Basic EnergyStar...Refrigerators

I actually think Cash For Clunkers is a good idea. Old appliances use a ton of energy, especially refrigerators and washing machines.

For example, lets look at this basic 21 cubic foot $500 refrigerator.



Using average utility rates (then double it if you are in Massachusetts)...Your ten year old refrigerator will cost about $130-160 a year to run.

How about the EnergyStar...



$100 a year in savings...easily.

The Annuity

As you know, we have a partnership with NStar and National Grid and are rebating EnergyStar refrigerators $169.

So this Frigidaire 17 cubic foot becomes $349 after your rebate...



With energy standards improving at 18 cents a kWH to run, you will save over $100 versus the same refrigerator purchased just 10 years ago, and over $200 savings over one purchased 20 years ago...

Not a bad deal for $349.

EnergyStar Refrigeration

Our new site needs work, and it does have issues. We are working to address, but to clarify: All EnergyStar refrigerators for NSTAR and National Grid customers from GE, Frigidaire, Electrolux, SubZero, Thermador and Bosch have $169 instant rebates...Its a little confusing at the present time without question

EnergyStar $169 Rebates

Quick review then a question:

Replacing a 10 year old refrigerator with an EnergyStar will save $100-110 per year...

Replacing a 20 year old refrigerator with an EnergyStar will save $200-250 per year...

Piece of advice: Your second refrigerator...remove it.


Now the question: What does the SubZero built in, GE french door, Frigidaire top mount and Bosch side by side have in common:



They all have $169 instant rebates as a joint venture between Yale, NSTAR and National Grid.

4 Ways to Improve EnergyStar

Channel 5 was in the store, and did an expose on EnergyStar(TV does add 10-15 pounds, have a look below). First I like EnergyStar. They have created awareness to saving money through lower energy costs:

Here is a plan for improvement in my opinion

1. Standards should be a moving target. Products should continue to improve efficiency to be called EnergyStar

2. Manufacturers should publish regional costs

3. The products should be tested at full operating power

4. No legacy products allowed. In other words, products should not be EnergyStar simply because they have improved over last year

Cut and paste...

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/18901220/index.html

Quick Question

As I am still in Miami and woefully unprepared for a post, the following is a quick question...

Which costs more to operate?

This 75 watt bulb





Or this 26 cubic foot refrigerator?





The bulb...in fact replacing a 10 year old refrigerator will save you $110 per year.

EnergyStar Maytag

On March 1-March 30, 2009, this Maytag Epic machine will be $499 after $350 in rebates. This is not the long dead Neptune machine. Maytag laundry has been manufactured by Whirlpool for 3-4 years. As I have posted before in tough times, manufacturers will do almost anything to keep factories rolling.





This may be a good time to review the $100 difference this month between an EnergyStar Maytag front load versus a conventional top load.
Regular Estar
Water consumption Gallons 14,000 versus 5,009
Energy consumption kilowatt hours 374 versus 153
Spin RPMs 400 versus 1200
Capacity Cubic feet 2.6 versus 3.26

Energy Efficiency Presentation

I was asked to do a presentation on Energy efficiency appliances last night. It never ceases to amaze me how much an appliance from just 10 years ago costs to operate versus today.

Anyway, the following is the powerpoint from last night.

A couple caveats:

First, I realize that noiseless dishwashers and glass top ranges are not new, but they are to people who have not replaced their products in 40 years.

Secondly: The Subzero has a yellow energy tag of 58 dollars to operate. The energy stickers are actually from 2001 on all the products. With 2008 electrical rates, it is about $120 and a 10 year old product would be about $240.

Third: This was a 15 minute presentation without discussing bulbs. I can drone on for hours if asked....

Short Cycles

Following is the new Electrolux laundry. It is twice bigger than a top loader at 4.7 cubic feet and uses 1/3 the water. This machine has incredibly intuitive controls as well as LED lighting inside the unit.


But how long is a regular cycle?





18 minutes wash, 18 minutes dry......or about a hour less than a regular machine.

Aqua-Fridge

Look at any refrigerator:





At 18 cents per Kilowatt Hour, the average consumer should save around $100 in just energy....But the savings could be much greater....Look again





Depending on when you are reading this, you are probably drinking a bottled water. That bottled water costs about $1.29 on average. Multiply that number by how many you drink per week, month and year.

Guess what, the water filter in the refrigerator will deliver better water for a fraction.


Now what are the true savings

Another Great Deal?

I have started watching this website called GardenWeb. Yes, it is about gardening, but they also have a significant home improvement section with peer to peer reviews including a significant feature on appliances and lighting.

One of the posts was dedicated to the best appliance values. The person posting was talking about her parents refrigerator and how it lasted for 58 years. My feelings about this are mixed. First, I hate to throw anything of value away.

However, a refrigerator purchased today uses 50% less electricity than similar products from less than 15 years ago. A 58 year old refrigerator probably costs about $400-500 a year to operate versus $50-60 for a similar unit purchased today. Antiquated technologies in general like incandescent bulbs and top load laundry are probably costing the individual consumer hundreds of dollars a year every year.

But lets look at something new....What do these refrigerators have in common?



Yes they are Energystar, but there are instant rebates of $75 to 100 on all GE, Maytag, JennAir, Whirlpool and KitchenAid french door and side by side refrigeration.

The EnergyStar

Look at this Bosch washer:







Now guess how much it costs to operate?






You are probably thinking...Yeah, but it is way smaller than my present top loader. Wrong thought. The new Bosch 24 inch front loaders are 3.2 cubic foot in capacity. Your top loader is 2.4-2.5 without the agitator, uses about $100-150 more in electricity, 30 gallons more water and requires more detergent as well. The Bosch spins at 1200 RPM as opposed to 400, so the clothes require less drying time.


