Green Building Elements

Don’t get us wrong, we love Energy Star. Madly, truly, deeply LOVE it. It’s just important to know that not all Energy Star rated appliances are created equal, so it’s worth a bit of investigation to ensure that you get the most energy efficiency bang for your buck.

If you’re unfamiliar with the program, here’s a bit of background: Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Together, they established minimum standards for energy efficiency, above and beyond the federal standard. By purchasing Energy Star rated products, including clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators, and room AC units, Americans saved $16 billion on their utility bills in 2007 alone. Those lower utility bills translate into a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 27 million cars. Talk about a positive impact!

So when you’re ready to invest in a new appliance, you should definitely look for the Energy Star label. Many states even offer rebates on Energy Star appliances (check out the Database for State Incentives for Renewables and Energy Efficiencyfor details).

Even with Energy Star models, efficiency improvements can vary so it’s important to review all of the products available to select the best one for you. On the Energy Star site, each appliance category has its own product list that provides the details on each model’s efficiency. Here are a few standouts in each category:

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Clothes Washers

The Energy Star rated washer beats the Federal standard for efficiency by a minimum of 37%. That sounds really good, until you consider these stellar models:

• Whirlpool LHW0050: 121% more efficient
• LG Electronics WM3001H: 115% more efficient
• Samsung WF328, WF338, WF348: each is 114% more efficient

You can research all Energy Star clothes washer model on the Energy Star site by clicking here.

And, since we’re talking about clothes washers, it makes sense to consider how efficiently the product uses water. Here, the LG and Samsung models above outshine the Whirlpool, averaging 714 and 651 fewer gallons used per year, respectively. It’s up to you to decide what trade-offs work for you, but we recommend maximizing your energy AND water savings.

These new models, along with advances in detergents, also mean that you no longer need to wash everything with hot water. Try some loads in cold, particularly colors, and see how they do. We bet that you won’t be able to tell the difference, and you’ll save even more energy by reducing your hot water use.

Dishwashers

With dishwashers, the Energy Star rated models beat the Federal standard for efficiency by a minimum of 41%. Again, you can do much better than that if you consider these models:

• Bosch models that begin with SHE98, SHV98, or SHX98 are 147% more efficient
• Asko models, like the D531, are up to 141% more efficient
• DCS’ compact DD124 model is 124% more efficient

You can research all Energy Star diswasher models here.

All Energy Star rated dishwashers also use at least 1/3 less water than standard models. Though Energy Star doesn’t provide metrics for water efficiency by model, they may add this information to the product listings at some point in the future. Regardless, keep in mind that today’s efficient dishwashers use significantly less water than washing by hand. Just scrape food off dishes – don’t rinse them – and load. Run full loads, and let the washer and detergent do the rest, and you’ll save about 5,000 gallons of water per year!

Refrigerators

Refrigerators eat up a lot of energy, and are often one of the biggest sources of energy use in a house. Energy Star rated models incorporate high efficiency compressors, improved insulation, and better temperature and defrost mechanisms. They also use at least 20% less energy than the current federal standard, which doesn’t sound like that much, but here’s the kicker: they use at least 40% less energy than pre-2001 models. So if you have an older refrigerator, now might be the time to invest in a new Energy Star one, like these stand-outs:

• Sun Frost (RF-12 and RF-16) are 51% and 36% more efficient, respectively
• Frigidaire (FRT18HP7J) is 33% more efficient
• Miele (KF 1801 Vi and KF 1811 Vi) are also 33% more efficient

You can research all Energy Star refrigerator models here.

Any refrigerator will run more efficiently when it’s stocked, so just add jugs of water to take up any extra space. Also, recycle any extra freezers or refrigerators – you’re probably spending several hundred dollars per year to keep that 8-year old pork chop and 6-pack of beer cold. Some utilities even offer a rebate for recycling your old fridge, so get rid of ole’ Frosty and cash in.

We’ve covered the top energy-hog appliances here, but know that Energy Star rates a dizzying array of products, including air conditioning units (central and room), dehumidifiers, televisions, boilers and furnaces, light fixtures and light bulbs, and much more. So, the next time you need to buy something that uses energy, check with Energy Star first – you’ll be glad that you did.

Related features:
Go Green at Home and Save Money
How to Cut Your Home Water Use by 50%
Recycle to the Max in Your City

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