Has your mother got a Whirlpool dryer that’s so green that it could save a typical household a $100 per year by simply monitoring the energy supply from the power grid?
Whirlpool, who are famous for their washing machines, plans to produce 1 million “intelligent” clothes dryers by the end of 2011 that can save consumers money by responding to changes in the power grid.
According to TWICE Magazine, the Smart Energy products will be able to turn their heating elements off during peak periods and on when supply costs are at their cheapest.
“Peak electricity demand drives disproportionately higher energy costs,” said Mike Todman, president of Whirlpool “If the differences between peak and off-peak energy costs are passed along to consumers, then Whirlpool believes there are great opportunities for home appliances to shift energy consumption outside of peak hours without forcing consumers to compromise on performance.”
Whirlpool, which created and holds key patents for the sensor technology, conducted a smart-grid pilot program using 150 Smart Energy dryers. According to Whirlpool technology VP Hank Marcy, power demand by the “intelligent” dryers was reduced by 95 percent with little to no impact for consumers.
