Store Your Own Juice

sfeinstein writes "Power companies using dynamic pricing models to charge more for electricity during hours of peak usage is nothing new. Now, however, one company has decided to take advantage of this by using technology to buy (and store) capacity when rates are low and use that capacity when rates are at their highest." From the article: "The device, called GridPoint Protect, is the size of a small file cabinet and connects to the circuitbreaker panel. (The company also offers a lower-capacity version designed for homes, which costs $10,000.) A built-in computer powered by a Pentium chip will make intelligent purchase decisions, buying when prices are low, then storing the electricity for later use. That will make it possible to run your company during the workday with cheaper electricity that you purchased at 3 A.M."

Comments

Storing juice?

[ScrewMaster]

Store Your Own Juice

Personally, I use Mason jars.

But that's just me.

Re:Storing juice?

[HeavensBlade23]

I just put the tissues back in the box.

Re:Storing juice?

[ackthpt]

Store Your Own Juice

Personally, I use Mason jars.

But that's just me.

Bumper Sticker seen around Santa Cruz:

Save Gas - Fart In A Jar

With intel inside

[Gates82]

With intel inside, it's going to drain enough power to make the offest cost for the power about the same.

--
So who is hotter? Ali or Ali's Sister?

Company name?

[Shadow Wrought]

It's not Shipstone, is it?

Savings?

[David Hume]

Corsell, 28, estimates that his device will shave a business's electric bill by about 15%. Assuming monthly charges of $2,500, the system would pay for itself in less than four years.

What makes me think the warranty on the device is three years? :)

Being tired...

[Omicron32]

and possessing a dirty mind isn't the best thing to have when reading a title like "Store your own juice."

Now, that's all well and good, but ...

[ScrewMaster]

I think a better service would be one that makes intelligent decisions and tops off my car when gasoline is cheaper.

Oh, wait ... it's not getting cheaper. My mistake.

UPS anyone

[AjStone]

Why not just unplug your UPS on your PC during the peak hours?

Re:Build your own

[whoever57]

Just like building your own "Tivo", if these guys come up with a scheme that works, way too many people will just build their own.

I hereby name the project "MythPower".

Re:How does it know?

[shawb]

Now, if only there was some sort of copper wire between the customer and the electric company which could transmit pricing information. If only...

It scales OK for me.

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a fairly standard slashdotter's residence. Mum, Dad, a couple of chickens, and a 200 Meg Seti Farm.

I use a couple of 10 Meg reversible turbines to pump water up to a lake I built on top of the house during the night, and then let it run down to the basement during the day to provide power. Renting sailing and fishing rights there offsets some of the original construction costs.

During the winter, I also use some of the basement water to provide heating, since I circulate it through the rocket-testing facility I have in an outdoor shed and use it there to cool the exhaust deflectors....

What a deal!

[ChrisGilliard]

(The company also offers a lower-capacity version designed for homes, which costs $10,000.)

Just what I need a $10,000 device that saves me $5 - $10 a month.