MyGreenExpert.com
Your Guide to Environmentally Friendly and Healthy Home Building
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MyGreenExpert.comYour Guide to Environmentally Friendly and Healthy Home Building |
     
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How To: Choose the Best Energy Saving AppliancesEveryone has to replace an appliance now and then. Here's my opinionated guide to selecting models that can help limit the energy consumption of appliances in your home. I've considered Energy Star ratings, Consumer Reports' testing and brand repair data, experts' opinions, and my own experiences reviewing and using new models. REFRIGERATORS. After heating and cooling your home, the refrigerator is the single bigger consumer of energy in a typical home. In 2001 refrigerator design technology improved significantly--more efficient compressors, better sealing techniques, etc. While I'm a supporter of using most things until they wear out, if you have a pre-2001 model operating somewhere in your garage or basement, the most eco-friendly thing you can do is to get rid of it. If you really keep it full and use it weekly, consider replacing it with a new model (and if you want energy savings, don't put it in the garage!) . Odds are that old model is costing you more than $125-$150 a year in electricity; new Energy Star rated refrigerators typically use around half of that. So you're not actually "saving" by running it until it dies. Begin with the end in mind, that is, saving energy. Choose a model with very low annual operating costs. Scientific testing shows that side by sides (while convenient) are the most energy-draining type of refrigerator design. Icemakers also add a considerable load to de facto energy consumption. Did you know that Energy Star testing the US government conducts requires that icemakers be turned OFF while the testing is conducted? Consumer Reports found in 2008 that with the icemaker running, one refrigerator model used nearly 50% more energy than advertised on its Energy Star label. So while the Energy Star label is a good starting point, it cannot the be-all and end-all of your shopping challenge. Look for bottom freezer and top freezer styles that use less than 450 kWh per year of electricity. You can get this information from nonprofit The Consortium for Energy Efficiency (www.cee1.org) and the Energy Star web site (www.energystar.gov). Select one with low energy use that meets your needs. Remember, do not be swayed by salespeople pushing the latest features and styles when you go to the store! Avoid fancy, pricy 'boutique' brands with dual compressors--they will cost you in both the short term and the long run. The table below present some solid choices for refrigerator/freezers for different budgets, spaces, and situations. Because initial shipping cost and future replacement part shipping cost is part of an appliance purchase's carbon footprint, I have included products' country of origin. Bear in mind that all features are not desirable for everyone. I warn against icemakers from an energy use perspective, for example, yet I have noted when a model lacks an icemaker under "cons" in the table, because I know most consumers find them desirable.
DISHWASHERS. The newest, most efficient Energy Star rated dishwashers save over 50% on your water bill compared to dishwashers that are just 6 years old or more. Technological improvements like computer sensors mean lower energy bills, too. You also won't believe how quiet these models are. If you live in an area where electricity has peak-load pricing, look for models with a delayed start feature on the electronic control panel, so you can run the wash cycle at low-demand times and save money. Here is my selection of good models from which to choose. The second on the list, a Bosch, is a fabulous choice, and the second-to-last, a Whirlpool, is a top value.
WASHING MACHINES. There is only one way to go with a new washer-- choose a front loader. That design is simply better at cleaning clothes efficiently, using very little water and power (and you can specify gas or electric power on many new models). Comparison of a typical new top loading machine to a new front loader shows that the front loader uses one-half the energy annually, which means a well-chosen front loading machine will pay for itself in 5 years. Why wait? Start saving today with one of these great washers.
Of course there is no 'perfect' appliance. I hope that you will take this list of good energy saving models that meet your needs shopping with you. Try not to get distracted by bells and whistles (like stainless steel finishes, which cost up to 20% more than black, white and beige; and 'steam' features on washing machines, for example). Much of it is hype, unnecessary, and not energy-efficient. Some of it is simply used to justify a higher price tag. Next month I'll be taking a close look at the Energy Star program's ins and outs, current challenges, and possible consumer-friendly revisions.
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