Connecting Home Appliances to a Smart Electric Grid

In October 2009 it was announced that as part of the economic stimulus, $3.4 billion in grants would be awarded to help build a smart electric grid in the U.S. A smart grid would allow integrating different options for generating electricity, such as solar and wind, would make the system more efficient and reliable and avoid power outages, and would allow consumers to actively participate by responding in accordance with demand, and cost. A key part of the active participation of consumers is the technology needed to know how much electricity each household appliance is using and when to turn them on and off.

As reported on Business Wire, in June 2010 Axial Vector Energy Corporation announced that it had developed the first product that allows household appliances and local power sources to communicate with the electric grid. Axial Vector Energy, which develops and licenses next generation energy technologies including internal combustion engines and electric power generator technologies, calls the product the Good Green EnergyTM Genius Box.

The Genius Box uses Bluetooth technology to intelligently start up and shut down home appliances such as air conditioners, water heaters and electric dryers according to demand on the grid. The Genius Box can also selectively start up and shut down local solar and wind energy generators. This allows owners of those systems to maximize their credits for power generation and provide additional power during peak demand periods.

According to Axial Vector Energy, the Genius Box can be configured to report the status and power consumption of each appliance connected to a local area computer network. The device can then compare the cost of using power from the utility company, locally generated power or a combination of the two to run certain appliances by wirelessly communicating with components of the power grid. The Genius Box can be used in industrial and residential settings and can be automated or manually overridden. Users can set their own criteria for controlling their power consumption through a website or on their iPhone.

Axial Vector Energy hopes that its new product will gain the company access to U.S. Department of Energy grants and has retained Liebman & Associates, a renewable energy lobbying firm in Washington D.C. But in a press release on Market Wire in June 2010, Axial Vector's chairman, Samuel Higgins points out that the Genius Box is an off-the-shelf product that is ready for home use now. The company is counting on a low unit cost, high inventory turnover, and high profit margins on the product.

Sources:
Axial Vector Energy Corporation
Axial Vector Energy Corporation Announces First Smart Electric Grid Product - Business Wire
Bridging the Gap Between the Smart Grid Green Energy Program and Home Appliances - Market Wire
Smart Grid - U.S. Department of Energy
Obama Administration Announces Availability of $3.9 Billion to Invest in Smart Grid Technologies and Electric Transmission Infrastructure - U.S. Department of Energy