GE: Adoption of smart grid appliances is up

LOUISVILLE, KY – (November 17, 2009) – As more Smart Grid programs move out of the proposal phase and into live pilot testing, GE Consumer & Industrial‘s smart–grid enabled appliances are leading the way for the consumer component of the grid. That pace of adoption is expected to grow as more currently pending Federal grant applications are approved.

“As all types of electric utilities are looking for ways to make their grids more efficient, residential electric use is an important part of their planning. When you consider the overall energy use of a home, appliances account for about 85 percent, making smart appliance technology very attractive to utilities as a way to shed load during peak usage periods,” said Kevin Nolan, Vice President of Technology for GE Consumer & Industrial. “Now that the stimulus grants have been awarded, utilities are moving forward with their plans – both those that did and did not receive funding.”

On November 4, Reliant Energy – one of the largest competitive retail electric providers serving customers across Texas – and GE agreed to a test of GE smart appliances as part of a home–based smart energy program. Reliant will install a full set of GE‘s smart appliances – refrigerator, dishwasher, range, microwave, front load washer and dryer and hybrid water heater – in its Houston smart energy demonstration house. In addition, the company will test how families use the appliances in the homes of a several Reliant employees. Coupling the appliances with smart meters and time–of–use pricing in real homes will give a much better picture of how consumers across Texas will be able to manage their home energy use in a way that makes sense for them. The effort is part of Reliant‘s Smart Grid Investment project which was the only project proposed by a competitive electricity retailer in Texas to be chosen by the Department of Energy for grant funding.

The Vineyard Energy Project (VEP) plans to negotiate a pilot project with GE‘s smart appliances on Martha‘s Vineyard starting next year. David McGlinchey, the executive director of the VEP, announced that 50 Vineyard homeowners plan to participate in the program.

Several other utilities, yet to be announced, are also evaluating GE smart appliances in their laboratories.

October 5, GE announced a landmark pilot program in Masdar City – targeted to be the world‘s first carbon neutral, zero waste city being built in the UAE‘s capital of Abu Dhabi. GE specifically designed and manufactured the appliances and networks for this pilot. The equipment will be installed in early 2010 in the first building to be completed at Masdar City, the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.

GE has had a smart or demand response appliance pilot program currently underway with Louisville Gas & Electric (LG&E) for about a year. Participants in the program, who are also GE employees, have reported that by changing some behaviors and using the features of the smart appliances they have saved money on their utility bills during peak pricing periods. Some reported as much as a 20% savings.

Reliant Energy President Jason Few said: “Working with GE on this program will help us bring the benefits of the smart grid to more customers in the competitive Texas market. As more smart meters are installed, customers will be able to take advantage of smart energy applications offered by Reliant Energy, giving them better insight into how they use energy so they can make energy decisions that are right for them.”