"As a first step, each household’s electricity meter was replaced with a digital smart meter….. Smart meters record power consumption data on an internal memory chip at 15-minute intervals. Once a day these data are anonymized and transmitted via the power lines to an energy-data management system. "  |  "Some 100 households that were selected at random have been equipped with smart appliances from Miele. “These appliances automatically choose the lowest tariff for their operating cycle,” …"  |  "Another 13 households.. were fitted with combined heat and power units (micro-CHPs). In addition to producing hot water, these can also generate electricity. “If demand for power exceeds the amount currently on offer from the utility, the micro-CHPs can be activated via the gateway to feed electricity into the grid,”…"