Big Brother and YOUR thermostat

John R. Hall

State officials have ditched a plan to require remote-controlled thermostats in homes and businesses.

Regulators instead will work with utilities on possible voluntary programs by which customers could request such devices, California Energy Commission spokeswoman Claudia Chandler said Tuesday.

New building-efficiency standards drawn up by the commission would have required new buildings to include remote-controlled thermostats that could allow utilities to control a building's air-conditioning or heating during power emergencies.

After a public outcry, commission officials last week said the regulation would be revised so that the devices would still be required, but configured so that customers could override outside control by utilities.

But the agency backed off even more this week by announcing that the proposed remote-controlled thermostats would be dropped entirely from the 2008 edition of the building-efficiency standards.

The news was applauded by the head of the state Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce, Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys.

"While more needs to be done to keep up with the needs of our ever-increasing population, it's not the job of the (state) to go into peoples' homes and control their thermostats," he said.

John R. Hall

Keeping tabs on you

I thought this proposed changed to the California Title 24 legislation is very interesting, considering that other parts of the U.S. usually catch on to what happens in California:

"What should be controversial in the proposed revisions to Title 24 is the requirement for what is called a "programmable communicating thermostat" or PCT. Every new home and every change to existing homes' central heating and air conditioning systems will required to be fitted with a PCT beginning next year following the issuance of the revision. Each PCT will be fitted with a "non-removable " FM receiver that will allow the power authorities to increase your air conditioning temperature setpoint or decrease your heater temperature setpoint to any value they chose. During "price events" those changes are limited to +/- four degrees F and you would be able to manually override the changes. During "emergency events" the new setpoints can be whatever the power authority desires and you would not be able to alter them."

ed wallace

big brother and thermostats

timeto stock up on tstats theres money to be made in the black market for non compliance tstats

Derheatmeister

Is that not strange that there is a advertisement for thermostats on the sides of this post?

Norm Harvey

I can see 2 thermostats mounted on the wall,.. the PTC one hooked up to ,.. nothing, and the non-PTC hooked up to the comfort systems.

John R. Hall

Would you install?

Despite the reasons, would you install these for your customers?

ChasMan

Canned Goods & Ammo

I'd be more likely to stock up on canned goods and ammo. This is a crazy idea. Do rolling blackouts instead. And that includes downtown LA & commercial districts. If you can't come up with the power than dont issue the bloody building permit. Better yet, just resign and get someone in who can get the power from where it is to where it is needed.

Joannie_15

CA Proposal

I heard today (can't confirm that it's true) that the people who proposed that have drawn it back. I'm sure it'll come back again, probably in a different form, hoping they can hide it better.

Ruthe Jubinville_2

ditto

I heard that too. Ruthe

Jeff Lawrence_25

Understanding that I have

about the PCT's is that they are REQUIRED in new construction in California.

It's the law and we are supposed to follow it.

Derheatmeister

Check out the"German big Brother" very similar to this one?

Chas_4

Not the same...

I dont feel it is the same. Being told the efficiency level required of a particular system (within reason) is very different than installing a device that allows the state to switch your AC off. The latter being third world Orwellian vs the former which is more of a standard of husbandry.

Derheatmeister

Chas, Just resign and get someone in who can get THE POWER FROM where it is to where it is needed that was your previous Post! Was it ?.as far as i understand in this post the Government will no shut down you so badly needed AC.so may you should not worry to much.

will smith_4

uber bruder

As far as the state controlled t-stats go-let's not give 'em any heads up that we might know how to counter 'em from the get go. Always let your enemy assume they are smarter than you are. In my neck of the woods, Con (yep-not Com)-Ed will give you a bit of break on your bill if you let them put power savers on your condensers. These are just receivers with a set of contacts tied in to the contactor which drops out whenever they send a signal from a satellite-supposedly whenever peak demand arises, to shut equipment down and reduce stress on the grid. So far, these have been popular (read:more prevalent) in lower income communities. This way, if the (poorer) folks in the lower income communities will allow the utility to cycle their units off during peak demand, the more important (wealthy)folks can have their domiciles at a comfortable 68 during the summer.