|
 We are all familiar with the Energy Star labels we see on household appliances. We also know that they are there to encourage us to purchase the most environmentally friendly products on the markets. However, we're not always entirely sure what the Energy Rating of any particular appliance actually means other than the more stars, the better. That's true enough, but it is also helpful to know how the Energy Star Energy Rating is arrived at for each particular type of appliance. Clothes washers, for instance, are tested and rated differently than fridges.
The Energy Star testing procedure for any appliance is centred around its ability to perform whatever task it's built for. In the case of clothes washers, an accurate Energy Rating cannot be arrived at unless two clothes washers were required to wash clothes equally well. In order to achieve a fair and balanced Energy Rating, each machine must be given the same size of load to wash and the wash loads must be equally soiled. Then, when the washing cycle is complete, the wash loads must be equally clean within narrow parameters. In 2006, an additional rinse cycle test was added to determine how well the clothes washers removed detergents and other residue during the rinse cycle. Every test is conducted using exactly the same water temperature, water pressure and even power supply in order to ensure the tests are done fairly and accurately.
Other tests include a water consumption test and water pressure tests. These tests do not contribute to the Energy Star Energy Rating, but are done in order to verify that the washing machine performs as the manufacturer states it will.
These exhaustive tests just determine the minimum requirements for obtaining a single Energy Star Base Energy Consumption (BEC) Energy Rating, without which the washing machine cannot even be offered on the Australian market. Once the washer has passed the Minimum Energy Performance Requirements (MEPR), a mathematical formula that gauges its efficiency as compared to other washers is applied to it. That formula results in the simple 1 to 6 Star Energy Rating scale. Every appliance is rated slightly differently, but in the case of clothes washers, each additional Energy Star in the Energy Rating scale represents a 27% decrease in energy consumption.
In the case of clothes washers, aside from the stars, there are two other prominent energy consumption labels - one for cold water washing and one for hot water washing. Measured in kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, when you compare two clothes washers, you can tell at a glance at these numbers just how much more you will be saving on your energy bill per year if you choose the more energy efficient model.
As you can see, the Energy Star labelling system is deceptively simple. At a glance, it looks like they simply plugged the machines in and measured their energy consumption. Now that you know just how exhaustive the testing procedure for clothes washers is, you also know just how much difference a single star makes. That cheaper washing machine that has two more Energy Stars than its more expensive counterpart cleans just as well as the expensive model, but it does so more energy efficiently. This is what makes the Energy Star Energy Rating system so good: it gives you an easy, independent and accurate way to choose the very best appliances. If you wish to, you can pay more for more "bells and whistles." In that case, too, you will be able to choose a clothes washer with all the features you could ever want that also reduces energy consumption and greenhouse emissions.
|
