A bit of better news for the kittyman.

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Message 1068473 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 8:25:10 UTC

We had a company/employee meeting today at the fire truck factory.

Things are a little bleak for a while.

Business is down, and rather than handing out pink slips, they have reduced everybody's work week to 32 hours for the next two months.

This is gonna hurt.

For the first time in my Seti history, I am gonna have to choose between running the crunchers full bore and feeding the kitties.

You know who's gonna win...........

I have said before that I would starve before the kitties went without anything.

So, I will probably have to curtail my Seti activity to cut the power bills very soon.

As I can still justify some of the cost of crunching due to the fact that it heats the house, I am trying to work out what is most cost effective in doing so.......

My electricity rates are .04792 per KWH off peak, and .24915 during the day. Of course, they right now run 24/7, so I am paying quite a penalty during the day.
Fuel oil for the furnace is about $3.00 a gallon now, but that furnace is very old and I suspect about 80% efficiency.

So, I have to do some BTU conversions, and see if and when I can still justify running the crunchers for heat rather than the furnace itself.

I saw this coming, and it was the reason for my thread about auto shutdown and startup of my rigs at certain times of the day.

Not a good time for the kittyman, who has always been generous to the project both in words and deeds, and considered himself to be proud as a Durham bull in springtime.

Reality bites.

Meowhimper.
"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

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Message 1068488 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 9:44:17 UTC - in response to Message 1068487.  

Of course you feed the kitties first.

A few off peak weekday and weekend hours will be more than enough.

God take care of you, your kitties, and everyone during the present problems.

Thanks.
Presently, I have had a bit too much whiskey to do the conversions.

LOL......go figger...

I'll address it in the morning,,,,,should it come.

Meowch.
"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

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Message 1068489 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 9:56:08 UTC
Last modified: 20 Jan 2011, 9:58:29 UTC

Same happend to me 2009 Mark.
I only worked 3 days a week because of the economy.

I decided to go thru like before and i dont regret.
I also have a big powerbill because of my home theatre and running seti 24/7.
2009 for eyample i´ve blown 11400 kilowatts.

But thats your decission.


With each crime and every kindness we birth our future.
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Message 1068490 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 10:00:57 UTC - in response to Message 1068489.  

Same happend to me 2009 Mark.
I only worked 3 days a week because of the economy.

I decided to go thru like before and i dont regret.
I also have a big powerbill because of my home theatre.
2009 for eyample i´ve blown 11400 kilowatts.

But thats your decission.

Well, I have to believe............

As God says.......

For every door closed, another is opened.

As it was written, so shall it be so.

So I must believe.
"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

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Message 1068503 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 11:15:35 UTC
Last modified: 20 Jan 2011, 11:38:53 UTC

Mark!

Do you know how often your powercompany "polls" your powerline to measure how much KWh you are using at that particular moment or do they simply collect the data once a month?

If so, you cannot choose a method of poweroptimizing your electricity in a particular timeframe more for one month to the next.
The only thing for certain is that you lower the amount of powerdraw for that particular timeframe that your powercompany measure you.

Example once a month is perhaps 1500KWh regular usage for you, if you turn it off during a special period that sums up to for instance a day a week that equals to about 1288KWh a month of consumed electricity.

When your powercompany then sends a bill they sum it up to 1288KWh equals that months average powercost if you have a non-fixed rate.

That means that how much you try to optimize and turn of during prime times the average for that month wouldn't change a single digit at all , and if you turn it off during the primetime the only thing you would do is reducing the cost for what your powercompany needs to pay for purchasing electricity for themselves to deliver that to you because their powerpolling is not once a month it perhaps polls every minute or so.
It would only increase their own revenues.

So if you want to lower a powercompanys revenues , turn the computer off during the cheaper period and only run it at the expensive peaks instead :P ..
Because as i said they got polled and billed more compared to you as customer for your powercompany.

This what it "seems" to be the way it works here in Sweden until i've heard otherwise from other safe sources.

Kind regards Vyper

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Message 1068511 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 12:21:52 UTC

First off Mark, sorry to hear about your reduced hours :-(

Second, an "out of the window" idea on how to moderate your power bill.
Run everything (or at least your Kitties) off a ******* big UPS, or charger/battery/inverter setup. Only charge when power is cheap - a "simple" time switch to turn the charger on and off at the appropriate times.

Bob Smith
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Message 1068517 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 13:03:21 UTC - in response to Message 1068503.  
Last modified: 20 Jan 2011, 13:04:59 UTC

Mark!

Do you know how often your powercompany "polls" your powerline to measure how much KWh you are using at that particular moment or do they simply collect the data once a month?

If so, you cannot choose a method of poweroptimizing your electricity in a particular timeframe more for one month to the next.
The only thing for certain is that you lower the amount of powerdraw for that particular timeframe that your powercompany measure you.

Example once a month is perhaps 1500KWh regular usage for you, if you turn it off during a special period that sums up to for instance a day a week that equals to about 1288KWh a month of consumed electricity.

When your powercompany then sends a bill they sum it up to 1288KWh equals that months average powercost if you have a non-fixed rate.

That means that how much you try to optimize and turn of during prime times the average for that month wouldn't change a single digit at all , and if you turn it off during the primetime the only thing you would do is reducing the cost for what your powercompany needs to pay for purchasing electricity for themselves to deliver that to you because their powerpolling is not once a month it perhaps polls every minute or so.
It would only increase their own revenues.

So if you want to lower a powercompanys revenues , turn the computer off during the cheaper period and only run it at the expensive peaks instead :P ..
Because as i said they got polled and billed more compared to you as customer for your powercompany.

This what it "seems" to be the way it works here in Sweden until i've heard otherwise from other safe sources.

Kind regards Vyper


Vyper, if his system is like mine was, you have a dual rate meter. It has a timer and switches from one set of dials to the other at the day/night times. There is no setting for weekend. When I had an electric water heater I had such a meter. (another thing I had was electric heat which I did not use). Worst part of this setup was that with the frequent power failures the timer could really be off the mark and the power company would never let you know when they came and reset the timer.....often it was when they came to read the meter.

Kittyman, at least you still have a job. Best of luck.

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Message 1068526 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 14:09:59 UTC

Thanks fellow kitties, but there is no fooling the 'poweres that be'....no pun intended
The meter knows when the juice is used.

On peak or off. No fooling it.

It's a matter of the time of day that the power is consumed.
And until now, I didn't give a rat's petoot.

Now, I shall have to play the game.

The kitties don't like these games, but.....

That is the game.

Game on.

Meow.


"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

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Message 1068539 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 14:59:33 UTC

Sorry to hear about that. Know a lot of people are in the same boat as you. Some, don't even have a boat. Almost 10% of the population has stopped looking for work! That puts us at around 20% unemployment. Count yourself lucky to have a job sir.

"The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax."
--Albert Einstein

DON'T TREAD ON ME!
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Message 1068540 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 15:09:48 UTC - in response to Message 1068473.  

Set NNT on everything, shutdown to save money. Totally understand. Do please check in to the cafe at least, and let us know how you and the kitties doing.

Delta Airlines did what your company is doing years ago, and they came out of the thorns a big, strong company.
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Message 1068543 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 15:21:33 UTC

Hang in there Mark, I know what you are going through. Been out of work since I lost my job two years ago because of the economy decline. Luckily I have a very supportive wife who hasn't complained about the electric bill, so I have been able to keep both of my crunchers working full time even if I'm not. THINGS WILL IMPROVE!!
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Message 1068547 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 15:31:12 UTC - in response to Message 1068543.  

Hang in there Mark, I know what you are going through. Been out of work since I lost my job two years ago because of the economy decline. Luckily I have a very supportive wife who hasn't complained about the electric bill, so I have been able to keep both of my crunchers working full time even if I'm not. THINGS WILL IMPROVE!!

yeah.......like a rock through the window...........

I best go now, or I'll get banned again for expressing my anger.
"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

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Message 1068551 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 15:45:50 UTC - in response to Message 1068547.  

nah you won't get banned you're frustrated. simple truth. It takes hard time for a man to reveal his true worth. Anyone can do well during easy times. How you deal with hardship is when we show our best. Mark I hope that your best comes shining through for your kitties and for yourself


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Message 1068558 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 16:02:56 UTC

How quaint of you to say so.

Most of you find it amusing when I am banned.
And make little comments behind my back.
I can't imagine what you say when I can't listen.

Carry on.
"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

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Message 1068569 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 16:32:21 UTC

I hope you don't think I find bans amusing. I never took bans lightly as a mod. I do take alcoholism seriously though. I have for over 16 years. I think you'er a good guy. heck you show it through your kids. You'd give anything for them. I think you also forget all those PM's I've sent you in the past.

Just take care of yourself and your kitties


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Message 1068580 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 16:47:20 UTC
Last modified: 20 Jan 2011, 17:00:42 UTC

Hey Mark, Have You ever considered going Solar? As in get some electricity from the Sun?
The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's
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Message 1068586 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 16:56:21 UTC - in response to Message 1068473.  

So, I have to do some BTU conversions, and see if and when I can still justify running the crunchers for heat rather than the furnace itself.
On a $/BTU basis electric almost always loses to burning almost any fuel (even propane, as I do).

But it is not just about BTU's. Usually your furnace is pretty even-handed on heating the whole house, with just a little flexibility with vent or duct throttling.

But electric can do pretty goood spot heating. A PC is not the most effective location heater, but it still can do a lot better at putting heat where you (or the kitties) are, and not spending money heating up elsewhere.

You might do best at setting the furnace heat just high enough to assure the pipes don't freeze and other whole-house heat considerations, then using your treasured fleet of PCs as location heaters, avoiding as much as possible that killer day rate you have. Your night rate is actually pretty good, so I'd not be surprised if you could beat pure fuel heat with this "location, location, location" strategy.

Of course you could do even better with a true location heater--I've got a couple of flat panel electrics which I can set beside a chair I'm sitting in and make myself comfortable within a couple of minutes in a 55F room. But you would have to buy them, and they don't earn any cobblestones.

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Message 1068594 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 17:10:45 UTC - in response to Message 1068580.  

Hey Mark, Have You ever considered going Solar? As in get some electricity from the Sun?


I get sick of the "go solar" out cry
Might be great for the south west but in the north east it's a bust

As for UPS supplies , batteries, inverters for off peak use
these aren't cheep esp on a forced reduced income
And lead acid batteries need proper storage & ventilation
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Message 1068595 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 17:10:55 UTC - in response to Message 1068586.  

Wisconsin is a suboptimal place to employee any Solar electic panels. With the very short days in winter and what seems to be constant cloud cover you'd be better off tying your bike into a generator to make electricity Gilligan Island style


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Message 1068598 - Posted: 20 Jan 2011, 17:26:13 UTC

Well where does the Kittyman hail from? I thought He was from someplace where there's some sun. I'd heard Georgia once, If I'm wrong OK, It was an idea.
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Message boards : Cafe SETI : A bit of better news for the kittyman.


 
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