As Germany makes the switch to renewable energy, domestic consumers need to get more savvy about how they use energy – or at least install devices to do it for them. For example, most solar power is generated at midday, the time when most people are out at work and cannot switch on their most energy-guzzling devices.

But imagine if a smart app could tell you when the cheapest time to run your washing machine, dishwasher or dryer was – and even activate them for you? Thanks to a research cooperation between the Danish University of Roskilde, the Kiel University of Applied Sciences in Schleswig-Holstein and Danish solutions providers, a “smart plug” solution is coming to Germany. Over the past three years, the teams have built the capability to process electricity usage data from households and then use it to control consumer units in a targeted manner.

The smart plug and IT infrastructure has been developed and tested in 25 households in Denmark and Germany. "We have proven that it works," says Professor Ralf Patz from Kiel University in a press release. "And the potential is huge. If an energy supplier starts thousands of washing machines at the push of a button, so to speak, to use the electricity from a wind farm when it blows properly instead of throttling back the plants, we can successively scale down the generation of coal-fired electricity. Everyone benefits."