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HECO: Conserve The Juice!

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  • HECO: Conserve The Juice!

    Hot muggy weather coupled with unexpected outages of some power generating stations has prompted HECO to call for quick and concerted conservation efforts... or risk power outages.
    If HECO is not able to provide power to all the island under voluntary conservation, it may have to cut power to blocks of customers for short periods of time... The most crucial hours for conservation are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
    Record highs levels of electricity use two days in a row, a 3.3 percent increase over last year's peaks. Honolulu is one power-hungry (and air conditioning dependent) island!

  • #2
    Re: HECO: Conserve The Juice!

    Originally posted by pzarquon
    Hot muggy weather coupled with unexpected outages of some power generating stations has prompted HECO to call for quick and concerted conservation efforts... or risk power outages.Record highs levels of electricity use two days in a row, a 3.3 percent increase over last year's peaks. Honolulu is one power-hungry (and air conditioning dependent) island!
    Weather forecasters are also predicting an El Nino year for you guys too, which probably means less rain than usual next summer. The City (and probably the Oahu County) is already requesting voluntary conservation of water now (they want everybody to use 10% less water). On Maui, the farmers in Kula are suffering now.

    Miulang
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: HECO: Conserve The Juice!

      Originally posted by Miulang
      The City (and probably the Oahu County) is already requesting voluntary conservation of water now (they want everybody to use 10% less water).
      O'ahu County was created in 1905 and was replaced in 1909 by the City & County of Honolulu.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: HECO: Conserve The Juice!

        Originally posted by Glen Miyashiro
        O'ahu County was created in 1905 and was replaced in 1909 by the City & County of Honolulu.
        Gomen nasai, eh? I was born in Honolulu (Kapiolani Hospital) but lived on Maui from the time I was 2 until I left foa college. Call me one country bumpkin; I neva know dat!

        Miulang
        "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: HECO: Conserve The Juice!

          Ho wow! Me too Kapiolani Hospital! I wonder who nevah got born ova dea!

          I nevah know dat too but one thing a lot of people in Hawaii don't know is this one unnoticed issue: My wife worked at a preschool (The Early School) where their playground was under a freeway onramp (the Kokohead bound University onramp that circles that big tree that has the shortest launch to freeway speed requirement). They got a letter from the U.S. Census telling them that because the population of the C&C of Honolulu exceeded one million people, new DOT guidelines were required for preschool climbing structures built under a Federally-funded roadway since Honolulu officially became a metropolis.

          My eyes popped open when I heard that one.

          Oh and to keep things OT, I always thought that if HECO were to turn off every other streetlight, they'd save at least 50% on their streetlight electric bill...that's substantial!
          Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: HECO: Conserve The Juice!

            Ho wow! Me too Kapiolani Hospital! I wonder who nevah got born ova dea!
            Plenny folks. My brother and I were born at the old Kaiser Honolulu that they blew up in 1987. While two of my kids were born at Kapiolani, my son was born at Kaiser's Moanalua location. And two of my friends who just had babies delivered in Wahiawa!

            Um, topic? Yeah. Well, no blackouts. They got two generators back, as did their third-party provider, and even the Navy was ready with some backup juice.
            By 7 p.m. last night, peak demand for power on O'ahu was at 1,278 megawatts, down from Tuesday's peak of 1,327 mega-watts. "It is likely a large portion, though not all, of that savings is due to individuals and businesses doing the right thing, and we are grateful," said Chuck Freedman, HECO vice president of corporate relations.
            Still, yet another reason to hope it cools off around here soon!

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: HECO: Conserve The Juice!

              So, O'ahu used 1,278 megawatts last night. That's 1,278,000 kilowatts for about 1.25 million people, or about a kilowatt per person, or 5000 watts for a five-person household. Yeesh! That's a lot of refrigerators and hot water heaters and air conditioners.

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              • #8
                Re: HECO: Conserve The Juice!

                that's not really that bad considering that's the total for a 24-hour day. Consider this, a typical computer power supply saps around 300-watts per hour well that's a chunk o' juice just for chatting on this board. Then your typical plug-in wall charger/powersupply for those cordless phones, radios, PS2's take anywhere from 7-1/2 watts to 30-watts of power every hour just being plugged in and not in use. Just on my desk I have four of them running round the clock even at 7-1/2 watts each that's 30-watts consumed every hour from just these four! I think total I have 30 of those in all my rooms at a conservative 7-1/2 watts each that's what 225-watts per hour of mostly unused power being consumed for a total of 5,400-watts per day easy just in those plug in wall transformers.

                If that sounds a bit much consider if only half of them were being used that's still 2700 watts per day. Then consider the night lights that you plug in your hallway or bathroom, the TV set on at night when you come home, the fans, lighting, and of course your heavy appliances such as the water heater (30-50% of your energy is consumed by this monster), your 1000-watt microwave oven, your 25-watt coffee grinder, your wife's 2000-watt hair dryer, all the clock radio's...it all adds up even without air conditioners, water heaters or refigerators.

