60965Verv Connect: High-definition fault-finding technology for the next generation of smart, sustainable appliancesClosedStudyInnovate UKEco-design policy has traditionally focused on improving energy efficiency of household appliances, rated from A+++ (highest energy efficiency) to D (lowest energy efficiency). Taking tumble dryers as an example household appliance, models with lower energy ratings typically have cheaper upfront costs (sale price: c£150-£300) compared to top-rated models (sale price: c£350-£1,000). However, under standard usage conditions (defined as 160 drying-cycles/year), a C-rated tumble dryer may consume more than three times the energy of a top-rated model, meaning that over a 10-year lifespan, a C-rated model can end up costing hundreds of pounds more than an A+++-rated model, while also being responsible for three times more carbon dioxide emissions. With modern heat-pump technology delivering highly energy efficient tumble dryers, attention has recently switched to making appliances easier to repair and longer lasting. Under current practice, tumble dryers typically have manufacturer warranties of only 1-2 years. Customers can pay for extended warranties (e.g., for 5 years), but large household appliances invariably fail without warning, and when they do, replacement tends to be easier than repair. Indeed, UK's leading specialist warranty provider for household appliances replaced rather than repaired more than half a million broken appliances in 2017 alone (Domestic&General\_2017). Appliance manufacturers are under increasing global pressure to shift to a repair-over-replace culture; 77% of European consumers would rather repair than replace their goods (European\_Commission\_2014). However, today, we do not have the required monitoring technology to enable fault diagnostics and prescriptive maintenance of household appliances. With Innovate UK support, Verv, working with a leading UK-based appliance manufacturer, will create a new device that sits between an individual household appliance and the wall socket, analysing changes in the power draw of the household appliance as an early indication of fault progression. This data will transform how we view our large household appliances, enabling accurate fault detection at an early stage (pre-catastrophic failure), when it is still economical to repair these appliances. By avoiding untimely/sudden appliance failures, our monitoring device will reduce appliance downtime (improving user convenience) and also significantly improve the safety of household appliances, which can be a significant fire risk. By enabling proper maintenance, customers will further benefit from reduced running costs (lower power consumption), while modern, smart household appliances will also potentially be suitable for software updates to improve energy efficiency without replacing the entire product. Thus, supporting the transition of household appliances towards a sustainable future.