One last note: The Bosch is gentler on your clothes, because it does not have an agitator.

The Green Kitchen....Almost Done

I love big sales events. All the projects for Innovation 08 have to be completed by Friday at 5 PM, so it is fun to watch the mad scramble. Although we have revamped 3 displays, hung about 75 new fixtures and added about 40 new appliances, my favorite is this Green Kitchen.

Have a look:



I like it, because the lighting creates the environment. The bamboo pendants look great and they use 13 watt fluorescent bulbs. The recessed is 12 watt LED instead of 100 watt incandescent. This Boston kitchen dispels the notion that fluorescent is ugly or LED is too dim. To encourage people to embrace this new technology, we will be selling any fluorescent or LED product at 10% off this weekend.

Just for fun...Look at this kitchen in stages.

The Green Kitchen Stage 2

Look at this almost completed kitchen. As I have said
in previous posts, this will be a totally Green kitchen....But what is involved for a kitchen to be called Green?

Lets look:



Counters: Marble chip or recycled marble.



Tile: Actually recycled sea glass.



Cabinets: MDF particle board with a wood laminate front...Looks pretty good.



Floor: Bamboo..as I have said in the last post bamboo is sustainable and grows back in about a year.

Appliances: Bosch Energystar

Lights: When installed, the fluorescent pendants and LED undercabinet lights will emit about 50 watts...Not bad when you consider the incandescent equivalent will be about 600 watts.

Our First Green Kitchen

About 1 year ago, we installed the first all glass kitchen in the country. Our idea was to show the latest and greatest products. We also wanted consumers to understand the installation behind a wall oven or an undermount sink while they were comparing products...







Now we are on to greener pastures...literally, with the first totally green kitchen










Its a little unfinished, as we just layed the flooring. A totally Green kitchen is not that difficult.

First, for flooring try bamboo. Bamboo actually grows 3 inches per month and replaces itself in one year

Second, cabinets and counters can be replaced with reclaimed materials used previously. Don't think junk...think antique.

For lighting use LED or fluorescent (as I have blogged continuously), because they use up to 80% less energy than incandescent

Lastly and most easily, EnergyStar appliances will save a ton of energy. We will be using Bosch for this display, but there are many other brands

I will post the completion in May

Frigidaire EnergyStar Laundry

For April, there are $250 instant store rebates on front loaders from GE, Whirlpool, Maytag, Bosch and Frigidaire. Most of these companies have national programs as well..


Consider this, the Frigidaire basic front loading washer and dryer after rebates is $699.


Have a look (can be stacked or side by side.)

EnergyStar Laundry

My racquetball partner, Alex, believes our next economic boom will happen when we become energy independent. He mentioned the cost of gas, etc.

My position on Green products is simple. Consumers will buy Green if there is an advantage or payback. In my opinion, people will not spend exorbitant amounts of money just being Green. Then again, he did beat me in racquetball, so I could be wrong...

The textbook example of Green products with almost immediate payback is laundry..Energy efficient, specifically front load laundry is the best residential investment....The average front loader is 40% larger, uses between 25-30 gallons less water and at least half the energy... In other words, you wash more clothes yet use less water and energy...

Which brings me to the question...What do these front loaders from Bosch, Maytag and Frigidaire have in common?

EnergyStar

Lets look at three separate pictures: What do they have in common, except of course, they are all appliances

Refrigerators:



Dishwashers:



Laundry:



Every product we display is now EnergyStar rated. For refrigerators, the units now use as much energy as a light bulb...In laundry, the difference can be as much as 62% greater capacity with 62% greater efficiency.

As these units become more commoditized and less expensive, a consumer may pay $100 initially for a yearly savings of twice that. When you are considering an appliance purchase, ask if it is EnergyStar rated. The savings in operating costs will be substantial

Boston.com And CFLs

Following is an article written on Boston.com about the potential dangers of compact fluorescent. Below is my response, which was written nearly a month ago.

Article:
Boston.com article

Response:
YaleAppliance Blog response

I am not minimizing any threats to you and/or your family, but lets be realistic...

Energy Efficiency Part 1 Dishwashers

It was 68 in Boston yesterday and almost 60 today. Both are highs for this time of year. In my humble opinion, its a rather ominous sign of Global Warming and all the problems associated with nature out of balance. It really does not have to be this bad. At Yale, we have The Green Project, which basically is a buying guide of the most efficient appliances and how to use them. We would save a ton of energy just by operating our appliances differently.

The following few entries will be dedicated to Energy Saving tips. Then we will list the most efficient models.

First blog: Dishwasher Tips

1. Avoid using the Heated Dry option: Use Air dry and Somat or Jet Dry to aid condensation especially on metallic surfaces. Interestingly enough, Bosch and Miele do not offer a heated dry option on most of their dishwashers.

2.Run your Dishwasher with a full load: Most of the energy goes to heat the water. Since you cannot decrease the amount of water per cycle, fill your dishwasher to get the most from the energy used to run it.

3.Don't Pre-Rinse your dishes: Just scrape off the food and let the dishwasher do the rest. If you are a habitual rinser, then use cold water.

4. Do not hand wash: It uses 25 gallons or 2 and one half times a pots and pans cycle when the tap is half open.

5. Look for the Energystar label: Estar qualified dishwashers use 25% less energy than regular dishwashers.


These are easy changes. Try them. If you know of any other energy savings tips or suggestions, then please email me at steve.sheinkopf@yaleappliance.com

The Green Project At Yale..."Saving money and the environment one product at a time"