![\"dryer\"](\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/in-house\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/25092005\/dryer-80x108.jpg\" "\\"dryer\\"")
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Good news for those trying to get off the grid, Whirlpool Corporation recently announced that it will produce one million smart energy clothes dryers by the second half of 2011. The increase in production is partly due to the manufacturer\u2019s participation in the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Smart Grid Investment Grant program.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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These U.S. manufactured appliances will be capable of reacting intelligently to signals from the smart grid by modifying their energy consumption to save consumers money on their home electric bills. In markets where utilities offer variable or time-of-use pricing, these dryers could save a typical consumer $20 to $40 per year, while also benefitting the environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeak electricity demand drives disproportionately higher energy costs,\u201d said Mike Todman, president, Whirlpool Corporation North America. \u201cIf the differences between peak and off-peak energy costs are passed along to consumers, then Whirlpool Corporation believes there are great opportunities for home appliances to shift energy consumption outside of peak hours without forcing consumers to compromise on performance.\u201d<\/p>\n
The increased usage of smart appliances will also increase the value of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, which are inherently variable due to weather. When wind- and solar-generated power availability is reduced, smart appliances will allow for the temporary reduction of energy consumption, helping to ensure reliable performance by the electrical grid even during periods of peak demand. The deployment of one million smart grid-compatible dryers could shift the equivalent energy of 10 coal fired, 500-megawatt power plants.\u00a0<\/p>\n