October 09, 2005

NSW electricity companies are planning to switch off home air conditioners by remote control on the hottest days of the year to save power and prevent blackouts.

Air conditioners will be "cycled" on and off at the whim of distributors using the same technology that regulates power to off-peak hot water services.

The Big Brother-style of managing peak demand will be trialled over summer by Integral Energy in selected homes in western Sydney. It is one of a number of initiatives being investigated to avoid embarrassing blackouts experienced in recent summers caused by increasing demand for electricity and ageing infrastructure. Pool pumps are also on the list of energy-hungry appliances that could be turned off by the power companies.

Integral says it will work in partnership with customers and is currently seeking 30 volunteers for this summer's trials. Karen Waldman, the company's regulatory and corporate affairs manager, said 11 per cent of Integral's network capacity was required to be available for use for just 25 hours per year. "We need to find ways to more efficiently meet the needs of customers during periods of peak electricity demand," she said.

Preliminary research has found that turning off air conditioning for an hour results in only a small rise in room temperature. Air conditioning manufacturers, power companies and the Australian Greenhouse Office are also working on more sophisticated methods to control appliances remotely, including smart cards. Air conditioners could then respond automatically to changing prices in periods of high demand.

Energy Networks Association chief executive Bill Nagle said customers handing over limited control to power companies would be beneficial to all. "This opens up opportunities where consumers could choose to allow their air conditioners to be turned off for a short period of time several times a year without this having any major impact on the comfort of that household.

"Aside from any incentives distributors may offer customers for this opportunity, it will also save consumers in the long run when the network does not need to be built to meet very short peaks".

A quarter of a million air conditioners are sold in Australia a year and they are one of the main drivers of electricity demand. In some states, air conditioning loads on extremely hot days make up more than half total energy use. In Sydney ageing networks have struggled to meet increased demand risking an increasing number of blackouts on high demand days.

The Energy Users Association says NSW is likely to experience problems with supply this summer if there is an extended period of hot weather.

Mother of five-month-old Dylan, Lauren Sladek, of Chiswick, said air conditioning was a necessity rather than a luxury, particularly for families with babies.

"I wouldn't personally want my air conditioning turned off on the hottest days, but I guess if they give you a choice then it's OK."

Greg Groppenbacher, of the Air Conditioners Manufacturers Association, said the industry was willing to help power companies.

"But my personal opinion is that I think consumers will want to get some incentive for handing control over their air conditioner to the power company," he said.

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