This weather is awful!! 2008-2021

[Beststash]

IMO, there is absolutely no excuse for the situation we have in Texas now. Sure the ice strom is a very unusual event but we have been having similar problems during the summer. Time to step up and provide a more reliable energy grid/system.

In my case because we are having rolling blackouts which are 30 min. on and then 30 minutes it is not staying up long enough for our water suppliers pumps to provide pressure so no water and more than likely frozen pipes.

The nations biggest energy supplier has no excuse for such shabby operations or lack of customer service.

 

[REWahoo]

I'll bet hundreds of thousands of homes around Houston will have frozen pipe damage after this.

No homes with basements here and all water plumbing runs into attics, and in many cases, down through outside walls. Usually, water heaters are placed in attics. This is a time bomb on cold weather.

We lived in Houston in the early 80’s when a similar storm hit over the Christmas holidays. Many people out of town returned home to flooded houses. A friend had a “sunken living room” that became an indoor pool.

 

[Car-Guy]

I'll bet hundreds of thousands of homes around Houston will have frozen pipe damage after this.

No homes with basements here and all water plumbing runs into attics, and in many cases, down through outside walls. Usually, water heaters are placed in attics. This is a time bomb on cold weather.

And good luck getting a plumber (or ever the parts for you DIY types) anytime soon.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Yep, that's one of the problems of wind and solar. While the production cost of a kWh of these now undercuts NG and coal under normal circumstances, there is the big issue of non-uniform generation. I am not sure if Elon Musk's "Battery In Every Home" or huge centralized battery farms will really do the trick, but this issue is something we surely have to recon with. Where there are lakes and hydro power, you can run the generators backwards and replenish the upper storage, which is surprisingly efficient. In the Sierra foothills they even have a train line straight up the mountain where an electric engine pulls rail cars filled with rocks up a steep incline when there's too much power, and lets them roll down to generate power when there's too little. All kinds of ideas, I'll be curious how all this will work itself out.

You've also got excessive demand on a system that hasn't been improved to keep pace with population growth. The state has gone from 17 million people in 1990 to 29 million in 2020.

 

[eytonxav]

IMO, there is absolutely no excuse for the situation we have in Texas now. Sure the ice strom is a very unusual event but we have been having similar problems during the summer. Time to step up and provide a more reliable energy grid/system.

In my case because we are having rolling blackouts which are 30 min. on and then 30 minutes it is not staying up long enough for our water suppliers pumps to provide pressure so no water and more than likely frozen pipes.

The nations biggest energy supplier has no excuse for such shabby operations or lack of customer service.

Here in north Texas we have had two days in a row of 0 degrees and windchills of -15 to -20 and it does not look like it will go above freezing until the weekend. A second round of snow is expected tonight. Many power outages and rolling black outs, frozen pipes, etc. Right now the most reliable power generation stations are coal fired. Texas lost over 20% of its generation capacity because the wind turbines are frozen. We are also experiencing water problems out of Ft Worth and must boil water and conserve. How the heck are we going to move exclusively to electric vehicles and clean energy when the power grid is incapable of doing its job.

 

[NW-Bound]

By the way, if people think that my highest daily use of 100 kWh/day is huge, that's not bad compared to my neighbors.

SRP, the utility company, used to show our usage compared to our peers, and we run at about 75% of the average.

Yep, that's what it takes to live in a place with a record high of 122F. Well, at least we do not have to worry about frozen piping. Not yet anyway.

 

[NW-Bound]

Here in north Texas we have had two days in a row of 0 degrees and windchills of -15 to -20 and it does not look like it will go above freezing until the weekend. A second round of snow is expected tonight. Many power outages and rolling black outs, frozen pipes, etc. Right now the most reliable power generation stations are coal fired. Texas lost over 20% of its generation capacity because the wind turbines are frozen. We are also experiencing water problems out of Ft Worth and must boil water and conserve. How the heck are we going to move exclusively to electric vehicles and clean energy when the power grid is incapable of doing its job.

Some people will pull rabbits out of their sleeve.

I do love clean energy, but not every place has the sunshine like AZ. It's going to be tough.

 

[street]

No, the average consumption is only 4.166 kW.

My 5-ton central AC alone uses 5 kW, but it does cycle off occasionally. And I set it at 78F.

