Re: [VAC] gas airconditioning versus electric utilities

["Dr. Gerald N. Johnson" <geraldj@xxxxxxxx>]

Direct propane powered absorption units are probably more efficient than
electric compressor, freon type air conditioners, and they don't use
ozone damaging freon. Of course, an ammonia leak catches a lot more
attention really FAST. More of the fuel of the direct fired absorption
unit goes to the task than from an electric power plant. At the same
time, all those individual units burning gas probably have a greater
propensity to be out of adjustment wrecking efficiency and polluting
more than the central power plant. And the entrenched electric utility
wants to continue to supply electricity for that huge air conditioning
load even though a truly hot day can bring it to its knees. Not having
the air conditioning load would change the electric utility economics
drastically. Since US electric utilities have failed (in the face of
much opposition) to create new generation, it may be necessary in the
next decade to abandon that reliance on electric power for air
conditioning (which is a very "peaky" load) because the available power
plants won't be able to support all the potential customers. Soon the
statistics will be that the surplus generation of a decade ago has all
been used up by load growth and the new generation in the past decade
has been less than 1/10th the load growth. Since it can take a decade to
build nuclear plants and half that to build coal or gas fired steam
plants, there can only be periods when the power company falls on its
knees from excess load. That will be happening sooner than many wish to
admit. It may be that only the truly self sufficient factories and homes
will be the ones not affected by such lack of planning. The rest will be
hot, cold, and maybe hungry depending on the climate at their place and
time.

Wasting energy on air conditioning which tends to cause the nearby
environment to be even hotter may not be an option under such failing
power supplies. Competition in electric suppliers that makes the cost of
electricity dependent on demand will tend to penalize those that cause
the peak loads. There have been spot market prices for bulk electricity
as much as thousands of times greater than normal when demand exceeds
supply for a short time period. That can only get worse with increased
demand. Read most any utility stock holder's reports from the past
couple of years to see their complaints about those spot market peaks.
As "deregulation for competition" reaches more states and utilities they
will be able to pass those increased costs on to their customers.
Southern California customers were threatening rebellion a day or two
ago because of such effects doubling their power bills in the last
month.

Gerald J.