31 Aug
2009
31 Aug
'09
7:32 a.m.
On Monday 31 August 2009, Ethan Dicks wrote:
I've noticed this as well. I calculated based on my gas and electric
bills, that electricity costs me about $0.10/kWh, and natural gas comes
out to about $0.02/kWh (given 100% efficient conversion). Given a
cross-over point of about 20% efficiency, this has made me wonder if it
wouldn't be cheaper to get (at least most of) my power from a natural
gas generator outside of my house, than from the power company (and in
the process, cause less coal to be burned). Of course, I'm not sure how
much my neighbors would appreciate a generator running 24x7..
Pat
--
Purdue University Research Computing -- http://www.itap.purdue.edu/rcac
On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 2:11 PM, Tony Duell<ard at
p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
wrote:
And remember,
if you don't run you PDP11, you have to turn the
(normal) heating up...
In general thermodynamic terms, yes, but where I live, primary winter
heat is usually natural gas or propane (for those at the fringes of
town outside of the extensive natural gas network), and heating with
electricity here is much more expensive than burning gas. For those
that live in parts of the world where electric heat is the best/only
choice, you might as well pass those electrons through something that
gives you compute cycles vs a big, fat load resistor.