AHAM's Blog

Smart Appliances Make Headlines at CES

Smart Appliances were the subject of quite a few news articles, including the City News in Toronto, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today and Consumer Reports, as a result of the 2012 International CES in Las Vegas, NV.

Additionally, click here to view copies of the presentations about smart appliances made during the AHAM-sponsored panel discussion "Window to Tomorrow's Connected Home."

AHAM Produces Smart Appliance Panel for the 2012 International CES

AHAM is proud to be hosting and moderating a panel discussion on January 11 titled “Window to Tomorrow’s Connected Home” at the 2012 International CES held in Las Vegas, January 10-13. It will be moderated by Kevin Messner, AHAM’s Vice President, Policy and Government Relations, and panelists include business, manufacturing and retail sector leaders.

Panelists will give the audience a peek inside tomorrow’s connected home, and will discuss what consumers can expect in terms of functionality, timing and total home integration.   Panelists include:

• Kris Bowring – Senior Director, Platform Lead, New Business CSG, Best Buy
• Jean-Claude Junqua – Managing Director, Panasonic Silicon Valley Laboratory, Panasonic
• Dave McAlpin – General Manager, Home Energy Management, GE
• Warwick Stirling – Senior Director of Energy and Sustainability, Whirlpool

Click here to register for the 2012 International CES.   See you in Vegas!

AHAM to Educate Utility Community on Smart Appliances at EPRI Conference

On December 1, AHAM’s Kevin Messner, Vice President, Policy & Government Relations, will participate along with several representatives from the utility industry in a panel discussion on the Smart Grid and smart appliances at an Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) workshop on demand-response (DR) ready technologies being held at AEP, a major utility, in Columbus, OH.

The goals of the workshop are to:

• Understand diverse stakeholder perspectives
• Define consensus Demand Response-ready attributes
• Envision the roadmap for market availability of Demand Response-ready products

Mr. Messner will discuss how the home appliance industry is developing “smart” technology that will revolutionize the way we think about doing laundry, washing dishes and keeping our food refrigerated, and how manufacturers are working closer with the utility companies to bring these devices into your home.

AHAM and Efficiency Organizations Call on EPA and DOE to Recognize Smart Appliances

Following Wednesday’s release of a joint DOE/FERC National Action Plan calling for a national forum to jump start the development of demand-response programs that could significantly reduce electricity usage during periods of high demand, AHAM is urging DOE and the EPA to adopt a petition submitted to the ENERGY STAR program in December 2010 by AHAM, NRDC, and several efficiency and consumer organizations, coordinated by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), to recognize the benefits of smart appliances and hasten development of the smart grid. 

Pushing for Progress in the Realm of Smart Home Appliances

AHAM VP of Government Relations, Kevin Messner, contributed an article to the June 2011 issue of electroindustry, a monthly magazine published by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). The article Pushing for Progress inthe Realm of Smart Home Appliances, found on page 12 of the magazine, discusses how smart grid technology will allow consumers to automatically control energy use and costs with minimal effort and significant savings on electric bills.

The article notes the potential savings for consumers:

If just five percent of all residential energy usage could be shifted to off-peak hours, and if utility companies provide a 40 percent savings for off-peak time-of-use rates, across all households in the U.S. this would amount to a total savings of almost $900 million on residential electric bills.

Read the full article to understand AHAM's perspective on smart appliances, including concerns over consumer privacy and security.  To learn more, visit www.aham.org/smartgrid. 

 

AHAM Presenting Sustainability and Smart Appliance Papers at EEDAL

AHAM is participating in the 6th International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Domestic Appliances and Lighting (EEDAL) being held in Copenhagen from May 24-26.  Kevin Messner, AHAM’s vice president, government relations, is traveling to the conference next week to present papers on sustainability and smart appliances.

This year, the focus of EEDAL is on technologies that will make household energy consumption more efficient.  Government representatives and industry experts from around the globe will gather to share their knowledge and experience on energy efficiency, energy supply, climate change, smart meters and appliances, among other topics. 

Attendees can hear Kevin Messner present Sustainability – Measuring Environmental Impacts, written by Wayne Morris, AHAM vice president of division services, and Kevin Messner, on Tuesday, May 24.  Smart Appliances: The Future of Appliance Energy Efficiency, written by Kevin Messner and Chellury (Ram) Sastry of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, will be presented by Kevin on Wednesday, May 25.

Next Generation issues, like Smart Grid, to be discussed at APEC

AHAM’s Director of Energy Analysis, Charlotte Skidmore, will be attending the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC’s) Regulatory Cooperation Advancement Mechanism (ARCAM) Dialogue on Smart Grid Interoperability Standards on May 12-13 in Montana, where the world’s policy makers will discuss the deployment of the Smart Grid.   

Smart grid is at a critical juncture, and APEC economies now face choices with respect to policies on smart grid technologies that will impact trade and investment opportunities to include harmonization of standards. As such, the US will be presenting a proposal to initiate discussions in ARCAM on interoperability standards to lay out a vision to enable free and open trade in smart grid products.

The goal of the ARCAM meeting on smart grid is to develop a shared understanding of this issue, increase transparency and promote better alignment of technical requirements and standards for smart grid and related devices.  The Dialogue will enable policy makers in APEC economies to better understand the close relationship between decisions on interoperability standards and trade and investment in key sectors in the Asia-Pacific.

PBS Shares Home Energy Saving Devices from Manufacturers and Students

Watch the video clip below on PBS’s Nightly Business Report/Planet Forward television show on saving energy with home energy management systems. The story features AHAM’s VP Government Relations Kevin Messner mentioning smart appliances (at 2:00).  The story also includes Scott Bittle of Public Agenda stating that “most experts say it is unlikely that efficiency alone is going to enable us to keep up with power demand.”

 

Watch the full episode. See more Nightly Business Report.

WSJ Shares Smart Appliance Innovations from CES

As we previously reported, AHAM sponsored the Connected Home Appliances TechZone at the 2011 CES, where manufacturers showcased their newest designs.  These appliances all use digital technology to connect to a smart grid, which will allow consumers to run them more efficiently.  Watch the video below from Jason Bellini at the Wall Street Journal as he shows off what he saw at the show, and keep an eye out for AHAM's Kevin Messner who was interviewed for the story!

AHAM Participating in 2011 International CES

AHAM will be exhibiting in the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) beginning tomorrow in Las Vegas.  Home appliances will be featured at CES for the first time in the Connected Home Appliances TechZone, co-sponsored by AHAM and The Retail Observer. 

The Connected Home Appliance TechZone will display innovative home appliance technologies and allow visitors to experience the latest interactive, energy efficient and Smart Grid enabled appliances as well as concepts that will be incorporated in future product designs.  This is a unique opportunity to experience advanced home appliance technologies.

Attendees can visit AHAM at this TechZone at the Las Vegas Convention Center in South Hall 2 from January 6-9.