• @[email protected]
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    41 year ago

    Another solution would be adding some intelligence to water heaters. Have a temperature control valve on the output where you set the temperature, and program the water heater get to 160-180°F when electricity is cheap. This would be a thermal battery that would easily level out demand for electricity for heating water.

    This has been done for close to a century in wind or run of river hydro heavy countries (as well as some coal ones).

    The water heater has a buffer tank and is attached to a meter that only runs when a signal is sent across the power line. This stores about 20kWh for a 300L tank.

    Modern insulation would allow going up to a few m^3 for a couple weeks’ worth.

    • Semi-Hemi-Demigod
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      11 year ago

      Combine that with some radiant floor heating on a nice thick concrete slab and you could use the battery for home heating. (Though it would need a lot of water.)