General Electric (GE) and Glen Dimplex, a European home heating and appliance company, have signed a joint development agreement to help accelerate the availability of smart grid technologies for European homes. As part of the agreement, Glen Dimplex is exploring how to integrate GE’s “smart grid”-enabled Brillion™ home energy management (HEM) technologies into its home heating products to help European consumers better manage their electricity usage and costs.
"This agreement is about two companies with complementary capabilities aggregating their strengths to work toward commercializing HEM solutions in the European market," said Kevin Nolan, vice president and chief technology officer, GE Appliances. “This collaborative effort leverages GE’s smart grid technology expertise with Glen Dimplex’s extensive European market penetration, which could help expedite product availability and support the European Union’s aggressive climate and energy goals.”
The agreement between GE and Glen Dimplex includes collaboration in three key areas:
- End-to-End Home Energy Management Solutions: Glen Dimplex will explore how to integrate GE Brillion™ smart grid technologies into its heating, renewable and energy storage products. Brillion technologies would enable these products to receive and automatically respond to utility price signals -- sent through the home’s smart meter – and operate when it’s most cost-effective and efficient to do so. GE’s Nucleus™ Home Energy Manager would serve as the communications gateway between the utility meter and the appliances, helping consumers control up to 75 percent of their home’s consumption.
- Interoperable Products for the European Smart Grid: GE’s Nucleus with Brillion technology is built on a platform of open, interoperable standards, which enable seamless integration with Glen Dimplex’s appliances and heating products.
- Demonstrations: The two companies will work together to explore opportunities for utility pilots to help demonstrate the ability to achieve greater efficiencies through smart grid-enabled solutions in the home.
Glen Dimplex welcomes the collaboration with GE. “Combining the strengths of Glen Dimplex and GE in the area of Home Energy Management will provide a totally integrated home solution which will meet the needs of a European market which is determined to reduce energy usage, reduce carbon emission and optimise the use of renewable energy” said Neil Stewart, Managing Director Renewables Glen Dimplex.
The EU has set a target date of 2020 to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent, increase its efficiency by 20 percent, and generate 20 percent of its energy from renewable energy sources. Smart grid technologies –including smart meters on homes – will help utilities manage energy demand, improve efficiency, and integrate renewable power.
To help manage demand without building additional power plants, utilities are estimated to install more than 110 million smart meters on EU homes by 2015. Among other benefits, smart meters will enable utilities to send price signals to HEM technologies, which have the capability of automatically lowering or deferring the electrical consumption of certain home appliances when electricity rates and energy demand are highest – without inconveniencing the customer.
For more information on GE’s suite of Brillion smart home, visit: http://www.geconsumerproducts.com/pressroom/press_releases/appliances/energy_efficient_products/Nucleus_2010.htm.
About GE Appliances & Lighting
GE Appliances & Lighting spans the globe as an industry leader in major appliances, lighting, systems and services for commercial, industrial and residential use. Technology innovation and the company's ecomagination(SM) initiative enable GE Appliances & Lighting to aggressively bring to market products and solutions that help customers meet pressing environmental challenges. General Electric (NYSE: GE), imagination at work, sells products under the Monogram®, Profile™, GE®, Hotpoint®, Reveal® and Energy Smart® consumer brands, and Tetra®, Vio™ and Immersion® commercial brands. For more information, consumers may visit www.ge.com.
About GE's ecomagination
GE is driving a global energy transformation with a focus on innovation and R&D investment to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technology. Since its inception in 2005, more than 90 ecomagination-approved products have been brought to market with revenues reaching $18 billion in 2009. With $5 billion invested in R&D its first five years, GE committed to doubling its ecomagination investment and collaborate with partners to accelerate a new era of energy innovation. The company will invest $10 billion in R&D over five years and double operational energy efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption. As part of the initiative, GE launched "GE ecomagination Challenge: Powering the Grid", a $200 million financial commitment challenging innovators to join in building the next-generation power grid. For more information, visit the ecomagination website at http://ge.ecomagination.com/index.html.
About Glen Dimplex
Glen Dimplex is the world’s largest electrical heating company and holds a leadership position in Europe in the Heat Pump Sector. Glen Dimplex supplies complete renewable energy solutions comprising Heat Pumps, Solar Thermal, Solar PV, Heat Recovery and Ventilation. A continuous investment programme, €40m over the past 5 years, demonstrates Glen Dimplex’s commitment to Renewable Energy Technologies. Bringing together the GE Home Energy Manager and the Glen Dimplex range of renewable and domestic products ensures customers have a fully integrated, energy optimised home solution with can meet the energy challenges of the 21st Century. For more information visit the website at www.glendimplex.com.
