Appliance Power! – Paul Hines, Packetized Energy & Univ. of Vermont, ARPA-E

ARPA-E, the innovation arm of the Department of Energy plays a pivotal role in nurturing promising new energy-related technologies that will improve our lives and reduce our costs and carbon footprints, including through increased use of renewable energy sources. A fundamental challenge to increasing the use of renewable energy is the intermittency issue – the sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow. To circumvent this challenge, a team of very clever innovators has invented a small unit about the size of an Amazon Echo that will manage your electricity supply at your home or business. While other solutions focus on managing this issue at the grid level, this company, Packetized Energy, is bringing it home, so you are in control.   So, meet Paul Hines, Co-Founder of Packetized Energy and Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Vermont. This interview was conducted at the ARPA-E Innovation Summit, so there's a bunch of background noise, so this interview is a bit shorter than some others we've aired. You'll never look at your toaster the same again! Hear about: How your appliances like your toaster, 'fridge or water heater can power your lights or electric car. You'll always have a "full tank" if you have an electric or hybrid vehicle. How to save on your electric bill – and even get money back from the utility! How these units might reduce the need for more electric power infrastructure. Plus… they are seeking women engineers to work with Packetized Energy! Contact us and we'll connect you! Thanks for subscribing on iTunes or iHeartRadio and leaving us a review! Also, join our Facebook Page  and share your insights! Join our mailing list to stay up to date on the top podcasts! Follow us on Twitter @joanmichelson     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices