High Efficiency Appliances
When electric appliances started becoming commonplace, many homemakers thought heaven had come early. Hours of drudgery were reduced as clothes were washed and dried, iceboxes were replaced with refrigerators, coal shovels were no longer needed and hot water came out of the tap with a twist of the wrist. The conveniences eventually came with a price, though, as resources were used up and became more expensive. The government and consumers requested more high-efficiency appliances and the manufacturers heeded the demand. Does this Spark an idea?
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Measuring Electric Use
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Electricity usage is measured in watts. A 100-watt lightbulb pulls 100 watts of energy from a power plant that is operating somewhere in the area. A refrigerator needs about 800 watts to operate. If there are 1,000 refrigerators in a small town all drawing power at the same time, an electrical station must generate 800,000 watts just to keep up. This is not counting all the other electrical use in the town. Reducing the power consumption of appliances through more efficient operation greatly reduces the overall need for power.
More Efficient Motors
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A main problem with using electricity is that much of it is wasted by generating heat along with powering an appliance. This is why an appliance motor always feels warm to the touch when operating. A good example is the need for a large fan in a computer so that it doesn't overheat. Consulting engineer Richard Welch writes that new designs such as the segmented lamination stator technology will save energy costs and improve the operational life of an appliance motor.
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Energy Star Program
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1992 saw the start of a combined effort of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy -- the Energy Star program. The goal was to provide label information and ratings to allow the consumer to make the best choices of the most efficient appliances. The program started with computers, and then grew to include other office equipment. Almost all major appliances for the home and office now carry Energy Star ratings.
Buying Appliances
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A refrigerator built in 2011 uses 40 percent less power than one only 10 years old, even though they both look the same superficially. A top-mount freezer/refrigerator is more efficient than a side-by-side model, but comparing two or more side-by-side models is what you should do if that is the type you want. When you look at the price tag of any appliance, it is wise to also look past it to the yellow Energy Star tag -- a higher-priced appliance that saves money through better energy efficiency may turn out to be the better long-term buy.
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References
- Photo Credit Towels in the washer image by Stephen VanHorn from Fotolia.com
