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> Most data centers needs non-stop 24/7 reliability, and there are very few use cases where it makes sense and is even possible to delay your workload waiting for lower energy prices.

Perhaps your parent was thinking of EC2 spot instances?

> Lastly, data centers and smelters are expensive capital investments, and typically the economic calculation requires them to be run non-stop to recoup the capital investment.

I suspect this is true for almost all commercial operations.

Residential electric car charging is the only thing I can think of that's

1. A relatively large draw

2. Relatively time insensitive

In general, people aren't going to delay their dinner or wash by a few hours to save a few cents in electricity fees. They might be ok with car charging being delayed as long as it's full when they leave in the morning.




Perhaps your parent was thinking of EC2 spot instances?

Maybe, but the whole reason cloud providers offer ephemeral instances is precisely because letting the machines sit idle is a waste of capital.

I suspect this is true for almost all commercial operations.

I'm not sure if that's the case. I think it depends on the efficiency of production, ability to stockpile the product and the demand. Not all factories operate around the clock, because round the clock labor is also very expensive.

Residential electric car charging is the only thing I can think of that's (...)

I think a relatively easy development here would be to install large water tanks in people houses, and heat them up/cool them down when energy is cheap, and reuse stored energy when energy is more expensive, to save on heating/AC. But yes, energy these days is so cheap compared to labor and to value added that a complex schemes of idling production when energy prices are high is probably a non-starter in developed countries.


A system that heats water in tank for bath by heat pump at idle time is popular in Japan since mid 2000s (named "Eco Cute"). It expects unused power is found in midnight because of nuclear plants keeps generating power all time. It looks works well until 2011 earthquake. After that, not much nuclear plants working so the assumption isn't very good. Modern systems has connected to HEMS to heat water when power is generated by solar panel. AFAIK currently not connected with smart power grid.


I think a relatively easy development here would be to install large water tanks in people houses, and heat them up/cool them down when energy is cheap

Literally already happening. I have a demand response control box retrofitted onto my electric tanked water heater. It shuts off during high rate times.




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