SAN JOSE, USA: The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), a trade group of appliance makers, has released a technical paper detailing what it needs to enable its products for a smart electric grid.

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers has posted the technical paper on its website even as talks are under way at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

The group says it foresees appliances that tap into data about the grid, allowing consumers to make or automate decisions about how to operate home-machines such as refrigerators and dryers. Such decisions, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers explained in it paper, could reduce energy bills for homes and cut down peaks in grid demand - thus doing away with the need to construct more power generating plants.

The Association’s technical paper suggests the following 3 requirements:

One, smart grids should supply data on the energy-pricing rate structure and incentives to consumers, based on time of use. Solid consideration must be given to the development of uniform pricing and usage information standards that offer a harmonized way of communicating local rate and information on timing.

Two, there must be communication standards and protocols which are open and limited in number across all utility districts.

Three, the consumers require choice and privacy in providing control over their appliances. The boundary of the utility’s reach should end at the smart meter. If a consumer wishes to override deferral of an appliance’s function and incur a higher electricity rate, he should be able to make such a choice.