New Tool From Calif Energy Commission
Submitted by advisor on Thu, 05/07/2009 - 12:16pm.
The California Energy Commission launched the searchable Appliance Efficiency Database allowing manufacturers and consumers to search every feature of every appliance known to man. Though it is admittedly not the most intuitive database, it is better than the one we had yesterday.
Please take the database for a spin and comment on it here.
Seems like a killer app. to create an all encompassing list of suitable appliances before leaving the house to shop.
Earth to Peanut Gallery
Now that we've all gotten that out of our systems.
Can you guys take the California database for a spin? Check for ease of use, usefulnesss, data included and missing, etc, etc. My feeling is that the interface is a little problematic for consumers using it once in a blue moon, but for professionals, they'll figure it out.
... from the Peanut Gallery ...
I think this will appeal only to the same fraction of the populace who consider Consumer Reports as something short of Biblical, so Appliance Professionals would do well to keep up with anything provided to the public which purports to be authoritative and essential to the selection process !!!
Personally, when someone comes in armed with copies of such internet publications, I find them easier to reason with and address either the wisdom, or error, of what they have read ... it's easier to work with an informed consumer, than one who is less than informed ... especially when higher end products are concerned ... even if they only understand a modicum of what they have read !!!
Hmmmmmmmm ...
I am personally very serious when it comes to energy conservation, not just from a personal savings aspect but because I believe that no one has the right to squander, nor compromise natural resources ... I am a huge advocate of recycling and believe it is irresponsible not to be !!!
Unfortunately, as hard as I try, I cannot identify a client who has ever come to me and asked specifically for a particular product that was energy efficient, nor have they asked for my input !!! Water saving, yes, but energy efficient, never !!! It is a pitiful testament to what our society has become, but it's the truth !!!
While the listing of "qualified manufacturers" is certainly helpful, it is only so if consumers are interested in the information ... sad but true !!!
Please don't hate the messenger ... hate the message !!!
Bermuda Bob
BB... You are on the right track. I grew up in this country and we never , ever have been concerned about energy usage until recently. It has been so cheap and plentiful.As for cooking appliances I get feedback from people who already think the ovens and cooktops in gas & electric are pretty reasonable as they are. Any reduction in energy will require reduced appliance sizes and performance. Will Americans live with that ? As for the engineers who may think me wrong ,why haven't you developed the new ,efficient items already if there would be no performance dropoff or size reduction ?
Not True
We really aren't talking about a big change in performance. Many of the changes for efficiency would perform better anyway (open burners for example). Induction is more efficient and faster. The most efficient dishwashers seem co-incidentally the best at cleaning. If everyone ordered their Thanksgiving Turkey from a service, and got smaller ovens like the Europeans, how much energy would be saved?
Governments need to create incentives to drive efficient decisions which will drive the development of efficient products. Raising the price of energy is the best way.
As for the readiness of Americans to downscale, it's all in the marketing. Americans have bought into a thousand pointless gimmicks and self destructive products and behaviors through the transformative powers of marketing. What % of our industry's products and/or features are not really worth the paper their brochures are printed on? How about all those pro-style appliances?
A salesforce should be able to sell efficiency standing on their head.
Good Points
You are correct.The pro sealed burner is the biggest joke in the industry ,at best 52 % efficient. I do not want some engineer to attempt to tell me different either. Been there ,done that.Sealed burners have been sold off as easy cleaning,but they really are weak. Induction is great but will people pay the price and buy it ? Can it be marketed properly ? If I am not mistaken it has been tried 2 or 3 times already. I have seen the workings and induction is great.The ribbon element electric cooktops are more efficient than gas and we should probably sell more of them .I do think it already dominates the market in cooktops.Can't speak much on the dishwashers however if cooking appliances went back to open burners and no self clean the power consumption would be reduced with little effort.A further effort to reduce power consumption in the electric cooktops seems a good strategy. As for outside service cooking, maybe some do that already but it is an American Gothic reality to cook on Thanksgiving. You're out of the box thinking on these issues is good for the industry.Until the Gothic changes we could have a group cookout for Thanksgiving. California is pretty nice in late November.
Big Fan of Induction !!!
I have been a huge fan of Induction ever since I first became aware of it !!! If the price can come down, then they could conceivably replace radiant cooking ... I have always tried to point out not only the energy efficiency of the virtual "instant-on & instant-off" aspect, but also that it is the safest where kids are involved !!! Then all you have to do is convince the client that better cookware produces a better experience ... and I never have a problem with conveying that !!!
Induction Again
As a result of being in the loop of design and negotiations with the induction engine suppliers ,it appears that those companies with the technology to sell think they have a home run and keep the prices very high , thus the cost of the engines. When negotiating , they seem to think the market will bear the high cost. I always tell them that the consumer is the ultimate inspector and judge on what they will pay for.If that induction engine technology pricing comes down you may see a better consumer response. One of these suppliers needs to see the benefit of volume pricing with lower margins but typically higher profits off of volume. I do think this technology priced correctly will now sell.
Induction
Perhaps this is too wonky, but Induction is always better than electric radiant, but it is not always better than natural gas. It depends on how the electricity used is generated. Induction is about 65% to 75% efficient, meaning the efficiency of turning electric energy into payload (water or food) temperature increase. If the electricity is generated with fossil fuel though the total system efficiency is more like 20% when you include the 30% efficiency of conversion from coal. Gas cooktops are 25% to 45% efficient. If you power is generated by nuclear, hydro, solar, wind....then by all means go induction.
But why listen to me, when you can see all the data produced by readers for ApplianceAdvisor.com: The People's Cooktop Test
More on Induction
I always thought that numbers can be manipulated to serve your stance .Wow. You take the cake with this one.However ,given the proper cycle of power usage it seems that electric cooktops with ribbon elements or induction would be 90% efficient given the reduced loss transference during cooking.Even though I think gas cooktops cook with more of a personality what with simmering,electricity is the way to go.
Induction vs. Gas ...
As I said, I'm a huge fan of Induction from a Energy Saving point of view ... but as any Chef will tell you, it's Gas ... first, last, and always for a StoveTop !!! Gas is simply more predictable ...
To give you more food for thought, for clients like myself, I often explore the idea of using both ... Induction for run-of-the-mill cooking and Gas for more finite and delicate cooking ...
Gas....
Gas has that needed personality for chef's egos......
What ???
Chef's have egos ??? Really ???
Chefs ???
No egos , just brain damage from the excessive use of gas !!!!
Oh ...
I thought that was methane !!! LOL !!!
Oh Man
I know an engineer I worked with who would have a million ideas on what to do but the product would not make it to production. Anyone who comes to any of you with an idea,let me know what engineer has the idea. I will save you the pain.