home & energy

5

The Star Rated Refrigerators

consume:• 1 star - 977 units/year (12% savings)• 2 star - 782 units/year (29% savings)• 3 star - 626 units/year (44% savings)• 4 star - 501 units/year (55% savings)• 5 star - 400 units/year (64% savings)

Technical differences:

1. In low-star rated refrigerators, compressor motor’s winding is made with low quality wires, while in higher star rated refrigerators, high quality wires are used.

2. In higher star rated units , inverter technology uses variable speed motor and

thus the compressor works as per the cooling requirements only.

3. In higher star rated units, precise digital controllers are used to minimize energy usage instead of thermostatic control in old refrigerators.

12 Eating Habits

Refrigerators today are available also according to the fridge to freezer ratio. (Usually 70:30 or 80:20). So if you are a vegetarian, then it is advisable to go for 80:20 model as you would need more space for storing veggies. If you are a non-vegetarian 70:30 model is recommended.

13 Mind the size

Increased size increases the electricity consumption of the refrigerator. It is observed (based on BEE data) that with every litre increase in the volume the electricity consumption of refrigerators increase by 0.5-1 units (in the same star rating band). So a 5 star 350 litres refrigerator may consume about 50-100 units per year more than a 5 star 250 litres model. So, pick a refrigerator of right size!

14

More features more electricity consumption Every feature adds to the electricity consumption (unless it is a feature designed for electricity saving). So choose the features that are helpful for your daily use. Do not just buy a loaded refrigerator just for having a feel of every feature.

15 Recycle your old refrigerator If you have

an older refrigerator in your basement or garage, it could be costing you nearly Rs.20K per year to run it. Recycling it has the added advantage of ensuring that the refrigerants and other components are removed and properly recycled.

New improvements suggested

1 FROST SENSOR– In today's refrigerators, defrosting takes place in

specified intervals, thus wasting energy in hot season, and overload on compressor and improper cooling due to excess frost in cold season.

– We suggest to provide a frost sensor to carry out defrosting according to requirement only, thus energy saving can be achieved.

2 DOOR OPEN ALARM– By providing door open alarm, in case the door

stays open for more than a specified time, alarm alerts the user. So some amount of energy can be saved .

3 SEPERATE EVAPORATORS WITH SOLENOID VALVES– We suggest to construct separate evaporators controlled with solenoid valves and controllers for freezer and fridge to reduce compressor running time.

4 ENERGY SAVING MODE– If the door not opened for ,say 5 hours , the

refrigerator can switch over to energy saving mode to conserve energy.

Switch off lights, fans and other gadgets when not required.

Use a liquid crystal flat screen monitor for your computer or TV.

Don’t set your washing machine for a hot water. Use warm or cold water instead.

If you can’t switch to solar water heaters, get timers for your geysers.

Set the AC in the economy mode so that it switches off when the room cools to the required temperature.

Buy energy efficient home appliances.

CONCLUSION

THANK YOU