Whirlpool to Produce 1M Smart Energy Dryers by 2011

Whirlpool Corp. will produce one million smart-energy clothes dryers by the end of 2011 as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Smart Grid Investment Grant program. These dryers could save consumers $20 to $40 per year in markets where utilities offer variable or time-of-use pricing, said the appliance maker.

Widespread deployment of smart appliances is expected to increase the value of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. When wind- and solar-generated power availability is reduced, smart appliances will allow for the temporary reduction of energy consumption to ensure reliable performance by the electrical grid even during periods of peak demand, according to Whirlpool.

Whirlpool said the deployment of one million smart grid-compatible dryers could shift the equivalent energy of 10 coal fired, 500-megawatt power plants.

This program builds on Whirlpool’s announcement in May to make all of its electronically-controlled appliances smart-grid compatible by 2015.