GE's NET ZERO HOMES

Story from the Commercial Record

If massive Norwalk conglomerate GE gets its way, by 2015 all homes will generate as much power as they consume, thanks to residential wind power, next generation solar technology and smart power management, among other technologies.

GE said by 2015 it intends to develop a turn-key product portfolio that will empower both new homebuilders and existing homeowners to build or modify so-called "zero net energy homes."

The GE net zero energy home offerings will be comprised of three major groups within the company's product portfolio: energy efficient products, energy management products and energy generation/storage products.

Energy efficient products include GE Energy Star-qualified appliances and lighting products.

Energy management products will enable consumers to manage their costs and energy consumption while helping reduce utility demand peaks, thereby reducing the need for more power generation. In a statement, GE said it plans to be the first manufacturer to offer a full suite of demand response appliances that will work with utility smart meters to help shed load from the grid, while helping consumers save money during peak demand usage and pricing times.

Lastly, the company's GE Energy unit plans to incorporate products like solar PV, advanced energy storage, next generation thin film solar and small wind generators to help homes generate their own power independent of the grid.

"We have a long, trusted relationship with consumers, strong presence with homebuilders, demand response appliance technology and the extremely critical smart grid technology leadership of GE Energy that makes the GE net zero energy home an exciting prospect for our future growth," said GE Consumer & Industrial President and CEO James Campbell.