Dear Friend of Building Science,

This issue of Recent Research describes the impact of energy efficiency standards on refrigerators. An important aspect of this comparison is the role of energy test procedures. Two years ago, Japan converted from their own test procedure to the ISO test. As a result, the listed energy use of Japanese refrigerators suddenly jumped 40%. The opposite result would probably occur if the United States switched to the ISO test. This example illustrates the key role of energy test procedures.

Results from other projects in BEA suggest that energy test procedures will soon need drastic overhauling. Almost all appliances, from air conditioners to cars, are now built with microprocessors to control many aspects of their operation. Current test procedures focus on the performance of the hardware characteristics, not the software. The field performance of these appliances may differ sharply from that observed in the laboratory.

Are you trying to figure out how to put your PCs to sleep? A recent BEA report, "User Guide to Power Management in PCs and Monitors," is now on the web at http://eetd.lbl.gov/EA/Buildings/LBLReports/39466 The intended audience is computer support staff but you, the energy professional, will certainly want to check it out. This report could easily save you 100 Watts.

Sincerely yours,

Return to "Comparing Refrigerators."

Return to Recent Research index.