Option A: Business As Usual:
- We can continue to ignore significant areas of consumer benefit and environmental concerns, and fine-tune the customers' supply voltage ever closer to the allowable maximum of 254.4 volts
- Use DSM to "fill in the troughs" of night-time demand
- Use aggressive marketing to push cheap off-peak tariffs
- Use costly "Green Power" schemes like photovoltaic cells and "wood waste" from clearfelling operations to improve the industry image while continuing to ramp up high pollution practices.
- This will make the system more and more "naturally" suited to coal and then nuclear baseload generation.
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Option B: A New Paradigm: "Save the Great Barrier Reef Scenario"
- Utilise the full voltage range of the new Standards Australia 230 volt standard to create a whole new "modus operandi" of all Zone Substations and HV/LV distribution lines. This will involve the use of traditional SECV voltage technology and newer solid state equipment to bring the actual voltage as close as possible to the nominal value at all times of average load or light load in a network. Re-arrangement of tap zones can generally obviate any need for line augmentation.
- Off-Peak tariffs must be increased substantially, and Winner Tariffs should be abolished, as they are so environmentally destructive in terms of global warming
- Electricity retailers should encourage cost effective solutions to consumers' desire for clean energy delivery. Solar water heaters, insulation and efficient appliances spring to mind.
- Use Conservation Voltage Reduction and IVVC (Integrated Volt-Var Control) technologies at substation level NOT to fine tune voltages closer to 254.4 volts in the interests of alleged "efficiency" of the network, but fine tune voltage DOWNWARDS towards and below nominal, for consumer and environmental benefit.
- Use Demand Managemant to reduce night-time demand as much as possible: this will suit gas-fired CCGT plant, cogeneration, wind power, new hydro power, and photovoltaic power.
- Cash flow can be maintained in the face of the potential revenue shortfall, by corresponding increases in tariffs: the NET overall electricity cost to consumers is UNAFFECTED by this price change, because they will be buying fewer kWh. Consumers will save substantially in other areas through reduced appliance burnouts, fewer blown light globes, and fewer calls to the local electrician. (The ETU does not like my voltage ideas!)
Animation of Load vs. Voltage Scenarios