Energy supplier npower, white goods manufacturer Indesit and smart grid specialist RLtec are launching the first UK residential trial of smart fridges.
Starting this month, npower will roll out fridges and fridge-freezers fitted with dynamic demand technology developed by RLtec to 3000 customers.
The technology, which monitors electricity demand and adjusts it depending upon the supply and demand across the entire electricity grid, could save £220 million in grid balancing costs and reduce CO2 emissions by two million tonnes a year.
“Appliances fitted with our dynamic demand technology automatically modify their power consumption in response to second-by-second changes in the balance between supply and demand on the grid,” explains Andrew Howe, CEO of RLtec.
Modifying the power supplied to the appliances requires no action by consumers and has no effect on performance, he adds.
Minister of State for Energy and Climate Lord Hunt has welcomed the trial, saying:
“Dynamic demand is an exciting technology with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the grid’s capacity to absorb wind energy. The trial will help us gain a better understanding of how dynamic demand can work to reduce our use of fossil fuels.”
If the trial proves successful, he adds, it could help pave the way for the uptake of this technology nation-wide.