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Officials urge consumers to reduce energy usage
By Bill Conrad, bconrad@starlocalnews.com
With the summer heat wave in full force, demand on the state's electrical grid is approaching record levels.
The organization that operates the state's power grid, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, is urging all Texas residents to conserve power. While the grid is not in immediate danger of failure, if enough electricity is not saved voluntarily then rolling blackouts may become a necessity. ERCOT's Robbie Searcy said this option has never been necessary during the summer.
"Last summer was the hottest summer on record and the good news is that we didn't need to use rolling blackouts," Searcy said. "We credit a lot of that to regular consumers who were called to conserve during the peak demand hours."
Even with the record high temperatures recorded last week, Searcy said the grid has not been threatened.
"We expect to be able to get through this summer and have sufficient generation to avoid any grid problems," Searcy said. "But on weeks when we see extreme temperatures, there is the possibility we could enter an energy emergency alert situation where we could call for conservation like we did last year."
When a Level 1 emergency is declared, as it was seven times in 2011, a plea is put out by ERCOT for all consumers to conserve as much electricity as possible. If this is not sufficient, a Level 2 emergency is declared and large-scale electrical users who have partnered with ERCOT are asked to cut back on usage, an option that was exercised twice last year. If Level 3 is required, rolling blackouts are implemented.
To prevent energy emergencies from occurring, Searcy said some simple measures can be implemented to cut back on everyday electrical usage.
"There are three key things that people can do to make the most difference," Searcy said. "The biggest thing people can do is turn their thermostat up 2 to 3 degrees if they are able to. People can also avoid using large appliances during the peak hours of 3 to 7 p.m., as well as operating their swimming pool pumps late at night or early in the morning rather than during the middle of the day."
To save energy, many local cities have implemented energy management plans. In Plano, all thermostats in city-owned buildings are set at 75 degrees, and blinds are kept closed in order to keep the sun from raising the interior temperatures. Since standardizing the temperatures four years ago, the city has had fewer breakdowns with its air conditioners, said Jim Razinha, facilities manager for the city of Plano.
Another key to saving energy is making sure air conditioners and other heavy appliances remain in good working condition, Razinha said.
"We have an excellent preventative maintenance program," he said. "Just by doing the correct maintenance such as changing out air conditioner filters and doing the system maintenance, you make sure the units are operating properly and running more efficiently."
The city of Plano has also worked to install more efficient lighting systems. Razinha said LED lights are used in most overnight parking lots to save money, and that the city saved $60,000 by switching to 25-watt T8 fluorescent lamps in a handful of buildings last year.
Razinha said while there is no one-size-fits-all approach that can be taken, the energy management program put into effect in Plano four years ago has proven effective and has allowed the city to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars.
In Carrollton, the city staff has the same goal of conserving energy but do things a bit differently, said Carl Shelton, the city's facilities manager.
"We have several programs we have implemented in the past," he said. "We have changed to more energy-efficient lights and ballasts, replaced all the glass in city hall with a two-pane glass to reduce energy consumption and have put solar panels on top of city hall and Fire Station No. 2."
Most of Carrollton's large facilities are controlled by an energy management system that turns the facilities on and off during peak occupancy times, Shelton said. This software program controls the temperature in the facility within tight guidelines.
"We don't have a target temperature, we have a range since we deal with facilities that have varying degrees of demand," Shelton said. "If you have a recreation area or dance studio, we may need to maintain the temperature at 73 degrees. In one of our typical office buildings, we maintain it around 75 or 76 degrees."
The facility managers for both cities said they work to ensure that when renovations are done, energy-efficient materials and appliances are put into place. Shelton said LED lights at intersections have saved the city money, and Razinha pointed out that his city installs highly reflective roofs when possible in order to minimize solar gain.
For information on the current energy demand on ERCOT's electrical grid, which encompasses 85 percent of the state's electrical load, visit www.ercot.com.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
Jack wrote on Aug 18, 2012 5:04 AM:
" If there is such an interest in getting consumers to cut consumption, then they should be arguining with the providers why they de-incentivize consumers by charging a monthly fee if at least 1 megawatt isn't used. With this approach, I see no incentive for trying to cut back. "
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