Over 24 hours, the total consumption is 4.166 kW x 24 hr = 100 kWh.

I think your cost would not be 7.5c, but $7.5/day. For me it's more than $15/day, with my Time-of-Use rate.

"That is a lot in a 24 hour period. Here 100 KWH's a day would cost me $7.50¢."
I believe that is what it says. $7.50¢ a day.

 

[NW-Bound]

I am going to buy stocks of generator makers. This is going to be how people blow the dough, unless their memory is very short. Not just Californians, but the midwesterners will be buying generators too.

Besides Generac, who else makes home generators?

I will put in a plug for the locals: Kohler, and Briggs and Stratton. Also Honda (not local, obvi).

I looked up Generac last night. Stock price went up 5x in the last 2 years! They are working OT to build them gensets.

How did I miss this, back when the news broke out about California's rolling blackouts?

Generac jumps another 8% today.

 

[braumeister]

By the way, if people think that my highest daily use of 100 kWh/day is huge, that's not bad compared to my neighbors.

We have an all-electric condo, and our highest usage is in the winter for heat. A couple of years ago we had a very cold February and averaged 83 kWh a day that month, so I can easily see your 100 in the summer where you live.

 

[NW-Bound]

[/B]
"That is a lot in a 24 hour period. Here 100 KWH's a day would cost me $7.50¢."
I believe that is what it says. $7.50¢ a day.

OK, we are in agreement. I missed your $ but saw your extra ¢, and that confused me.

 

[Cobra9777]

It was 4 below this morning. Power is on for an hour then off for an hour. Inside temp is now roughly 54 to 58. I keep the fireplace going strong. And we have two space heaters going when we have power.

It's supposed to warm up to 21 this afternoon. So if we can maintain that differential, it should be a lot warmer inside. In theory.

Somehow, the main pool pump is still running and circulating water. I've had to clear ice from the skimmers several times. There's a lot of ice on the surface but normal circulation below. The Polaris pump is frozen solid.

No frozen pipes so far. Water in the house is flowing normally. Still no internet when power is on. Just cellular, which is spotty at our house.

Hopefully the state will get more generating capacity online today. More snow is forecast tonight. But slightly warmer temperatures next few days. What a weird couple of days.

 

[NW-Bound]

We have an all-electric condo, and our highest usage is in the winter for heat. A couple of years ago we had a very cold February and averaged 83 kWh a day that month, so I can easily see your 100 in the summer where you live.

And I stopped feeling bad about our usage, when I found out that our total annual energy consumption is a lot less than that of people living in cold climate.

The energy we use for summer cooling pales besides what people use for heating in the winter. Plus, I now generate my own power to run AC.

More solar panels, more, more, more...

PS. The 100 kWh/day is the peak. The average daily usage in August was about 85 kWh/day, before the solar system.

PPS. With my solar system, the average daily drawn from the grid in August was 24 kWh/day in 2020. Should be lower this year. And I have been eyeing my roof to see where I can put up more panels. I can put up a lot more panels, but the high portion of the roof is scary to work on.

 

[Lsbcal]

It's getting tough finding a place in the US that is free from weather related issues. I feel bad for those in the harsh weather areas right now. Good luck to you all!

Here in California it's balmy but we have an ongoing drought and fear of fires is high for the fall. Last year the fires and dangerous conditions lasted into the late fall. And the smokey conditions were no fun combined with pandemic. We had to evacuate from our house at one point (fire in the state park near us and some houses destroyed) and it was a worry having to go to a hotel during the pandemic.

 

[street]

It got me wondering what our total power & gas bill costs us a year. I just did the numbers and last year we spent $907 for gas/power for a year that is an average of $75.58 a month or $2.52 a day. Summer time we may use on a hot year, our AC 3 or 4 times, and in the winter, we keep temp to 67 degrees during the day at night turned to 62 degrees.

Home is 2000sf no heat in garage. I built the home myself and is well insulated.

 

[REWahoo]

^ Utility costs aren’t really comparable without sq ft information.

 

[Music Lover]

And I stopped feeling bad about our usage, when I found out that our total annual energy consumption is a lot less than that of people living in cold climate.

