The Smart Grid Inspires Smarter Appliances

June 15, 2009 - Last fall, I wrote about the emergence of smart metering systems that enable customers to network household energy-using products to communicate with utility companies. (See: Power (Control) to the People.) Such metering systems are a key element of the much touted "smart grid" which will intelligently measure and mete out the flow of electricity. The advantage smart meters bring is the ability to monitor energy use in real time by time of day and by the appliance used.

But, with all the attention to smart meters and the smart grid, what's gone unnoticed is the new generation of smart appliances that are designed to work with the system. These new appliances feature energy saving modes that kick in during peak use times when electricity is more expensive. The appliances are informed of peak times by the same signal sent by the utility to the smart meter.

A couple of examples of smart appliances are a clothes dryer that operates with a single heater during peak times and a dishwasher that delays its cycle until later at night when power is in less demand. There are also appliances that actually educate, like a range that encourages the user to use the smaller of two ovens to save energy.

To get a look at such appliances and learn about the energy that can be saved, see the General Electric Demo of Smart Appliances on YouTube.

Such innovations should heighten awareness about energy use and help customers form better energy use practices.