GE Develops Power Shifting Appliances

General Electric will be testing a line of appliances which can wirelessly communicate with special "smart" electric meters.  During times of peak electric loads, electric utilities will transmit a signal to the "smart" meters to reduce power use or, we assume, shift demand to non-peak periods.  This signal will be wirelessly communicated by the meter to GE's new appliances.

Business First of Louisville reported that 15 - 20 GE employees will test the appliances through 2008, with a full launch of the new line in Q1 of 2009.  Refrigerators might skip a defrost cycle, dishwashers might skip a wash cycle it is explained, but it is clear to us that Business First is missing something in this story.  This type of system would be expected to work in parallel with spot electricity pricing such that the consumer can set the appliance to start when spot electricity costs drop to $X or upon receiving a "post-peak" transmission from the utility.

Though these appliances, as they are described, do not directly increase appliance efficiency, they do help lower demand peaks, and raise demand troughs.  The result is more efficient power generation and the reduction in utility investment in peak load generation.....such as gas turbines.....which is strangely one of GE Corp's more successful product lines.  Is this GE Consumer and Industrial sending a shot across the bow of GE Corp for chucking them under the bus?

We first pleaded with manufacturers to offer just this type of power management feature in 2006 in our Green Dishwasher rant.  We wish to congratulate GE for the move.