Refrigerator Replacement Beats Retrofit

Utilities have frequently advised their customers that regular refrigerator maintenance can conserve electricity. Recent research by LBL's Building Energy Measurement and Performance Analysis reveals that, in fact, energy savings due to the maintenance of refrigerators are negligible.

Rochester Gas & Electric Company, based in upstate New York, monitored the field performance of twenty-six old refrigerators for one year. The average monitored refrigerator's annual energy consumption was 2100 kWh, over 20% of the average household's total energy use. These refrigerators then received standard maintenance such as cleaning coils and replacing gaskets; however, Building Energy Measurement and Performance Analysis researchers Alan Meier, Barbara Litt, and Andrew Megowan observed no reduction of energy use due to these repairs (see figure). While the energy use of some units decreased, the energy savings were offset by increases in other units. As such, the net decrease in the energy consumption of the average monitored refrigerator was not statistically significant.

No significant decrease in energy consumption was observed until new units replaced most of the old, maintained refrigerators. The new refrigerators consumed only 800 kWh per year (see figure), a savings of 60% from the original 2100 kWh. The average age of the replaced refrigerators was sixteen years, compared to the twenty-year average life span of a refrigerator. Thus, while the replacement of the old refrigerators shortened their life spans by an average of four years, the energy savings represent more than 15% of the average American electricity bill!

These results should not discourage refrigerator owners from properly maintaining their refrigerators. However, the replacement of old, energy-hungry refrigerators is a far more reliable and cost-effective conservation measure.

[REFRIGERATOR GRAPH]

Maintenance of old refrigerators saves a negligible amount of energy as shown by the dashed line connecting mean consumption values. The replacements, however, used 60% less energy.

-Brian Pon & Chris Payne

For more information, please contact Alan Meier.

Coming Attractions: Over fifty million residential energy-conservation measures have been implemented in the last decade. How are we doing? Next time, we'll report on Progress in Residential Retrofit, fifty million retrofits later.

See the special refrigerator section at Home Energy magazine Online.

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This web page last modified by Brian Pon on April 3, 2000
Questions? Send e-mail to Alan Meier.