GE Unveils More Brillion™ Ideas for Consumer Energy Savings

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

From the company that brought you the first full line of smart grid-enabled appliances, GE is now launching additions and enhancements to its innovative suite of Brillion home energy solutions and laying the foundation for an energy-saving connected home.

Weve leveled the playing field by providing a product that communicates a homes continuous real-time energy consumption to consumers without a smart meter, said William Paul, product manager, home energy, GE Appliances. Our new Whole-Home Sensor connects to the consumers electrical panel and allows them to understand their energy consumption without waiting for their electricity provider to install a smart meter.

Whole-Home Sensor: The new Whole-Home Sensor, an integral part of home-energy solutions, is being used in several utility test pilots, including test homes in Warner Robins, Ga., as part of Flint Energies recently announced pilot project. It will be available broadly in the second quarter of this year.

The sensor sends consumption data from large 240-volt applications, such as a panel box or pool pump, to the homes Nucleus energy manager, which then communicates that data to a consumers existing smartphones or personal computers helping them make smarter energy choices.

Knowledge of whole-home energy consumption provides consumers with insights into their electricity costs before the bill arrives; offers them feedback on electricity-intensive activities, such as water heating; and allows them to quantify the benefits of their personal energy-efficiency efforts.

Smart-Plug Controls: On a more granular level, GE is also adding Brillion-enabled Smart Plugs, which act as sensors for electronics and non-smart devices that plug into standard 120-volt outlets. These sensor plugs communicate with the Nucleus energy manager, enabling consumers to track electrical usage by the outlet for most 120-volt appliances and devices.

These sensors turn any standard 120-volt consumer good into a smart home capable device. The sensors can be moved from device to device, enabling the consumer to perform an audit of their electrical appliances and electronics or to monitor them continuously for ongoing feedback providing critical insights to help consumers reduce energy consumption.

Energy data and energy monitoring are GEs first steps toward a fully connected home, Paul said. We fully expect to expand our products beyond energy, bringing more convenience and control elements to the consumer. The beauty of having built-in communications features in our products means that we can also add functionality that makes peoples lives easier.

More Connected Communications Features: GEs Brillion-enabled thermostats help consumers easily adjust heating and cooling schedules from their Nucleus software interface and alter household temperatures and operating modes remotely from their iPhone.

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GE Unveils More Brillion™ Ideas for Consumer Energy Savings