So the day peaked at 85 GW of load, and they got down to only 130 MW of spare capacity. Just 0.15% from running out.
And they never asked for conservation?
Is it normal to go that close to the edge without trying to cut load?
Breaking down a record-setting day on the Texas grid
11–20 of 149 posts
Re: Breaking down a record-setting day on the Texas grid
#12So the day peaked at 85 GW of load, and they got down to only 130 MW of spare capacity. Just 0.15% from running out. And they never asked for conservation? Is it normal to go that close to the edge without trying to cut load?
I was just chatting with a friend on how we haven't received the conservation emails like we have in previous years. This year has not been as extreme either as the DFW metroplex has not had the extended 100°+ days. We've just had a run of 3 or 4, but we've had 30+ consecutive days in the past.
Re: Breaking down a record-setting day on the Texas grid
#13If I'm reading this right, my thermostat's "rush hours" seem to be scheduled for gross load peak. They then seem to usually end (and kick my AC back to a desired temp causing a ton of usage) right around net load peak...which this is now reporting is when energy prices go through the roof. So basically the "rush hour" program has likely been costing me more money than if I just ignored them to begin with up to this p…
My rush hour went off yesterday afternoon and the temp rise made me doze off and i woke up sweating with it set to 80 degrees. I'm in the process of canceling, it's not easy. I used the chat and someone is going to send me an email (which says it's canceled?) within 24-48 hours.
Harder to turn off than anything else in recent memory. If anyone has a pro tip on an easy way to cancel let me know.
Re: Breaking down a record-setting day on the Texas grid
#14What is triggering the battery discharge? I assume these are referring to decentralized battery storage in people’s homes.
Summarizing from the article, this link [1] shows that there were more sources of generation that ERCOT didn't ask to come online. Specifically, all the capacity that could come online with 5 minutes was online except for a tiny 130 MW of generation. [1] https://blog.gridstatus.io/content/images/2024/08/ERCOT-Reca... Instead of calling for something that needed more than 5 minutes, ERCOT relied on all the batteries o…
> I don't know what this quote means:
>> 2,000 MW of extra capacity released from ECRS.
ECRS = ERCOT Contingency Reserve Service.
Contingency reserve services are used to maintain system reliability during unforeseen events. Think of power plants that can quickly ramp up generation, or other assets that can quickly reduce their demand.
In this case, ERCOT tapped 2,000 MW of capacity from ECRS.
Re: Breaking down a record-setting day on the Texas grid
#15So the day peaked at 85 GW of load, and they got down to only 130 MW of spare capacity. Just 0.15% from running out. And they never asked for conservation? Is it normal to go that close to the edge without trying to cut load?
I was just chatting with a friend on how we haven't received the conservation emails like we have in previous years. This year has not been as extreme either as the DFW metroplex has not had the extended 100°+ days. We've just had a run of 3 or 4, but we've had 30+ consecutive days in the past.
Last year was brutal, this year is great.
Re: Breaking down a record-setting day on the Texas grid
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
I was just chatting with a friend on how we haven't received the conservation emails like we have in previous years. This year has not been as extreme either as the DFW metroplex has not had the extended 100°+ days. We've just had a run of 3 or 4, but we've had 30+ consecutive days in the past.
Last year was brutal, this year is great.
Indeed. We still had grass at the end of July.
Re: Breaking down a record-setting day on the Texas grid
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
I was just chatting with a friend on how we haven't received the conservation emails like we have in previous years. This year has not been as extreme either as the DFW metroplex has not had the extended 100°+ days. We've just had a run of 3 or 4, but we've had 30+ consecutive days in the past.
Last year was brutal, this year is great.
I'm not in Texas but that matches my local weather as well. Lots of 90s, a few around 100, but not the sustained 100+ for weeks we had last year.
Re: Breaking down a record-setting day on the Texas grid
#18So the day peaked at 85 GW of load, and they got down to only 130 MW of spare capacity. Just 0.15% from running out. And they never asked for conservation? Is it normal to go that close to the edge without trying to cut load?
I was just chatting with a friend on how we haven't received the conservation emails like we have in previous years. This year has not been as extreme either as the DFW metroplex has not had the extended 100°+ days. We've just had a run of 3 or 4, but we've had 30+ consecutive days in the past.
Austin here, we’re enrolled in a conservation plan through Austin Energy whereby they control our smart thermostats (Nest in our case). These “Rush Hour” notices have been firing a lot over the past two weeks; perhaps only two days where we haven’t been asked to conserve somewhere between 3-6 hours a day.
Re: Breaking down a record-setting day on the Texas grid
#19So the day peaked at 85 GW of load, and they got down to only 130 MW of spare capacity. Just 0.15% from running out. And they never asked for conservation? Is it normal to go that close to the edge without trying to cut load?
Thats how they edge in Tx
Re: Breaking down a record-setting day on the Texas grid
#20So the day peaked at 85 GW of load, and they got down to only 130 MW of spare capacity. Just 0.15% from running out. And they never asked for conservation? Is it normal to go that close to the edge without trying to cut load?
The 2 GW of ECRS capacity does include Demand Response resources that are reducing their load to provide the capacity.
I imagine the other ERCOT demand response programs were also dispatched.