GE Reports

For the first time, GE will be at the massive Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas — which showcases the latest in high-tech gadgetry from innovators around the world.

The centerpiece of CES 2011 for GE is the Smart Grid and the way in which consumers can more efficiently use energy. Among the 20 technologies on display at the GE booth (number 26100) are ecomagination products such as Nucleus — an energy hub for the home that connects devices such as appliances to smart meters and zeroes-in on consumption habits — and WattStation, which charges electric vehicles in a fraction of the time it would normally take.

It’s the first time that CES has devoted an area specifically to appliances and other home technology — and as the Seattle Times noted, the fit with CES is just right, as all of those shiny new gizmos on display at the show certainly burn electricity: “General Electric may have the most timely product of all. It’s unveiling a color-display panel that continuously shows how much energy is being used in the home. It also shows a real-time estimate of your energy bill, so you can tell at a glance how much you’re paying to run all of your new electronic gadgets.”

Connect the dots: Click to enlarge. This illustration from Matt Owens at Volumeone shows how a big part of the Smart Grid will be creating “connected homes” that integrate clean energy such as wind and solar with smart technologies to manage everything from appliances and air conditioners to EV chargers.

Today, most consumers are completely in the dark when it comes to their electricity use and the cost of performing household tasks until receiving their monthly bill. The energy display at CES that GE is showing — which uses what the GE Energy team has named “Brillion technology” — talks to the smart meter in the house to give consumers near real-time energy data to help them make smarter energy choices.

While complementary products, the energy display and Nucleus energy hub differ in two primary ways. The energy display is a self-contained communications device that gathers information from the smart meter and displays it in easy to understand formats. On the other hand, Nucleus is a data storage and communications device that gathers information from the smart meter and then displays it on a consumer’s existing PC or smart phone user interface (which is currently under development).

We got game! Click the image to learn more about the Desert Quest game for CES attendees. The task: complete as many challenges as possible while keeping your game battery charged. The game board: CES and the Vegas Strip. What you win: prizes focused on sustainability like a Vespa, a 20-foot yurt, and an eco-vacation to Costa Rica.

Nucleus can also be programmed to control GE Profile appliances and programmable thermostats equipped with Brillion technology during high-rate periods.

To underscore that need to save energy, GE is launching an interactive game for CES attendees this afternoon — GE Desert Quest. After registering at the show, attendees can then play across the Vegas grid using their smart phones with Internet access in a scavenger hunt to complete tasks and unlock clues to rack up points and win daily prizes. Stationary electric vehicle WattStations will be positioned along the strip as game targets.

Tasks range from everyday occurrences like taking the shuttle bus to CES to finding roving GE personnel at the conference and getting a code from them to unlocking hidden points for doing quirky Vegas activities.

* Read “CES 2011: GE’s Laser Lab Specialist Heads Into the Fray” on GE Reports
* Learn more about GE at CES 2011
* Learn more about Nucleus and the home energy management technologies
* Learn more about how Nucleus works with utilities
* Read “Solar ‘smart’ homes aim to slash energy use by 70%” on GE Reports