20kW,electricity company and ballasts peak

[raphenilweed]

Yes even though you are flip-flopping you are using the same amount of power.... Theoretically. Big draws cost more because of heat/resistance laws, not just amount of total juice. If you had say 10 lights on at once it will cost you slightly bit more then if you ran 5 at a time.
Electricity is kinda like a freeway. If you normally commuted 5 miles and the time you left to get to work wasn't a typical rush hour time, it would cost you (x) amount in gas. If the commute home was during rush hour though, your commute cost goes up because of the bumper to bumper traffic.
If you have a dedicated 200amp just for growing then awesome! Now if you were able to wire each ballast directly to its own fuse (circuit breaker on panel) and the breaker be only 5 amps then you would have a very efficient, lower costing setup. I noticed a few dollar savings when I split my 8kw from 1 timer with 8 plugs to 2 timers with 4 plugs each.

Also if you are seriously worried, buy a bunch of old computers set them all up in a room closet making them look all hooked up. have them to appear to be on a timer. "Look see I run a home based server business"

 

[raphenilweed]

but about the ballasts, lets say someone uses 30 magnetic ballasts of 600W so a total of 18 000 W, the 30 ballasts start every day at the same hour. is the peak created by the startup of the 30 ballasts can be a security issues with the electricity company ?

the only people that will know this are the people running the board at the operating center. I don't know for sure how it works now but many of the decisions of where and how much power to send is done by computers. When 30 lights come on, the load center knows it and where to send the power to. For them actually; "Hey bob, section 3-c-x-4 is daylight flower power. Better turn up the juice" is a little far fetched. i guess that is depending on the geographic location you are in ...lol.

Given the "real world's" habit's peak energy use is during the day with all that industrial and commercial use, whats a little grow power to them, right? And given the nature of one of the fastest growing plants it could be close to the mass media propaganda carbon neutral things out there..

---Side note sorry... ever driven past a mega auto mall at 3 am? WTF are they lit up like a world cup soccer stadium? Now thats a waste of electricity!---

I have heard the utility companies have formulas that calculate what you are doing but if this is true I would only be worried if I lived in heavy lock-down areas.

are electonic ballasts a solution to this peak problem ?

electronic ballasts handle how the energy is used differently. please some one correct me if I a m wrong here but an electronic ballast is like driving a car with a really good, attuned driver or a fully automated system controlling braking accelrating, lane changing and even traffic signals where gas mileage is ideal vs. driving with one foot on the gas and the other on the brake. This is how digital ballasts provide more lumens and why they last longer. So... sorta it can reduce the energy spike, it averages it out more efficiently.

and what are the other solutions ?

Not sure about your situation but the normal single family household has a 200 amp service or 320 amp service. With a 320amp service you can have 2x200amp boxes. One dedicated to heavy equipment and the other normal house operation. Now, you can upgrade your service to higher levels if you want. Citing commercial greenhouse as a reason is legit, especially if you live in the right zoning area. You can also be a wood worker, machinist or welder to get the higher amp service.

In looking at the local utilities application for service, they really don't care what you are doing as long as you pay them. They will modify the local infrastructure as needed. They would rather have you tell them you are adding a load then having shit melt and have to send technicians out at 3:06 am.

i hope some of us will help
thanks a lot

i hope so too. if it doesn't, drink a Lagunita's Imperial Stout and it ill.

 

[Marshall]

That "something" is called "fuse cut" (most residential ones are 15-24KV) and you can easily re-set it with the same insulated fiberglass pole the electricity company is using.

Or use PVC pipes with a hook @ the end, works just as well.

The ring @ the top right in the pic is where the hook goes in.

Works just as well if you wanna piss off your neighbors REAL BAD by disconnecting their power. Do that a few times and they will have gone insane. Or you to jail

I had one of those blow once during a storm, no grow at that house. Power company was there a couple hours later.

Apparently it just couldnt be reset. They had to replace something, a fuse I believe, then reconnect it.




Having a bunch of computers is not going to do shit for you. Once the cops come, they aren't going to stop looking when they find the computers

 

[Strainhunter]

I had one of those blow once during a storm, no grow at that house. Power company was there a couple hours later.

Apparently it just couldnt be reset. They had to replace something, a fuse I believe, then reconnect it.


.....

The long straight thing you see in the pic is a fuse and it blows (and has to be exchanged) when...hit by lightning!

It only "opens up" and can be closed manually when tripped by "easier stuff" such as a too high load.

 

[raphenilweed]

Having a bunch of computers is not going to do shit for you. Once the cops come, they aren't going to stop looking when they find the computers

agreed. once the cops come and looking at stuff they either have a warrant or your f!@#ed. other than that it is mostly a rational your "consumption".

going back to what I said though, the application for energy service seems to not care what you are doing. I have the feeling that bad descisions and/or loose lips are the end to your situation not an energy bill.