Retail Stores One Step Closer to Selling "Smart" Appliances

Last month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, General Electric debuted a new line of "smart" appliances — machines such as washers, dryers and dishwashers, that interface with the SmartMeters that PG&E is installing to help create the Smart Grid.

These appliances gather information from the electric and gas grids and use that data to lower energy bills by monitoring the price of electricity, and shutting off the machines during peak energy times — usually between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The "smart" water heater, for example, would work as a heat pump, taking ambient heat and transferring it to the water heater during periods of high usage. A "smart" refrigerator would only defrost when energy use is at its lowest; a washer and dryer could be set to run during the most cost-effective time to do a load of laundry.

Rob States, a panelist at a recent Cotati town hall meeting on SmartMeter safety, raised concerns that these appliances will give utilities the ability to control them remotely. This could include turning your air conditioner off during times of peak usage, according to States.

And, privacy advocates are worried that allowing our appliances to communicate with utility companies will allow them to gather information about how we use the products we buy.

Consumer Reports, however, has reported that each of these "smart" appliances will have a manual override for energy saving settings.

In addition to the "smart" appliances, General Electric has introduced the Nucleus Energy Manager. A description on the company's website states that “once installed, Nucleus energy manager communicates with the SmartMeter to collect and store near real-time household electricity consumption and estimated pricing data for up to three years.”

The Smart Grid and SmartMeters have been criticized recently because people — especially a small group of Rohnert Park activists — are concerned about SmartMeters' impact on public health and personal privacy. Critics have connected the wireless transmissions associated with SmartMeters to headaches, insomnia, nausea and an increased risk of cancer.

Despite the controversy over SmartMeters, their installation continues in order to comply with federally mandated energy standards. The Energy Independence and Security act of 2007 set aside funding for the creation of the Smart Grid. The act, however, did not specify that the network created needed to be wireless.

So, where could "smart" appliances be sold in Rohnert Park? We're thinking stores such as and Lowe's.