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­Variable speed an enabling technology to reduce energy use in the US

February 1, 2012
By John Galyen, President of Danfoss North America 


Variable Speed is an enabler for improving comfort, control and efficiency for end users. The technology can save up to 30% in specific applications and when connected to the future smart grid, variable speed will allow utilities better load-management capability to respond to peak-load conditions.
In recent years, we have seen clear trends emerge in energy use in the United States, including a continual rise in energy costs.

This trend will drive demand for variable speed solutions and we believe we are standing on the brink of a variable speed future.  

But market adoption of this technology has been slow to take hold in the US market. While the technology has reached almost 100% market penetration in Japan and 50% in China, it only accounts for 1% of the US market.  

You have to wonder why adoption is so slow, because variable speed compressors and drives used in air-conditioning applications offer benefits much greater than typical fixed speed systems.

They are capable of adjusting speed to match the load, meaning noise is reduced and comfort improved. This makes a variable speed system more efficient, and able to offer greater savings on cooling costs. Average energy savings are more than double that of modulating compressors, and triple that of fixed-speed systems at part-load conditions.  

As we look to the future of energy, a variable speed system is well prepared for integration into a home network or a smart grid. A smart grid is an intelligent power system that allows electrical devices to connect to the power grid in a way similar to that of computers and Wi-Fi.  

Through demand response, the smart grid offers benefits for utilities and consumers alike. The biggest impact on customers will be the transparency of utility costs at any given time throughout the day and their ability to then choose when to use their electrical devices based on these electricity rates.

A family can, for instance, choose to turn down their air conditioner during peak periods or delay their automatic dishwasher until off-peak hours to achieve savings on their energy bill. Utilities will also be able to communicate directly with electrical devices inside buildings and, for instance, turn the devices up or down depending on the peak demand.  

To move forward and remain competitive in the development of smart grid technologies, it is now crucial that American utilities and manufacturers collaborate to ensure that new technologies are prepared for, and used by, the smart grid.

Using variable speed solutions is one important step towards this goal.  

How do you think we can help prepare the market for the broad deployment of variable speed technology? Please share your thoughts with me in the comments.  
Comments
Ani Kumar Nanda February 2, 2012
Danfoss says it means ok. variable speed solutions is one important step in response for the future.
Boje Breinbjerg April 17, 2012
I can imagine a low cost double 3-5 steps meter that shows the consumption respectively at the electricity provider and the private consumer in levels. I believe it already is possible for the provider to get these electric values. The power meter will be delivered by the provider and the costs are coming back through over consumption regard the average consumption - This will give the consumer a hint regard the consumption and couragement to save energy.
Kimberley May 15, 2012
Hey Christina, one of the big advantages of solar power is its alosmt total lack of infrastructure. Infrastructure refers to the structures required to make a system work. Roads, airports and train tracks, for example, are the infrastructure to our transportation system. Our current electrical grid is the infrastructure for our electric supply system in most developed areas of the world. But solar requires only the panels and a storage medium, usually a battery. We have a vacation cabin in the upper midwest that uses both solar and wind power. The entire system fits on, inside and behind our cabin in the form of panels on the roof, a tower and wind turbine in the field, and batteries and electronics in the utility room. By most standards, this does not even constitute a infrastructure since there is no structure connecting it to other locations.Some homes use what is called a, Utility Intertie, type solar system. In this case, they have the same basic equipment we do, minus the batteries, but the output is actually connected to the homes circuit panel, and thereby to the rest of the utility grid. Any excess the solar produces is sent back out to the grid. It is generally used up at the neighbors house, with the solar producing home getting a credit from the power company, and the nieghbor paying their usual electric bill. This reduces the amount of power the power company has to feed into the grid. So again, there really is not any specific solar power infrastructure, it simply uses what is already available, our existing electrical grid. I'll include some sites below you can check out if you want to learn more. You an also google phrases like, Solar Intertie, and, Solar Grid, to look for other sources. Take care Christina, Rudydoo
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