The UK government will give away 3,000 ‘smart’ fridges next year in a trial to test the effectiveness of ‘dynamic demand’ technology. Theis brilliant device, which I first wrote about in 2005, allows appliances that are always ‘on’, such as a fridges, to reduce their energy demand from the grid at peak times. A report out today by the UK’s energy and climate change department says country-wide use of the dynamic demand technology could save 2 million tonnes of carbon a year, and £222 million in energy costs.
But its biggest advantage is that it allows renewables to link to the grid – one of the drawbacks of renewable energy production is that it often produces fluctuating levels power supply. I would like to see legislation in place so that all new fridges must be sold with dynamic demand installed.
Wandering Gaia 