One of my keen interests at work is "Dynamic Demand" and demand side management. In order to maintain supply in an electric grid network, power supply has to be balanced with power consumption by consumers and industry etc. This normally means power generating stations running on stand by (spinning reserve) so that generators can be switched on ready for any peak demand. Spinning reserve burns, fuel, produces no electricity and emits carbon from fossil fuels. A simple cheap adjustment (dynamic demand control DDC) to ordinary domestic and commercial appliances which cycle on and off for much of the day, (eg. refrigerators, air conditioners, immersion heaters) can help balance demand with supply and negate at least some of the need for spinning reserve saving carbon.Thousands of DDC appliances behave like an automatic (no intervention) giant capacitor-buffer - DDC can therefore help in the integration of alternative energy sources (wind, wave, tidal etc.) into a grid network.If set up correctly, DDC on appliance performance is seamless - I have tested the cooling and energy performance of domestic refrigerators. Compare the tiny effort of one ant, the collective of the whole colony gives the benefit.

Further information can be found on:

www.dynamicdemand.co.uk and

http://www.mtprog.com/spm/download/document/id/658