09-04-2014, 05:03 AM
Large commercial customers can get an "interruptable" rate where you pay less per kwh but power on that meter is fed through an automatic circuit breaker that HECO has control over so if they need to dump load they can cut you off at the press of a button. There is a version of this for residential customers who have sufficiently large electric water heaters. The water heater is powered through a controller that HECO cat shut off. If they can do that for a water heater, can you put in a modest off-grid system that will keep your reefer and lights on in the event of a power failure but that is itself "backed-up" by the grid in such a way that both the customer and HECO like the deal? I bet that somewhere someone is doing just that by tapping off of their water heater to charge batteries (electric car or house). If you have an electric car, does HECO already have a program for that?