Recent content by wright1bby

In Texas this demand rate is not exactly optional for businesses.   When the local monopoly installs its smart meters you are automatically put in this category if anytime after that you have a 15 minute peak over 10KW.  You stay there unless you pay several hundred dollars to have your smart...

From reading regulatory filings I have learned that the transmission and delivery fee is based on a laundry list of fixed fees related to which type of customer you are considered. A typical small business falls in the category that causes these fixed charges to be about $40 a month. They add...

Dpilati, Ohh if were only so simple. Unfortunately I live in Texas where energy markets are "deregulated" and this is a small business account... Without consumer "protections". I have been on the phone and internet for 4 hours this morning and nobody can provide me even an itemization of the...

Thanks for the awesome detailed replies.  Only one of the 2 hot water heaters has a readily available 110 outlet near it so that moves the Elk contactor down my list.  Besides I love the price of the industrial controls contactors on amazon.

Thanks.  The actual HVAC unit and thermostat are upstairs and it would be more difficult to run wiring to the Hot water areas from there than it is from the HVAC breaker box downstairs.

I have gotten rid of the commercial coffee maker.....It could draw almost 2 KW.  The dryer is not used by renters so we can control when it is turned on.  Other than that there are no single large loads. Solar might help a little in the summer months when the peak usage tends to be in the...

Both water heaters are currently set up with a pigtail that plugs into a 4 prong 220V outlet.  My ideal solution would plug into a 220 V outlet and have a 220 V outlet on it for the water heaters to plug into.  I am not a big fan of tape, texture, and painting. I like the price of the contactors...

I mentioned local network because I was looking at smart thermostats and they all seem to emphasize ability to be controlled from the web.  I think I am liking Work2plays simple solutions much better than the path I was considering.  There is only one main HVAC unit for the building and 2 water...

  This building is located in Canton Texas about 60 miles east of Dallas. It has 2 very well insulated 80 gallon hot water heaters that I am reasonably confident will keep up with demand even if they are cut out whenever the HVAC system runs. If I am wrong then I can't think of a good solution...

I don't necessarily need a thermostat if something that monitors total house current power consumption could trigger switching off of water heaters over a certain KW rating.

I know next to nothing about home automation.  It seems like this should be simple to do yet I am having difficulty finding a solution. My wife owns a bed and bath that has significant usage only about 3 days per month.  It does not have web access so solutions will have to be local network...