Why trust Quiet Hours?
A short read on what we look at, how we suggest, and what we never ask for.
- Weather forecasts
- Historical demand
- Renewable generation trends
- Regional grid conditions
- Pricing schedules
We look for actions that help most with the least disruption to your evening.
- Find the shared stress window
Compare forecast demand, renewable drop-off, and wholesale price movement to identify when timing matters.
U.S. EIA v2 API + CAISO OASIS - Explain the driver
Use official weather forecasts to translate heat, wind, and storm risk into plain-language demand drivers.
NOAA / National Weather Service API - Estimate household flexibility
Use conservative ResStock end-use shapes for EV, HVAC, and appliance timing before any private device data exists.
NREL ResStock - Label savings and impact honestly
Estimate savings from representative utility rate spreads and emissions context from annual eGRID factors.
OpenEI Utility Rate Database + EPA eGRID
We do not require smart meter access for basic guidance. You stay in control of what you share.
- U.S. EIA v2 APISourceBalancing authority demand, generation mix, and hourly electricity operations datalive · Hourly/daily depending on seriesRegional demand baselineForecast-vs-actual checksGeneration mix context
Some series lag real time; source timestamps should stay visible.
- CAISO OASISSourceMarket and system conditions for CAISO (load, prices, curtailment, ancillary data)live · 5-minute to hourly datasetsCAISO demand forecastWind and solar forecastWholesale price signal
Official market data is informational guidance and not bill settlement data.
- ERCOT Public Data / API ExplorerSourceERCOT public reports, load data, system conditions, and market operations datasetslive · Varies by report; many current reports update hourly or more oftenERCOT load contextReserve and system condition contextPublic report links
ERCOT public APIs may require registration and report-specific terms; timestamps should stay visible.
- NYISO Public Market DataSourceNew York ISO public load, fuel mix, real-time market, and load forecast datalive · 5-minute, hourly, and daily datasets depending on reportNYISO load contextFuel mix contextLoad forecast checks
NYISO datasets vary by report and market process; recommendations should show the exact dataset timestamp.
- PJM Data MinerSourcePJM public data for load, forecasts, prices, and grid-region operationslive · Varies by feed; current operational feeds can update intra-hourPJM load contextForecast checksRegional price context
PJM Data Miner has usage and redistribution limits; production use needs terms review.
- NOAA / National Weather Service APISourceForecast and alerts used for demand sensitivity features (temperature, heat, storm risk)live · Updated throughout the dayTemperature driverHeat and storm riskDemand sensitivity language
Forecast gridpoints describe weather risk, not household behavior directly.
- EPA eGRIDSourceAnnual emissions factors for translating shifted kWh into avoided emissions estimatesdelayed · Annual releaseRegional emissions factorAvoided CO2 estimate
Annual factors are credible for context, not minute-by-minute marginal emissions.
- OpenEI Utility Rate DatabaseSourceResidential tariff and time-of-use structures for savings estimateslive · Continuously maintainedPeak/off-peak rate spreadSavings estimates
Savings use representative tariffs and should be labeled as estimates.
- NREL ResStockSourceResidential building stock and end-use load profiles for household flexibility assumptionsmodeled · Periodic public releasesEV load shapeHVAC flexibilityAppliance shift bands
Modeled stock profiles should be treated as defaults until a home shares device data.
- U.S. Census ACS APISourceHousing and community context for local participation and equity framingdelayed · Annual survey releasesHousing mixCommunity contextDefault household profile weighting
ACS is statistical context, not a live count of Quiet Hours homes.
- High · Strong, clean signal across weather, generation, and demand.
- Medium · Changing weather or uncertain conditions ahead.
- Low · Guidance is limited tonight — we'll keep recommendations gentle.
On easy nights, we'll quietly say so. No nudges. No guilt. Just the truth that the system is fine on its own.
- What is the grid?
- The shared network that moves electricity from where it's made to where it's needed.
- Why timing matters
- Using the same energy later can sometimes be easier on the system.
- Why evenings?
- Lights, cooking, cooling, charging, and returning home often happen at once.