Re: Grand Apagon - Electricity (not) in Spain

On 2025-05-02 00:16, Don Y wrote:

On 5/1/2025 2:28 PM, Carlos E.R. wrote:

On 2025-04-30 11:57, Don Y wrote:

A *small* "whole home" generator is about 14KW.  OK if you are
careful with your sequencing loads.  A normal home service is 24KW.

>
A typical home in Spain (a flat) is typically limited to 3.45 KW. Mine is nominally limited to 2.3 Kw. Affluent or bigger homes could be 5.75KW.

 A smaller home may have a 60A service (~14KW).  The 100A service
(24KW) tends to be the norm (in older developments).  Newer homes
have 200A services (48KW).
 We tend to be bigger energy consumers than the rest of the world
(i.e., "pigs").

We can have as much as we want, as long as we pay. The monthly invoice has two basic parts: a variable part, proportional to the watts we actually use, and a fixed part, proportional to the maximum watts we contract to have. So if we say we want a fuse of 25A on house input, we pay 25 times K, a constant in euros.
Thus it pays to have a small fuse. It is not a fuse, just a calibrated switch with a lead seal. Recently, it is some firmware in the smart meter.
I don't know the reasoning for this system, but the distribution company can thus calibrate the maximum power needed, different from the statistical max power. If the entire city maxes on power and it goes down, we can sue. We contracted and pay for the maximum on the entire network!
--
Cheers, Carlos.