The "Smart Grid"

[TEG]

It just got me thinking how multiple entities are competing for space on the top of poles in public spaces.
What with all the fuss over trying to disguise cellphone towers and such.
My convoluted suggestion (somewhat tongue in cheek) was that someone ought to try to provide an "all in one" "tower topper" that provides all these features together, so once someone gets the rights to mount a powered station on top of a pole somewhere you could try to get weather monitoring, sound monitoring, radiation monitoring, cell repeaters, and whatever makes sense to have up high in a neighborhood.

[doug]

It just got me thinking how multiple entities are competing for space on the top of poles in public spaces.
What with all the fuss over trying to disguise cellphone towers and such.

??? There's nothing in the article about needing the installation of special weather towers, if that's what you're getting at. The author is just talking about leveraging existing weather data.

[TEG]

The picture on the story is/was a weather vane:

It had just got me thinking about weather monitoring equipment installed on top of buildings, poles, etc.

Couple that to the fact that I had been seeing a bunch of stories recently about roof mounted radiation detection equipment like this:
Gaps in US radiation monitoring system revealed | US National Headlines | Comcast.net
http://www.scpr.org/news/2011/03/26/...stem-revealed/


And other stories about cellphone towers trying to look like trees.


Anyways, sorry if the references and connections were a little tenuous.

[doug]

PG&E to replace 1,600 defective SmartMeters - San Jose Mercury News

PG&E, which until now has insisted that the meters were accurate, began contacting affected customers by phone on Monday. PG&E will offer full refunds to customers who received inaccurate bills, and said the average refund for those affected is $40 per customer. Those affected will get an additional $25 credit on their bill for "customer inconvenience," as well as a free home energy audit.

oops

[SByer]

It's sad that PG&E's mis-handling of the SmartMeter program is impeding progress. And the broken units just helped give voice to the crazies that insist the wireless signal has any health effect at all. I just hope that PG&E is allowed to charge those who opt-out of the SmartMeter program up the wazoo.

[stopcrazypp]

PG&E to replace 1,600 defective SmartMeters - San Jose Mercury News
oops

Still very small in the grand scheme of things (0.1 percent of the installed meters in California made by that company), but PG&E made it sound like it NEVER happens (which is almost never true).

It's sad that PG&E's mis-handling of the SmartMeter program is impeding progress. And the broken units just helped give voice to the crazies that insist the wireless signal has any health effect at all. I just hope that PG&E is allowed to charge those who opt-out of the SmartMeter program up the wazoo.

If you want it off they are charging $135 upfront/$20 per month or $270 upfront/$14 per month or you can pay by kWh. I got a slip of paper from them with my bill that says essentially the same thing.
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/201...ig-price-tag7/

[TEG]

A lot to absorb in here:
http://www.chademo.com/pdf/infraws3nagasakieng.pdf

[vfx]

Google, Tres Amigas Aim To Fix America's Electrical Grid With Novel Technologies

The Internet giant Google and an upstart New Mexico-based company called Tres Amigas want to transform the way power gets from wind farms and solar power arrays to your house.

Both plans rely heavily on unproven technologies: Google and other investors plan to build a 350-mile long undersea cable off the Atlantic coast, while Tres Amigas wants to create a 22-square mile superconductor “Superstation” to synchronize the nation's three major electrical grids.

[jaanton]

I'm not certain that PG&E trusts the smart meters either. I have one of them which has been "programmed" for time of use billing and last month I did a lot less driving and started charging at work together with the weather getting warmer my electric usage dropped by about 2/3rds. When I didn't get my bill on time I was suspicious. Calling PG&E I was led on a trail of service people each saying "everything looks fine, billing just will not release the bill." They opened a case for this event. This morning the website now shows my amount due so it got cleared up. But it occurs to me that an electric bill may change wildly with an electric car and that may trigger all sorts of problems. The whole support system assumes a predictable cycle of usage. Can you imagine a million electric cars charging to go on vacation? Or return from vacation? If the weather is hot, will there be power at public charge stations? The utilities can reduce power to EVSEs.

[doug]

Google, Tres Amigas Aim To Fix America's Electrical Grid With Novel Technologies