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there are now other forms of energy harvesters developed initially at the micro level which are now being scaled to produce enough energy to replace or supplement grid power. For example, take the humble bicycle dynamo - based on an electrodynamic energy harvester. The same technology is also used in large scale wind power, but now it has been redesigned to work beyond a rotary means. EnOcean, Germany, offer more than 500 products based on this technology from light switches powered by pressing the switch to wirelessly monitored mouse traps powered by the mouse entering the trap. Re designing the decades old technology is now making other, larger scale applications possible.

AHAM lists the following six key features associated with smart appliances: Dynamic electricity pricing information is delivered to the user It can respond to utility signals Integrity of its operation is maintained while automatically adjusting its operation to respond to emergency power situations and help prevent brown or blackouts The consumer can override all previously programmed selections or instructions from the Smart Grid, while ensuring the appliance‘s safety functions remain active When connected through a Home Area Network and/or controlled via a Home Energy Management system, smart appliances allow for a total home energy usage approach. This enables the consumer to develop their own energy usage profile and use the data according to how it best benefits them It incorporates features to target renewable energy by allowing for the shifting of power usage to an optimal time for renewable energy generation, i.e., when the wind is blowing or sun is shining According to a research piece written by Zpryme, the smart appliance market is projected to grow from $3.06 billion in 2011 to $15.12 billion in 2015, with the U.S. accounting for 46.6 percent of that in 2011 and 36 percent in 2015. By contrast, China is expected to have an 11.6 percent share in 2011 and an 18.2 percent share in 2015. What's more, there are some strong drivers to smart appliance investment: Pricing: Bringing smart appliances to the mainstream means aligning ecological innovation with affordability Environment: With the build-out of metering and real-time pricing, consumers will see economic and environmental incentives for reducing power consumption first hand with their smart appliances Energy efficiency: When a consumer buys an appliance, they commit to paying both the first cost and the operating cost for the life of the product. And over the existence of the appliance, the energy cost to run it could be significantly greater than the initial cost Smart grid build-out: Smart appliance growth relies heavily on how quickly smart grid infrastructure can be rolled-out and readily accessible to communities Government subsidies: Like the Cash for Appliances program in the U.S., governments could and should play an active role in furthering the smart appliance agenda

Advanced Rail Energy Storage (ARES), is a Santa Barbara, California based company, providing a deployable solution for grid-scale energy storage. ARES mission is to enable the electric grid to integrate unprecedented amounts of clean, environmentally responsible, renewable energy while maintaining the reliable electric service necessary to power growth and prosperity. Since it's founding in February 2010, ARES has developed and filed both domestic and international patents for an advanced method of utility-scale electrical storage. ARES facilities are designed to: provide grid security and reliability; support the increased use of renewable technologies, and to provide an energy storage solution that does not rely on water.

The renewable energy super-grid is planned to become operational in 2020 and will involve Europe's leading utilities, who will share part of the massive price tag.   The project would be the first multinational grid designed to address the fluctuating nature of green power generation, one of the main challenges slowing down the share of renewables in the baseload energy mix.   Energy from power produced from the wind farms at night could be stored in Norway's hydropower facilities to be released the following day; helping to secure a more stable energy supply.