EV charging and hydro generation/distribution challenges

[ijmorlan]

As for load balancing, there is actually a fair bit of research on smart grid stuff. But it really isn't a technical issue, building software for it isn't hard it's kind of an understood task. The big problem is that it is contrary to the self interest society we have built. It requires cooperation of a majority of the population.  So we either need regulations or economic incentives, and I suspect there needs to be considerable policy research into this.

I would start by just making pricing information available in the electrical socket. Then you could tell your dryer a maximum price it should wait for before starting. Same for air conditioners etc.

This is way simpler than trying to design protocols for the power company to turn off your stuff, and also decentralizes the problem: all the power company has to do is provide the correct pricing information (which they should be doing anyway), and every device manufacturer can compete to use that information in the most effective way.

For heating/cooling, one can even imagine a thermostat where you can tell it to cool to 25° for example if power is one price and 23° if it is a cheaper price.

The trick is to harness self interest. Self interest always exists and cannot be entirely eliminated, nor is it clear that one would want to do that. Instead, appeal to a majority’s sense of cooperation to put in place a system that harnesses their natural self interest.