly for heating systems something like this is already being done. I live in a continental climate, i.e. one of extremes. I live in Minnesota. All my thermostats, one per zone (per floor in my home) "anticipate," i.e. they turn on or off a half a degree or so before the desired temp is reached. The hot water heating system indeed already has an outdoor temperature sensor and it heats the water appropriately... it keeps the indoor thermal mass appropriate to counter the outside temp, so when it's -20F outside, the boiler is heating water to 150+. But when it's just 45F outside it only heats the water to 110 or so. I'm not sure of the exact numbers but the temp curves are calculated based on size of the building, water volume etc. etc. My electric company has a program where I, the homeowner, am given an overall discount if I let them cycle my a/c on and off, leaving just the fan going, during peak power times. This allows them to prevent brownouts and to better balance their grid. Lee, Certainly for heating systems something like this is already being done. I live in a continental climate, i.e. one of extremes. I live in Minnesota. All my thermostats, one per zone (per floor in my home) "anticipate," i.e. they turn on or off a half a degree or so before the desired temp is reached. The hot water heating system indeed already has an outdoor temperature sensor and it heats the water appropriately... it keeps the indoor thermal mass appropriate to counter the outside temp, so when it's -20F outside, the boiler is heating water to 150+. But when it's just 45F outside it only heats the water to 110 or so. I'm not sure of the exact numbers but the temp curves are calculated based on size of the building, water volume etc. etc.

My electric company has a program where I, the homeowner, am given an overall discount if I let them cycle my a/c on and off, leaving just the fan going, during peak power times. This allows them to prevent brownouts and to better balance their grid.

]]> By: Jeff de La Beaujardiere http://trampleasure.net/lee/index.php/323/comment-page-1#comment-1343 Jeff de La Beaujardiere Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:26:55 +0000 http://trampleasure.net/lee/?p=323#comment-1343 Lee- This is an excellent idea! I bet most houses in the US are still using a bimetallic strip as a physical on-off switch for temperature control. We have a programmable thermostat, but (a) it loses its programming if the battery dies and (b) it makes no adjustment for outside temperature or for the times we actually leave the house and return, which are often different from the ones we programmed. A possible refinements, though perhaps a bit Orwellian: If the owner insists on a temperature too different from that outside, the utility company charges them more for gas or electricity. Lee-

This is an excellent idea!

I bet most houses in the US are still using a bimetallic strip as a physical on-off switch for temperature control. We have a programmable thermostat, but (a) it loses its programming if the battery dies and (b) it makes no adjustment for outside temperature or for the times we actually leave the house and return, which are often different from the ones we programmed.

A possible refinements, though perhaps a bit Orwellian: If the owner insists on a temperature too different from that outside, the utility company charges them more for gas or electricity.

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