                5000 watts per household per day isn't really a whole lot when you consider the typical load each consumer takes each day. So here's a plug for the Gas Company...a gas water heater and stove/oven provides instant heating energy. Flame on, instant use of heat energy. With electricity, switch on energy consumed while heating element warms up. Gas dryers dry clothes faster than electric, Gas stoves heat up a skillet faster than electric, same for ovens. A 40-gallon gas water heater will heat a cold tank in less than 10-minutes vs 1/2-hour for electric.

                Gas ovens are preferred by most chefs around the world for their even heat distribution over electric.

                And when HECO blacks out, you're still cookin' with gas. Kauai had a major increase in GASCO customers after Hurricanes Ewa and Iniki destroyed the power grid there. Nothing like a hot shower while your roof is gone on your house at midnight. There are propane powered gas refrigerators and freezers as well. By the way The Gas Company is celebrating it's 100th anniversary this year. I was a part of it for almost 1/4 of it's existance. Check out their website at www.hawaiigas.com Call my good friend Steve Chang and he can set you up with an account.

                Yeah I know what a cheap shot taking advantage of HECO's power problems but heck that's business right?
                Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: HECO: Conserve The Juice!

                  Originally posted by craigwatanabe
                  that's not really that bad considering that's the total for a 24-hour day. Consider this, a typical computer power supply saps around 300-watts per hour well that's a chunk o' juice just for chatting on this board. Then your typical plug-in wall charger/powersupply for those cordless phones, radios, PS2's take anywhere from 7-1/2 watts to 30-watts of power every hour just being plugged in and not in use. Just on my desk I have four of them running round the clock even at 7-1/2 watts each that's 30-watts consumed every hour from just these four! I think total I have 30 of those in all my rooms at a conservative 7-1/2 watts each that's what 225-watts per hour of mostly unused power being consumed for a total of 5,400-watts per day easy just in those plug in wall transformers.

                  If that sounds a bit much consider if only half of them were being used that's still 2700 watts per day. Then consider the night lights that you plug in your hallway or bathroom, the TV set on at night when you come home, the fans, lighting, and of course your heavy appliances such as the water heater (30-50% of your energy is consumed by this monster), your 1000-watt microwave oven, your 25-watt coffee grinder, your wife's 2000-watt hair dryer, all the clock radio's...it all adds up even without air conditioners, water heaters or refigerators.

                  5000 watts per household per day isn't really a whole lot when you consider the typical load each consumer takes each day. So here's a plug for the Gas Company...a gas water heater and stove/oven provides instant heating energy. Flame on, instant use of heat energy. With electricity, switch on energy consumed while heating element warms up. Gas dryers dry clothes faster than electric, Gas stoves heat up a skillet faster than electric, same for ovens. A 40-gallon gas water heater will heat a cold tank in less than 10-minutes vs 1/2-hour for electric.

                  Gas ovens are preferred by most chefs around the world for their even heat distribution over electric.

                  And when HECO blacks out, you're still cookin' with gas. Kauai had a major increase in GASCO customers after Hurricanes Ewa and Iniki destroyed the power grid there. Nothing like a hot shower while your roof is gone on your house at midnight. There are propane powered gas refrigerators and freezers as well. By the way The Gas Company is celebrating it's 100th anniversary this year. I was a part of it for almost 1/4 of it's existance. Check out their website at www.hawaiigas.com Call my good friend Steve Chang and he can set you up with an account.

                  Yeah I know what a cheap shot taking advantage of HECO's power problems but heck that's business right?
                  Natural gas is definitely a good alternative to the extortionary rates being charged by the electric utility companies these days, but there's also a price to pay: as the cost of crude oil goes up, so will the price of natural gas (to keep up with the demand). I'm surprised more people in Hawai'i haven't employed solar panels for their hot water heating needs (I think you can still get a tax credit for converting to solar). You still need a backup power source (in case you guys get a month of cloudy days---but how likely is that??? ) I wish I could get gas for heating and cooking up here. But I own one condo and the only way that's going to happen is if we convert all 44 units. I would prefer to use gas for cooking because of the infinite heat settings, but I really do like my convection oven.

                  Miulang
                  "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: HECO: Conserve The Juice!

                    solar panels (solar water heating) can save you up to 50% of your monthly energy bill however do the math. The Gas Company used to be in the solar water heating biz and we dropped out because of the failing panels. And that's where the rub is:

                    It will take you about 5-years of solar water savings to equal the initial cost of the solar water heating system. After five years you'll see a real net savings...however...five years is when most solar panels need replacement (they leak) and replacement costs will eat up any energy savings you accrued over the previous years.

                    Electric on-demand water heaters are another option...however...most of them require a 45-amp 220-volt line (most electric water heaters require only 30-amp 220-volt power). So when that sucker juices up that's 9,900 watts of electricity consumed while that thing is on, your electric meter will spin like a top outta control. Compared to 6,600 watts for a conventional electric water heater, you're talking another 1/3-more power required to run an on-demand electric. The duty cycle of a standard electric water heater to maintain constant hot water still won't exceed 9,900-watts of electricity per duty cycle.

                    Now Gas on-demand water heaters...now there's a viable alternative. Gas on-demand water heaters consume 70% less energy than it's electric counterpart and heats the water faster for a more constant flow of hot water. www.hawaiigas.com Steve Chang
                    Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

                    Comment

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