As the movement to make electrical grids “smarter” grows around the globe, defining just what a smart grid is — for both consumers and power producers — takes on critical importance. Today, GE is hosting a symposium at its Global Research Center in Niskayuna, New York to spotlight smart technologies that are being fielded now — and how the grid will look in the near future with the next generation of GE innovations. As part of the symposium, GE unveiled what it’s calling the “Net Zero Energy Home” concept — as well as new consumer polling data and smart grid projects in Hawaii, New Zealand and Canada. Click on the images below to view today’s releases.


The “Net Zero Energy Home” project combines GE’s most efficient appliances and lighting, GE’s new energy management systems, and GE power generating and storing technologies. When applied together, the system will enable a homeowner to achieve net zero energy costs by 2015.

One new product that will give consumers more control will be available as early as 2010, when GE will introduce the Home Energy Manager, the central nervous system for the Net Zero Energy Home. A new line of smart thermostats will also be introduced next year to work in tandem with the energy manager. And GE plans to develop residential power generation products like solar PV and residential wind products that will also contribute to the net zero concept.

The unveiling comes as new poll data from the U.S. and the U.K. finds that three out of five consumers would modify their behavior in order to start using smart grid technologies. The Ipsos poll, conducted June 26-30, 2009, surveyed a U.S. national sample of 1,093 adults and a U.K. national sample of 1,034. Importantly, two thirds in both countries said they would monitor their energy usage online at least once a week. Additionally, half of respondents in the U.S. and over one third in the U.K. say they are willing to pay an increased monthly rate for smart grid technology if there is a corresponding reduction in overall energy costs by 15 percent.

During the symposium, GE also announced that three new customers are in the process of implementing its smart grid technologies. In Hawaii, the Maui Smart Grid project will use GE technologies to help the local power company control peak circuit demand, maintain adequate circuit voltage levels, and integrate unprecedented levels of wind and solar power into the island’s power grid. Meanwhile in Canada, the Eka Chemicals Plant in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield will be the first to demonstrate GE’s new smart grid asset optimization solution to help reduce transformer-caused downtime in the plant. And Orion New Zealand Limited has just completed implementation of the first phase of a sophisticated network management system to help improve power reliability for customers.


Online recipe: GE Consumer & Industrial VP of Technology Kevin Nolan demonstrates GE’s Demand Response Appliances and Home Energy Manager at GE’s smart grid symposium at its Global Research Center in upstate New York.

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