The energy we use for summer cooling pales besides what people use for heating in the winter. Plus, I now generate my own power to run AC..

It depends on location and the heating/cooling method. I pay about $400 to heat a 1000 square ft house on the Cdn prairies for an entire winter using natural gas. But if it was electric heat it would be 3-4x more. And we have cheap electricity 8 cents kwh.

 

[Leo1277]

"I use as much as 100 kWh/day in the hottest summer day (115F+)".

Okay, ^ quote to mean is 100 (KWH) a day X 1000) (Kilo) equals 100,000 Watts.

Thanks

It actually means 100,000 Watt hours. Watt is the measure of power, for example an old light bulb may use 100 Watts. For the energy used, you have to multiply by time, so the light bulb would use 2.4 kWh if run continuously for a day.

 

[W2R]

My daughter's house about 7 miles south of us in Spring, Texas has been without power since 3 AM yesterday. It's 46 F inside her house now and the water pipes are frozen.

I have power and she is headed this way to sit this out.

So glad that your power held up, and she can seek refuge at your house! Wow, what a nightmare so many Houstonians are going through right now.

We had been told that the same fate lay in store for us here in New Orleans, but it didn't happen. Yay! Basically we had record low temperatures but we had no major power outages and we still have water too. What a relief. It's warming up and should be above freezing by noon.

My power was as steady as a rock and my house is nice and warm right now. I still have the faucets dripping and the under-sink cabinet doors open, and every container in the house is full of water. But all that can stop as soon as it gets a little bit warmer. It's 28F right now with a high of 42F predicted, after our record low of 25F last night.

I was up most of the night because I worry a lot.

 

[street]

It actually means 100,000 Watt hours. Watt is the measure of power, for example an old light bulb may use 100 Watts. For the energy used, you have to multiply by time, so the light bulb would use 2.4 kWh if run continuously for a day.

Yep! Exactly!

 

[audreyh1]

Just got an email from our electric co-op saying to expect our power outage to continue for another 24-48 hours. Which also means no water from our well.

This has moved beyond inconvenient.

Yeah, having a well during power long loss is terrible. An issue we have to deal with at DF’s farm.

Sounds like your well house needs a generator! DF’s farm has a wellhouse with its own grid connection.

 

[street]

^ Utility costs aren’t really comparable without sq ft information.

Home is 2000sf no heat in garage. I built the home myself and is well insulated.

 

[Chuckanut]

First, I must say that I feel for those in places like Texas that are having so many problems. It makes our snow melt flooding look like the minor nuisance it is.

Several people have mentioned that their gas heating is uselss because there is no electricity to drive the fan. Does nobody have the old fashioned gas wall heaters of my youth.?

They had a simple pilot light, and required no electrical connection to light and produce heat. Sure heating was spotty - very warm near the heater and much cooler across the room, but it worked well enough to keep the family at a descent temperature. I imagine a couple of those would keep the indoor pipes thawed since copper is a good conductor of heat.

Have we outsmarted ourselves?

 

[street]

It wouldn't surprise me it their plumbing is run on outside walls of their home apt. etc.. Not sure if their homes are better insulated then home built in northern US or not.

We have been out of heat and power for days in minus temps and never have lost or froze any pipes in the home. Maybe we have got very lucky but I have never really heard of that happening here, unless a few times with trailer houses but not homes, that I recall.

 

[NW-Bound]

Several people have mentioned that their gas heating is uselss because there is no electricity to drive the fan. Does nobody have the old fashioned gas wall heaters of my youth.?

They had a simple pilot light, and required no electrical connection to light and produce heat. Sure heating was spotty - very warm near the heater and much cooler across the room, but it worked well enough to keep the family at a descent temperature. I imagine a couple of those would keep the indoor pipes thawed since copper is a good conductor of heat.

Have we outsmarted ourselves?

I guess the above heater type vents the exhaust to the outside. Passive heaters would be great in time like this. However, they only heat one room, and not evenly as you said. Modern homes have central HVAC for a reason.

As I tried to point out in previous threads about renewable energy, even in places like Germany, people still have to burn gas for heat. Germany imports nat gas from Russia and the Netherlands, as I read.

When fossil fuel runs out, what does humanity do? We will all need to live in subterranean housing, in order to survive on renewable energy.