  In this article we describe our efforts of extending demand-side control
concepts to the application in portable electronic devices, such as laptop
computers, mobile phones and tablet computers. As these devices feature
built-in energy storage (in the form of batteries) and the ability to run
complex control routines, they are ideal for the implementation of smart
charging concepts. We developed a prototype of a smart laptop charger that
controls the charging process depending on the locally measured frequency of
the electricity grid. If this technique is incorporated into millions of
devices in UK households, this will contribute significantly to the stability
of the electricity grid, help to mitigate the power production fluctuations
from renewable energy sources and avoid the high cost of building and
maintaining conventional power plants as standby reserve.
