Power Company Controls AC

[BobRip]

I signed up last May for a program where Dominion Power can turn off my AC unit for 15 minutes at a time and then back on for 15 minutes. They then pay you $40 at the end of the season. They connect a box to your AC to do this. I figured that my AC would still run half the time and how often would they really do this. This helps then deal with peak loads and handle green energy variability.

In August (we had been out of town for most of July and August), I noticed that our humidity was high in the house and then that the compressor was not running when the unit was in high speed. I called out my AC guy and after two hours we found that Dominion had disabled high speed. I had the AC guy disconnect the box. Then I called Dominion to reconnect it. I then found out the following.

1. Your use between 11 am and noon is monitored and between noon and 4 pm they give you half of that on time. These times may shift. If it is a cool morning and you do not use AC, then you get no AC in the afternoon.

2. They do this five days a week. Monday thru Friday.

3. They are removing 100's of these a week because of complaints.

4. My AC would run in the less efficient high speed mode a lot more making my overall consumption higher.

I left the control box disconnected. Does anyone else have experience with these.

 

[nikdfish]

We are in Progress Energy's program. Their approach is a little different. They indicate that their system does 10 -15 minute intervals within a 4 hour window on any given day (but no weekends or holidays), for a max of 60 hours of cycling (i.e. 15 days) any given year.

It is strictly a peak use trimming - they say they only activated it 4 times during summer 2010. We noticed it a few times this year when temps in the area were really high. The house temp would rise maybe a degree an hour during the 4 hour block of on/off cycling so it generally didn't get to more than 77 or so ...

I haven't noticed any differences in how the system sounds/runs since the device was installed when cycling is not in effect.

Nick

 

[General Lee]

I don't have what you have, but my electric company offers the same thing. I'm not getting it installed for the reasons you posted. I want to control the comfort of MY house, NOT big brother.

 

[BobRip]

I don't have what you have, but my electric company offers the same thing. I'm not getting it installed for the reasons you posted. I want to control the comfort of MY house, NOT big brother.

I am willing to give them some control, but they changed the contract conditions or did not explain them well at all. They went to the extreme, not just to trim an unusual peak, but to keep all peaks low routinely. My house is extremely well insulated and could easily stand a reasonable reduction. We lost AC for a week in July and the temperature went up about two degrees. We did run a dehumidifier and eventually a small AC.

 

[clemsonfor]

I signed up last May for a program where Dominion Power can turn off my AC unit for 15 minutes at a time and then back on for 15 minutes. They then pay you $40 at the end of the season. They connect a box to your AC to do this. I figured that my AC would still run half the time and how often would they really do this. This helps then deal with peak loads and handle green energy variability.

In August (we had been out of town for most of July and August), I noticed that our humidity was high in the house and then that the compressor was not running when the unit was in high speed. I called out my AC guy and after two hours we found that Dominion had disabled high speed. I had the AC guy disconnect the box. Then I called Dominion to reconnect it. I then found out the following.

1. Your use between 11 am and noon is monitored and between noon and 4 pm they give you half of that on time. These times may shift. If it is a cool morning and you do not use AC, then you get no AC in the afternoon.

2. They do this five days a week. Monday thru Friday.

3. They are removing 100's of these a week because of complaints.

4. My AC would run in the less efficient high speed mode a lot more making my overall consumption higher.

I left the control box disconnected. Does anyone else have experience with these.

We are in Progress Energy's program. Their approach is a little different. They indicate that their system does 10 -15 minute intervals within a 4 hour window on any given day (but no weekends or holidays), for a max of 60 hours of cycling (i.e. 15 days) any given year.

It is strictly a peak use trimming - they say they only activated it 4 times during summer 2010. We noticed it a few times this year when temps in the area were really high. The house temp would rise maybe a degree an hour during the 4 hour block of on/off cycling so it generally didn't get to more than 77 or so ...

I haven't noticed any differences in how the system sounds/runs since the device was installed when cycling is not in effect.

Nick

Not sure i would want my heat pump cutting on and off that often? Are you saying that on a very hot day they cut your AC off after 15 mins then back on for 15 mins then back off? If so this is very inefficient use of it, as it works best continually running. My Ac will run for an hour or more at a time once the programable thermostat clicks to reset to a lower temp.

 

[clemsonfor]

I am willing to give them some control, but they changed the contract conditions or did not explain them well at all. They went to the extreme, not just to trim an unusual peak, but to keep all peaks low routinely. My house is extremely well insulated and could easily stand a reasonable reduction. We lost AC for a week in July and the temperature went up about two degrees. We did run a dehumidifier and eventually a small AC.

How in the world if you lost AC in Virginia this july did your house only go up 2 degrees? You either live in a shaded hollow in the moutains or you keep your AC set to about 82 degrees! I live in SC a bit more southern but i know during that time we had plenty of days touching 100, and im sure virginia did as well. I dont have that good of insulation, barely any at all, but i do have an aunt and cousins who have more modern houses and there is no way in those houses in the summer that their houses would only go up 2 degrees.

Not saying yours didnt just seems strange?

 

[grsthegreat]

Yeiks... now I'm really glad i live in the wilds of north Idaho with hydroelectric power. There is no way id let them connect anything to my a/c and let someone else dictate to me when i can use it and when i cannot just to save $40/yr

 

[clemsonfor]

There is no way id let them connect anything to my a/c and let someone else dictate to me when i can use it and when i cannot just to save $40/yr

Exactly my thoughts when i read it! Plus im not convinced that that is not doing damgae to your A/C system with all the stop start cycles.

 

[Pete Judd]

AC? Turned it on once for 2 hours this summer, don't need it here, and I only have it in my shop. Now, my heating bills are another thing.

 

[DANOCHEESE]

Power company gives us a free water heater they control the heater. Off during peak on at night. It is super insulated. Only noticed once water was warm. If we keep our peak manageable we avoid higher cost. We onyl runt he AC about 15 days a year.