There are a lot of articles about the smart grid, smart appliances, connectivity with electric cars, and the systems necessary to use energy as efficiently as possible. In order for these technologies to be effective, changes in consumer behavior will also be necessary. Without educating the consumers on how sthe smart appliances help save energy, there will not be much benefit over traditional energy efficient appliances.
What makes an appliance “smart” is that it can takes queues from the grid to power up during off peak hours. Using electricity at off peak hours when electricity is cheap will not only save the consumer money, but it is also cleaner. Many people that already know how the appliances work do not truly understand why they are cleaner. The reason off peak power is cleaner is that most power plants typically run at all hours at “base load.” At night, these plants can easily keep up with demand, and can scale back production if power is not used. Most of the plants that run at all hours use newer technology, both because of Clean Air Act emissions requirements and the newer technologies are more efficient. Efficiency gains are not just good for environmental reasons, plants can produce more with less fuel, so they are cheaper.
During peak hours, demand for power is greater than the newer and cleaner plants can handle, so older coal fired power plants need to be brought online to add capacity. Because the technology is older, emissions are dirtier and production is less efficient, which means added cost to the consumer. By deferring power use to off peak times, consumers save money and reduce the need for dirtier power production.
Education is key to the success of the smart grid because consumer behavior will need to change. Everyday actions like doing the laundry will need to change. For practical reasons, when people do laundry they typically put it in the dryer immediately after the washer. The clothes can get moldy if left in the washer without drying, and the next load also needs to go in. For tasks like laundry that require interaction, practicality may get in the way of deferring power usage. To get over these hurdles, purchasing behavior must also change, which will only happen with education.
If consumers purchase combination washer and dryers, rather than standalone, they can drop laundry in at night and it will be cleaned and dry by the morning. Doing laundry this way would even be more convenient because one wouldn’t have to wait for the wash to complete to start drying, or move wet clothes from one machine to another. If throughput is more of a factor than cost, two can be used in the same space as traditional separate appliances.
What usually matters to people is that tasks like laundry get done, and in the easiest way possible. Smart grid appliances that are inconvenient for people will generally not have success in the market. In order to have both success in the market, and truly be “smart appliances” consumers will need to know how to use them properly.
