Telecoms: Italy

Electrolux, Enel, Indesit and Telecom Italia have signed an agreement to study and develop innovative services based on communications between the next generation Electrolux and Indesit appliances, Enel’s smart meters and remote management infrastructure – which allows remote control and management of power consumption – and the fixed and mobile broadband infrastructure of Telecom Italia.

The purpose of the “Energy@Home” initiative is to develop a system in which smart appliances will be able to manage themselves by adjusting power consumption of the entire house, thereby avoiding consumption peaks and overloads.

The project is a further step towards the development of the so-called smart grids, which, in the future, will allow the transfer of information to appliances that will be able to self-programme depending on power supply and prices.

This innovative system will also provide users with information on their household consumption directly on their computer, cell phone or on the display of the appliance itself.

During the trial phase, each partner will contribute with its best and most innovative high-tech solutions: Enel will provide its remote meter management system and applications, currently linked to 32 million digital metres, customised to enable communications with telecoms infrastructure and household appliances; Telecom Italia will offer its fixed and mobile broadband network platform, which will rely on the advanced Alice home gateway and Zigbee wireless technology to enable the exchange of information between household appliances and Enel equipment.

Electrolux and Indesit will contribute with prototypes of smart appliances and applications to manage connections and the exchange of information in order to regulate consumption.

The trial phase, scheduled to end in 2010, will involve selected consumers throughout Italy.