IBM, US DOE test "smart" thermostats, dryers

Two trials being conducted jointly by IBM and the Department of Energy in Oregon and Washington state could one day lead to widespread adoption of technologies that ease strains on both the power grid and consumers' wallets. The first of these trials involves using IBM's WebSphere Application Servers to monitor both real-time energy prices and in-home energy usage, and alerting consumers by email when their usage exceeds predetermined thresholds. This trial's 300 participants can even choose to let the system regulate their thermostats and adjust temperatures if energy bills are getting too high (i.e. use your jacuzzi too much in the winter and you're in for some pretty frigid temps at home--although manual overrides make this scenario unlikely). The second trial involves a prototype dryer by Whirlpool that can sense stresses on the power grid and briefly turn off its heating element while continuing to tumble dry its load, in a manner that wouldn't be noticed by the end-user. IBM claims that widespread adoption of these technologies could save consumers up to $80 billion over 20 years (we assume that's an aggregate figure, and does not refer to a multi-billion dollar savings per household).

[Dan Prickett @ Jan 12th 2006 5:17PM]

Not new. Georgia Power, Westinghouse, Johnson Controls, and a few others had a test system over 20 years ago combining power/cable/telephone with custom sensors and thermostats to do the same thing.



They concluded that there was suffiecient power savings potential to avoid building several power plants.

[Victor @ Jan 12th 2006 5:23PM]

Nothing wrong with savings, but I dont think these methods are the key. I think you either have personal regulation (when people start to care about the environment) or more likely, market regulation. When prices go up, people will save. Technology is also improving things, lighting with LEDs for example will save a ton of power in the near future.

[j david @ Jan 12th 2006 5:42PM]

This approach is also in use in Chicago, although limited to AC and such in residences. It is also available to commercial/industrial firms that can load shift to off peak times.

[John P. @ Jan 12th 2006 5:47PM]

And of course something along the lines of this is being worked on at a university in Michigan...

[Matt @ Jan 12th 2006 5:51PM]

The last time we tried to conserve energy in Seattle, they told us to conserve water because of drought, so we did. Then they told us that we had conserved too much and the power companies weren't making enough money so they raised their rates.

[Mr. Magoo @ Jan 12th 2006 7:04PM]

#5, How does the conservation of water by consumers affect the power company's profits?

[BM5k @ Jan 13th 2006 2:40AM]

Damn, and I was already dreaming of what I could buy with that extra 4 billion a year...