The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently shared Draft 3 of the latest ENERGY STAR specification for Refrigerators and Freezers. A new addition to this specification is an optional “connected” feature. Appliance manufacturers who implement this connected feature will receive an extra 5% allowance towards the energy use criteria of their refrigerator. Additionally, their product will be highlighted as “connected” on the ENERGY STAR qualified product list which might differentiate it from other offerings. Here are key requirements for a refrigerator to qualify as a connected appliance:
- The refrigerator should measure and report its energy consumption in real time. This will give consumers useful and actionable feedback such as “It cost $25 to operate your refrigerator this month. Try increasing your temperature setting to save $5 per month”
- The refrigerator should be able to receive and respond to remote requests such as adjusting the fridge temperature or turn off ice-making.
- The refrigerator should be capable of automatically deferring defrost cycles outside a four hour peak load period. In summer, the peak load period is 3pm to 7pm local time and in winter it is 6am to 10am.
- The refrigerator should be capable of receiving and acting upon Demand Response signals. A moderate (13%) load reduction signal is called “Delay Appliance Load” which can last for 4 hours or more. An aggressive (50%) load reduction signal is called “Temporary Appliance Load Reduction” which can last for 10 minutes or more.
- The refrigerator should be able to provide its Demand Response status to the user. It should also be able to provide at least two types of alerts such as refrigerator door left open or maintenance reminders.
This new ENERGY STAR specification goes into effect in March 2014. Texas Instruments offers solutions for Energy Measurement, ZigBee and Wi-Fi that will be crucial in enabling appliances to have this connected functionality. In subsequent posts, we will explore each of these requirements in further depth.
So, are you ready to start receiving texts, emails and tweets from your fridge? Post your comments below.
Prasad Dhond, Marketing Manager, Smart Grid HAN
