New technology from SMA and Miele increases on-site use of electricity from PV rooftop arrays and reduces electricity costs

Miele and SMA Solar Technology AG, an energy management company, are set to showcase technology at the IFA trade show which will allow even greater use of 'home-grown' electricity generated by PV installations.

The concept: SmartGrid-enabled washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers set to work automatically as soon as a roof-top PV array produces sufficient electricity. Alongside solar panels and the domestic appliances, the required componentry includes a so-called Sunny Home Manager. This is a central control unit from the intelligent energy-management product portfolio from the SMA Smart Home series.

Miele has had SmartGrid-enabled domestic appliances in its range for over two years. In conjunction with demand-driven tariffs provided by energy companies, these appliances automatically use the cheapest available rate in SmartGrid mode (special AutoStart mode). When connected to a PV installation, automatic programme launch operates according to the self-same principle, simply replacing the SmartGrid with a home's roof-top power plant.

The Sunny Home Manager schedules the use of SmartGrid-enabled Miele appliances. Solar yield forecasts are obtained by the energy manager by accessing weather sites on the Internet. This data is obtained by domestic appliances via the Miele gateway which, in turn, reports to the Sunny Home Manager on which machines are under starters' orders, which washing/drying/dishwashing programmes have been selected and how much energy is required as well as the time by which the programmes should be finished.

Example: A washing machine and dishwasher are both set to complete their cycle by 19.00 h at the latest. According to the weather forecast, the sun is expected to shine from lunch onwards, allowing the dishwasher to be switched on at 13.00 h followed by the washing machine two hours later. This particular example takes into account that the house's solar array is not able to provide enough power to run both machines simultaneously.
And: If 'home-grown' electricity is in short supply, the washing machine will be ordered to start independently using electricity provided by the utility. This way, the new technology ensures an increase in the proportion of solar electricity generated in-house. Users thereby reduce their reliance on power from the grid and cut costs as 'home-grown' electricity is always going to be the cheaper alternative. At the same time, users of this technology are making an active contribution towards protecting resources and reducing the burden on the environment.

The Sunny Home Manager from SMA has been available from retailers since early 2013 and can network with current Miele appliances using PowerLine technology. The most recent model series of washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers and built-in appliances (W1, T1, G 6000, Generation 6000 built-ins) will in future all incorporate the ZigBee® RF communication standard. ZigBee® communication modules and the appropriate Miele gateway for the new model series will be available from early 2014.

Installation can be performed by a suitably qualified appliance retailer or SMA agents.

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Company profile: Miele is the world leader in the field of premium domestic appliances including cooking, baking and steam-cooking appliances, refrigeration products, coffee makers, dishwashers and laundry and floorcare products. This line-up is augmented by dishwashers, washer-extractors and tumble dryers for commercial use as well as washer-disinfectors and sterilisers for use in medical and laboratory applications (Miele Professional). The company, founded in 1899, has 8 production plants in Germany and one plant each in Austria, the Czech Republic, China and Romania. 2012/13 turnover amounted to approx. EUR 3.15 bn, with sales outside Germany accounting for 70%. Miele is represented with its own sales subsidiaries and via importers in almost 100 countries. The Miele company, now in the fourth generation of family ownership, employs a workforce of around 17,250 with two-thirds in Germany. The company headquarters are located in Gütersloh/Westphalia, Germany.